ABOUT

FEATURE FILM. BRAND STORYTELLING. DOCUMENTARIES. EPISODIC. SHORT FILM. ASPIRATIONAL LIFESTYLE VIDEO.

Venice Air was launched to support the character driven narrative work of director Chris Olness. Venice Air produced Coming Home, a competition winning Levi’s Brand film – AFI FEST premier. Produced Satin - distributed by Warner Bros., Showtime, and Gravitas Ventures. Develops visual marketing materials for eco-luxury brand Las Rosadas.

Venice Air has thrilling scripts in development and relationships with industry leaders. What distinguishes Venice Air is its taste for authentic stories, strong characters, universal themes and arresting visuals.

MISSION

Inspire a diverse creative community of talent to collaborate with efficient workflow to produce thrilling high quality stories that captivate the audience and enrich lives.

PROFILE

Chris Olness
Writer / Director / Creator

15+ years of experience spearheading development, production & post-production.

Both visual designer and actor’s director, Chris Olness is a confident storyteller who brings his studio and indie skills to his filmmaking. Olness wrote/directed Coming Home, a film for the Levi’s Brand – AFI FILM FEST premier. Out of 1000 submissions Olness’ pitch won the Levi’s “Show Us the Way” film competition representing stories about a better tomorrow.

Olness directed and co-wrote Satin distributed by Warner Bros., Showtime and Gravitas Ventures. Olness’ career began in visual effects editorial for George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) on films such as; Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Men in Black, Twister, Lost World - Jurassic Park, Contact, Dragon Heart – and commercials for Honda, BMW, Energizer, Pepsi and Coke. When duty called for the Star Wars reshoots, Olness suited up as a stormtrooper and blasted the Millennium Falcon.

Olness' cinema life includes the American Film Institute (AFI) - Directing Fellow. Sundance Lab writing semifinalist.  Acting study with Larry Moss, Emmy winner Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent) and Judith Weston (Acting for Directors). Screenwriting workshops with Corey Mandell. Thriller and love story analysis with Robert McKee. U.C. Berkeley, B.A. Mass Communications. San Francisco Art Institute.

Olness is special in his ability to collaborate, inspire actors and shape authentic performances. With Olness behind the helm audiences get emotionally charged entertainment with a distinct visual style drawn from his vivid imagination and diverse background. Focused on serving the story, Olness brings all the elements together to create films that resonate.  Olness’ cinematic work is complimented by his documentary photography.

Olness grew up in San Francisco and now lives with his wife and son in Los Angeles. During his wide-eyed boyhood years that still resonate with him today, Olness was captivated by thrilling action heroes:  Indiana Jones, James Bond and Bruce Lee. Crime solving heroes in exotic locations:  “Dirty” Harry Callahan in San Francisco, Sonny Crockett & Rico Tubbs in Miami and Magnum P.I. in Hawaii. 

Outlaws and bounty hunters from the American West and feudal Japan seeded Olness’ interest in the warrior’s code — stories that deeply connect to vivid landscape where gunslingers and swordsman search for how to live.