Biografia
I’m Joe, a Writer, Director, and Producer with credits in TV series, TV movies, and feature films, and a lifetime membership in the Writers Guild of Canada.
THE HIJACKING OF STUDIO 4
My debut screenplay, inspired by my time at TVOntario, was purchased by a Canadian producer with a reputation that would rival Roger Corman’s. The agreement was that I could direct it, but first, I had to produce and direct another TV movie on a shoestring budget, which included a battle scene. That project was "Deadly Pursuit," also known as "The Commando Game."
Next came "The Hijacking of Studio 4," a multi-camera production requiring coordination of cameras, action, and dialogue simultaneously on set and in the control room.
Like many filmmakers, I often find my ambitions outpace my resources, turning several projects into screenplays waiting for the right moment. One I’m particularly eager to bring to life is a dark reimagining of the Pied Piper legend. I even commissioned Paul Schultz to create a graphic novel adaptation, serving as a storyboard for the film. This project, "The Piper," is a graphic novel set in a future-past world.
Some of my screenplays I transformed into prose, collected in "5 Fables for the Young at Heart."
ROMEO AND JULIET To grasp what makes Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" endure beyond its portrayal of star-crossed lovers and poetic language, I delved deeply into what had been obscured by outdated phrasing and reverence. This exploration led me to publish three prose adaptations of his plays:
- "Madmen Have No Ears" (Romeo and Juliet)
- "Imogen" (Cymbeline)
- "Not To Be" (Hamlet)
MEDIA LITERACY To introduce storytelling from other disciplines to filmmaking, I taught a course at McMaster University called "Storytelling_OnScreen."
PIT & PENDULUM This film was achievable on a modest budget because we handled all the labor ourselves. We built and painted sets from scrap wood, sourced local talent, and called in favors. To minimize editing costs, I became proficient in Premiere Pro and later After Effects. Audio support came from students and friends.
The core vision of "Pit & Pendulum" was to harness cinema’s power to imprint vivid descriptions from the author's words in the audience’s imagination, allowing them to envision the visuals themselves.
I create the stories I want to see—enlightened entertainment.
I work in Hamilton, Ontario, an ideal film location.
Gaudet means "be happy" in Latin.
