Emmy award-winning filmmaker Peter Jones began his career as a broadcast journalist.  A graduate of Stanford University (BA in American Studies, 1978) with a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University (1981), Jones served as Washington correspondent for KOTV (CBS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma; a news and feature reporter for KVUE (ABC) in Austin, Texas; an anchor for WSLS (NBC) in Roanoke, Virginia; and an assignment editor for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.  Jones won numerous honors, including several Outstanding Achievement Awards from United Press International and The Associated Press.

In 1987, he formed Peter Jones Productions, originally specializing in documentaries related to the history of the Hollywood film industry. Since then, his Los Angeles-based company has produced more than 120 hours of programming on a variety of subjects. 

 For several years, he produced, wrote and hosted the short-form series ONLY IN HOLLYWOOD, which aired on Showtime, The Movie Channel, The Disney Channel, TNT, AMC and Encore.  In 1992, the segments premiered in broadcast syndication as a half-hour magazine-style series.  From 1990-96, he produced, directed, wrote and hosted the short-form series, AMC IN HOLLYWOOD WITH PETER JONES.

 In 1994, Peter Jones Productions became a contracted producer for the A&E series, BIOGRAPHY.  During a 10-year association in which his company produced 85 profiles, Jones became well known for securing previously unattainable rights without relinquishing editorial control, including those for such subjects as Sam Phillips, Brian Wilson, Charlie Chaplin, Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz.  Jones wrote and directed a 2-hour special on Judy Garland that won a 1997 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series, the first for the network.  His 2-hour special, OZZIE & HARRIET: ADVENTURES OF AMERICA’S FAVORITE FAMILY, became the highest-rated documentary in the network’s history, earning a 1999 Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series.  The following year, he became the first filmmaker to gain access to previously restricted archives of cinema pioneer Samuel Goldwyn.  In 2001, his documentary on Hollywood’s greatest independent producer, GOLDWYN, on the critically acclaimed PBS series, AMERICAN MASTERS.

 In 2003, Jones conceived, produced and directed SUNSET JUNCTION, a feature-length verite documentary about a Beverly Hills hairdresser who becomes an unlikely father figure to gang members and the neglected children of illegal immigrants.  The film had its world premiere at The Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI FEST) in November 2003.

 In 2004, he became the first filmmaker to negotiate unrestricted access to the personal

A native Texan, Catalena graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio/Television/Film (1994).  After receiving his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Film Editing (1997) from the American Film Institute, where he cut a Student Academy Award-winning short film, MY BODY, he worked as a freelance editor at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and The Learning Channel.

Catalena joined Peter Jones Productions in 1997 and has edited 25 films for the Emmy-Award winning series, BIOGRAPHY, including six 2-hour specials on such icons as Charlie Chaplin, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Brian Wilson and Dr. Seuss.

In addition to editing, Catalena co-directed GOLDWYN for the PBS series AMERICAN MASTERS and directed the 2-hour A&E BIOGRAPHY special on the life and career of artist Georgia O’Keeffe, which included an unprecedented collection of 110 works.  In 2003, he co-directed and edited the verite documentary, SUNSET JUNCTION.

In 2004-05, he co-directed and edited STARDUST: THE BETTE DAVIS STORY.  Catalena also created his own effects.  He employed the latest technology to form a distinctively visual documentary vernacular that included the layering of multiple images, resembling a 3D environment.

Tessier joined Peter Jones Productions in 1998 after graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.  While learning the production process from the ground up, he quickly rose to the rank of Associate Producer within a year’s time.  His AP credits include BIOGRAPHY episodes on Ann Miller, Glen Campbell, Roman Polanski and Dionne Warwick.

Tessier later co-produced profiles of Marvin Gaye, Neil Sedaka, Peter Fonda, Eva Braun, and a BIOGRAPHY special on Las Vegas.  In 2003, he produced and co-wrote the 2-hour A&E BIOGRAPHY special on the life and career of Dr. Seuss.  In addition to his unsurpassed research ability, Tessier took the role of Supervising Producer for STARDUST: THE BETTE DAVIS STORY in 2004-05.