JOJO SCANLON
ABOUT
JoJo Scanlon is an Award-Winning Writer/Director based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2022 and received his BA in Filmmaking cum laude with a focus on Writing and Directing.JoJo’s Filmmaking journey started in Middle School when he was introduced to the world of making films at a summer camp at his local library. He discovered that writing and editing came very naturally to him and decided he wanted to become a Filmmaker when he grew up. In High School, JoJo produced a live action web-series on YouTube with his friends that helped him learn more about the craft of Filmmaking.JoJo attended Columbia College Chicago from 2018-2022. During his time at Columbia, JoJo created a number of projects including short films, scripts, podcasts, and a commercial campaign. JoJo also spent a semester in Los Angeles, California, where he worked for Starburns Industries INC as a Development Intern.After graduating in May of 2022, JoJo moved back to his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, to independently produce a proof-of-concept pilot for an animated adult-comedy series that JoJo created while living in LA called "BRUTUS".Since wrapping production in May of 2023, "BRUTUS" has won Best Animation from the Vegas Movie Awards, South Carolina Underground Film Festival, and Atlanta Comedy Film Festival."BRUTUS" has also recieved an Outstanding Technical Achievement in Animation award from the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and an Official Selection from the Another Hole in The Head Film Festival, the Dam Short Film Festival, the DaVinci International Film Festival, and the C-47 Film Festival.In 2024, JoJo was invited back to Columbia College Chicago as a guest speaker to talk with current students about his success with "BRUTUS" after graduating.JoJo's other projects have screened at Festivals in India, Italy, and the United States and have won awards like the Lisa Buscani Award from the Neo Futurist Theater and Top 25 Most-Voted Podcast in the MyRodeCast Competition.Through his work, JoJo aims to inspire creativity and remind viewers that-- no matter how tough it gets-- there will always be better days ahead.
Rendering of JoJo Scanlon circa 2018 by artist Worthikids
PORTFOLIO
Click on each project's thumbnail/poster to be redirected to the project's home outside of jojoscanlon.com
Projects with 🏆 next to them are award winners. Navigate to the Awards section to read more.
"BRUTUS" - 2023 🏆
WRITER/DIRECTOR/EDITOR/PRODUCER
In this animated adult-comedy pilot, a super-shy seven-foot-tall gorilla is thrust out of his comfort zone after he's dragged to a High School house party and faces off against a snobby rich kid for the hand of the girl of his dreams.
"BOYS NIGHT" - 2021 🏆
HOST/PRODUCER/EDITOR
In this podcast, High School best friends JoJo Scanlon and Justin Sandberg document their long-distance reconnection during the COVID-19 pandemic and JoJo's subsequent move back to their hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Take Initiative" - 2021
WRITER
In this short script, a group of friends get together to play Dungeons & Dragons but struggle to help their newest member understand the logic (or lack thereof) of the game.
"I Think You Should Leave: He Likes To Listens To Steely Dan" - 2021
WRITER
In this TV-length spec script based on the sketch comedy series "I Think You Should Leave" by Tim Robinson, Tim and his guests spend each segment driving someone to the point of needing -- or desperately wanting -- to leave.
"Cosmic Debris" - 2021
WRITER/DIRECTOR/ACTOR
In this short film, a proposal goes awry when the couple get into an argument about a shady figure watching them from afar that looks an awful lot like the groom-to-be.
"Angus And Nico" - 2020
WRITER/DIRECTOR
In this short film, the sharing of a recent tattoo quickly becomes a heated debate about whether or not two roommates exist inside a Sit-Com.
"Community: Contemporary Anthropology" - 2020
WRITER
In this feature-length spec script based on the sitcom series "Community" by Dan Harmon, the Spanish Study Group goes on an international quest to rescue Troy from the hands of two oil-rig livin' pirates who are holding him captive following an expedition Troy took with LeVarr Burton that went sour.
"The Art Cast" - 2020
HOST/PRODUCER/EDITOR
In this podcast, host JoJo Scanlon virtually interviews his artist friends during the COVID-19 Pandemic about what kind of art they're making and what kind of art they're consuming.
