National

John Wayne S. III (JW) is a storyteller, film-maker, producer, and director of the critically acclaimed indie film Red All Over. Over his two decades-long career, JW has built a solid foundation of trust and expertise, thanks to his experience in multiple aspects of both the film and music industries. JW’s fiercely unique work draws the audience into the realistically hard-hitting worlds of film, music, and television.

JW’s remarkable career in production and film began as a production assistant for director George Tillman Jr’s (Soul Food and Men of Honor) first feature length film, Scenes for the Soul. When production of the film wrapped, JW then explored the music industry with Grammy-nominated producer Steve “Silk” Hurley, and eventually became Director of International A&R, supervising agents in both the UK and Japan.

Encouraged by his growing knowledge and intimacy with production and publicity, JW joined forces with director DA Bullock to produce music videos. Shortly after that JW started JWS Productions. Since its inception, JW has produced over 200 music videos, 70 commercials, and a variety of media projects with BET and The Colours Network, respectively, to develop programming.

Ten years later, JW became President and General Manager of DL Records, where he guided the label’s trajectory and helped propel its artists into mainstream media. JW’s time with DL Records generated the hit single, “We Don’t Play Dat”, which was produced by Lil John and featured Bun B of UGK.

Content with his successes in the music industry but longing for more, JW was eager to return to the frontier of documentary and feature films. He started Londyn Town Pictures in 2009 to produce Last Step Before Reality, a documentary that followed 6 young adults, aged 18-20, attending an alternative school. For several years after finishing this project, JW searched for the right opportunity to pursue for his first feature before choosing the prolific script for Red All Over, which highlights the ever-growing aspect of gun violence and its consequences from an alternative point of view.

Aside from JW’s film directorial debut with Red All Over, he continues to produce and direct several other film and TV projects. When JW isn’t immersed in the world of independent cinema, he enjoys cycling, cooking, reading sci-fi mysteries, and spending quality time with his daughter, Londyn, in their Houston, Texas home.