JJ grew up in the Milwaukee area before attending Northwestern University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Radio/TV/Film. JJ continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned both a master’s degree and a PhD in the Communication Arts department’s film program. His dissertation explored the history of product placement in the movies. During his time at UW-Madison, JJ taught various classes on film production, film history, and film aesthetics. In 2020, he was granted the Vance and Betty Kepley Award for excellence in teaching. Currently, JJ works as the researcher for the popular film podcast Blank Check with Griffin and David. In his free time, believe it or not, JJ enjoys watching movies, but he also likes to craft playlists of music new and old, play tennis and basketball, and tour the Madison area’s many public parks with his wife and daughter.