"FINAL LAP" - 2020 🏆
WRITER/DIRECTOR/ACTOR/PRODUCER/EDITOR
In this stop-motion short film, a fight between two roommates breaks out over who should pay a speeding ticket over a friendly game of Mario Kart.
"NO MORE BORING SNEAKERS Campaign for UNIQERS" - 2019
DIRECTOR/EDITOR/PRODUCER/TALENT
In this series of ads, artists from all walks of life talk about what they believe makes the perfect sneaker.
"Trust The Process" - 2018
WRITER/DIRECTOR/EDITOR/PRODUCER
In this short film, a writer's inner (Parisian) voice contemplates why they can't come up with a good idea after sitting down to write.
"Just Be Friends" - 2018 🏆
DIRECTOR
In this short film, a barista discovers his ex-girlfriend is out with a new guy and sets off to exact his revenge.
"Thank You Diego" - 2018
DIRECTOR/EDITOR/PRODUCER
In this short documentary, a young man reflects on the first time he met his best friend while living in Puerto Rico and how their chance encounter would change his life.
"RonaldoBasedGod" - 2016-2018
WRITER/DIRECTOR/EDITOR/PRODUCER/ACTOR
In this webseries, a group of teenagers set out to uncover what really happened to their friend who was mysteriously murdered.
AWARDS
| Organization | Award | Project | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-47 Film Festival | Official Selection | BRUTUS | 2024 |
| DaVinci International Film Festival | Official Selection | BRUTUS | 2024 |
| Dam Short Film Festival | Official Selection | BRUTUS | 2024 |
| Another Hole in The Head Film Festival | Official Selection | BRUTUS | 2023 |
| Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) | Outstanding Technical Achievement: Animation | BRUTUS | 2023 |
| Atlanta Comedy Fillm Festival | Best Animation | BRUTUS | 2023 |
| South Carolina Underground Film Festival (SCUFF) | Best Animation | BRUTUS | 2023 |
| Vegas Movie Awards | Best Animation | BRUTUS | 2023 |
| MyRodeCast | Top-25 Most-Voted Podcast | Boys Night | 2021 |
| 100 Cooks In The Kitchen Film Festival | Lisa Buscani Award | Final Lap | 2021 |
| Kalakari International Film Fest | Official Selection | Just Be Friends | 2021 |
| Vesuvius International Film Festival | Finalist | Just Be Friends | 2021 |
PRESS
Listen and learn from the SPLASH alumni panel programmed by faculty filmmaker Missy Hernandez at Columbia College Chicago hosted by MFA candidate Emma Mazurek and joined by Columbia College Chicago Alumni and Friends. How did they get started and what are they doing now? Drew Brown ('22) LA based screenwriter currently working on AppleTV+ JoJo Scanlon ('22) Las Vegas based writer/director with an award-winning animated short titled BRUTUS Akanksha Cruczynski ('21) New York based writer/director/actor currently working on the feature version of her Student Academy award-winning short titled CLOSE TIES TO HOME COUNTRY Ashanti Sharrieff ('21) New York based producer and owner of media based production company True Tone Collective Mia Wicklund ('12) Chicago based multi-hyphenate currently working as a Script Coordinator for a new series titled EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK
Posted by Cinema and Television Arts on Saturday, April 13, 2024
JoJo Scanlon appearing as a guest speaker on a Young Alumni panel for Columbia College Chicago's SPLASH event series hosted by Missy Hernandez, 2024
Columbia College Chicago promoting JoJo Scanlon's guest speaker appearance at their SPLASH event series, 2024
JoJo Scanlon appearing on the Film Goals Podcast with Angel Contreras to talk about "BRUTUS" and pitching to networks, 2024
JoJo Scanlon on the panel for "Underground: What Lies Beneath" block at the Dam Short Film Festival following a screening of "BRUTUS", 2024
JoJo Scanlon on the Boulder City Podcast to promote the Dam Short Film Festival's screening of "BRUTUS", 2024
Film Snob Review's review of "BRUTUS", 2023
JoJo Scanlon on the panel for "D Block" at the Atlanta Comedy Film Festival following a screening of "BRUTUS", 2023
JoJo Scanlon being interviewed by Columbia College Chicago for the Manifest Arts Festival, 2022
CONTACT
Please do not send pitches, ideas, or scripts. For legal reasons they will not be read.