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Jean-Paul Ouellette, Boston born and bred 
writer / producer / director
(photo: Barry M. Miller / Beshert Photography)
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1999 article in Boston Magazine
about building the New England film industry.
(photo: Van Ackere)
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Boston born J-P Ouellette (pronounced Wel-let) has spent his entire professional career in the motion picture and television industry.  He began filmmaking at the age of fourteen, and then pursued it professionally after completing his undergraduate studies in English and Graphic Design.  After college, Mr. Ouellette moved to Los Angeles, where he apprenticed first to filmmaker Russ Meyer and then to director Orson Welles and was mentored by television directing legend Don Richardson. 

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>JP in 1979 with famed stuntman Bob Miner and
>character actor/wrestler Harold "Odd Job" Sakata
(photo: Gary Graver)
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>JP on the set of asian martial arts programmer
>Chinatown Connection prepping a scene.
>Obviously, something he learned a few years earlier.
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>Mr. Ouellette worked in independent films for such companies as Cannon Pictures, New Line Cinema, Orion Pictures and Roger Corman's New World Cinema.  Working his way up, Mr. Ouellette was able to learn hands-on all of aspects of filmmaking, including camera from (then cameraman) Jan DeBont and Corman cinematographer Gary Graver, lighting from the award-winning Bill Klages, and stunt directing from Glenn Wilder.  In the latter connection, Mr. Ouellette directed the second unit action sequences for the Hemdale/Orion film "The Terminator," directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwartzenegger. 
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>JP casual prep producer.
(photo: Edward Holzman)
>JP casual prep second unit director 
>for The Terminator
>with one of his Linda Hamilton doubles 
>planning a stunt via radio.
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>Publicity still for The Unnamable Returns >On set directing David Warner in a scene. 
>That's AD Peter Diamond on the left and
>DP Greg Gardner behind the camera.
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>Ouellette, with a producing partner Dean Ramser, secured financing to enter into independent feature production.  Ouellette had developed the concept to produce The Unnamable, a horror movie adapted from a story by Howard Phillips Lovecraft.  Ouellette decided to use the name of Lovecraft, a New England writer of the early 1900's, as a marketing device to offset the fact that the production was working with limited funds and would be unable to hire “name” stars.   Yankee Classic Pictures produced The Unnamable for executive producer, KW Productions.  The film was sold to Vidmark Releasing Company (now Trimark), and it was successfully released and marketed in the US and abroad.

>After the release of The Unnamable, Ouellette raised the financing for The Unnamable II, a sequel to the original production.  He was able to secure financing by pre-selling limited rights to the US distribution for this feature to Prism Entertainment, and certain of the foreign rights:  the Japanese rights to Gaga; the U.K. rights New Age Cinema; and the Swiss and German rights to VCL.  The film was also backed, in part, by investments from Asian businessmen.

>The Unnamable II continued the story of the first film.  It starred the two unknown leads of the first film and British actors John Rhys Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and David Warner (Titanic).  It also features thriller actress Maria Ford and Penthouse Playmate of the Year Julie Strain as the creatures.  On the opening day of its video release it earned in excess of 1.3 million dollars, it had a successful pay per view run, and remains a cult horror staple in video stores. 

>At various times before and after producing The Unnamable II, Ouellette worked  rewriting Hollywood screenplays for various producers. 

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>JP in 1999 first getting involved with the 
>New England film community.
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>JP with friends A.J. Dimaculangan and
>Vinca Jarrett at an MMA event.
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>In 1996, Ouellette returned to his home for a year of writing in New England, at which time he established a relationship with a production wing of the German media giant Kirsch Gruppe.  Ouellette headed up United States financial operations for the international soap opera “Family Passions.”   The project was shot in Canada and starred Kin Shriner (General Hospital) and Gordon Thompson (Dynasty). 

>Ouellette has worked with a number of other international production companies.  He was the Executive Producer of "Late Night from the River Café," a live-by-satellite German national talk show for Akzente Productions of Germany.  The show, starring German late night host Hubertus Meyer-Burckhardt, was shot once a week from the River Café, in Brooklyn, New York and shown live by satellite throughout Germany.  He worked for a year as the startup Station Manager to Celtic Vision, the Irish cable channel in the U.S.  He co-produces, writes and directs the industrial advertising and promotional films for General Electric Aircraft Engines and Gorton’s of Gloucester.  And he co-produced two Gaelic language programs for Irish Television entitled "Siar 'S Aniar."

>In New England he has been helping assist in developing the film industry.  Besides seeking funds for local productions, he is on the boards of two local film festivals (Boston Underground Film Festival and The Woods Hole Film Festival), with local film schools (Boston Film Video Foundation).  With Woods Hole Film Festival, Inc. he is developing a film institute dedicated to the scientific documentary. 

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>Lining up a shot in the Gortons of Gloucester factory.
>Notice the elegant headwear.
(photo: Jay Duchin)

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