Biografia
Greg Olliver, a writer, producer, and director, was born on the high plains of Texas and grew up on the tough streets of New York City.
From the critically acclaimed 2010 rock documentary LEMMY, centered on Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, to the 2020 release of Jack Daniel's CHASING WHISKEY, Greg has spent over a decade creating authentic, engaging stories about legendary musicians, war heroes, major brands, and a wide range of subjects for feature documentaries, narrative films, and short-form branded content.
Through Secret Weapon Films, the production company he founded in 2007, Greg is currently developing a narrative biopic about Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead, along with a feature documentary on Raoul's Restaurant in Soho, New York. He also directs branded content for Courageous Studios, with recent projects for clients such as AT&T, PFIZER, SAMSUNG, TUMS, INVESCO, and others.
After graduating from The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan in 1996, Greg climbed the New York film production ranks, working as a PA, Location Scout, Location Manager, Production Manager, and Producer, while refining his directing skills on music videos and promotional content. He then directed and produced multiple episodes of music and sports-related shows for Fuel TV, a pilot for MTV, live concert footage for Motorhead, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Burning Spear, and two Boogie Woogie piano concerts featuring renowned pianists Bob Seeley and Mr. B.
In 2007, Greg began working on the highly praised documentary about the godfather of heavy metal and Motorhead’s lead singer, Lemmy Kilmister. "Lemmy" premiered at SXSW in 2010, screened at numerous festivals including BFI London, Sydney International Film Festival, Fantasia in Montreal, and won Best Film at the 2010 In-Edit/Chile Film Festival. It achieved gold certification in four countries for selling over 25,000 copies. This film ignited Greg’s feature film career, and he has continued to build on that success.
In 2011, Greg directed and produced "Devoured," a psychological thriller/horror set in New York starring Marta Milans, as well as a documentary titled "Turned Towards the Sun," which profiles 97-year-old bi-sexual British WWII hero Michael Burn MC. "Turned Towards the Sun" was nominated for the Grierson Best Documentary Award at the 2012 BFI London Film Festival.
Greg’s second rock documentary, "Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty," was released in 2014, offering the definitive portrait of Texas blues legend Johnny Winter. In 2015, he was commissioned to direct, produce, and shoot a Tru TV tour special featuring the Impractical Jokers.
In late 2016, Jack Daniel's commissioned Greg to co-write, produce, direct, edit, and narrate their definitive feature documentary. He was granted unprecedented access to the world’s largest whiskey brand, its employees, and the Tennessee distillery where every drop is crafted. His journey took him from Lynchburg to Los Angeles, Iceland, Scotland, Japan, Cuba, and beyond to explore what makes whiskey a romanticized beverage and why Jack Daniel's remains a top seller. The film includes appearances by John Grisham, Tina Sinatra, Erik Church, and features an original soundtrack by Shooter Jennings, with contributions from musicians including Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses), creating a whiskey-soaked adventure of epic scale.
