Billy Pollina
Encyclopedia
William Vito Pollina, aka Billy Pollina, (born June 25, 1961) is an American
film and television writer, producer and director. He was born in Harvey, Illinois to Italian immigrants from Sicily.
Pollina studied theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
(AADA).
A film buff at an early age with an interest in photography, music and theatrics, Pollina fit naturally into the producer role. Pollina was a theater fanatic and would promote concerts and plays at an early age. He first got the film bug when working as a bit player in Richard Rush
's slapstick cop drama Freebie and the Bean
starring James Caan and Alan Arkin
.
After high school in San Mateo, CA., Pollina moved to Los Angeles
where he worked various jobs pursuing an acting career. Eventually, Pollina segued into production work when he grew tired of the audition grind, an area he's remained active in since. One of his first jobs was working with puppet masters Sid and Marty Krofft
.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he ran a successful film and television marketing company called Optical Nerve where he made many of his contacts in the industry. Beyond writing, producing and directing hundreds of trailers and TV spots, Mr. Pollina has the distinction of designing and creating the first ever DVD
interactive menu for home video maven, Warren Lieberfarb at Warner Home Video
. The use of interactive menus is commonplace now but at the time Mr. Pollina's design for Clint Eastwood
's Academy Award winning, Unforgiven
was ground breaking. Mr. Pollina was President of Optical Nerve when it served as one of Fox Sports Net
's key marketing companies during FSN's initial launch. Soon after this launch FSN went on to surpass ESPN
as the nations leading broadcast sports authority and became the number one supplier of live sports in most areas of the US. He left the marketing world to pursue television and film development in 2000 and teamed with several television writers to produce award winning short films.
His first theatrical success was with 2004's You Got Served
for Sony
Screen Gems
which delved into the street dance battling and b-boy craze. The film has the distinction of opening #1 at the box office and marking January as a new "season" for successful film releases.
Since "You Got Served" he continues to be active in film making and has branched out into television, and new media.
Pollina has never been married and currently lives in Los Angeles and New York.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television writer, producer and director. He was born in Harvey, Illinois to Italian immigrants from Sicily.
Pollina studied theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
(AADA).
A film buff at an early age with an interest in photography, music and theatrics, Pollina fit naturally into the producer role. Pollina was a theater fanatic and would promote concerts and plays at an early age. He first got the film bug when working as a bit player in Richard Rush
Richard Rush
Richard Rush was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the second son of Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and Julia Rush. He entered the College of New Jersey at the age of 14, and graduated in 1797 as the youngest member of his class...
's slapstick cop drama Freebie and the Bean
Freebie and The Bean
Freebie and The Bean is a 1974 action-comedy film about two San Francisco police detectives who have one goal in life, bringing down a local hijacking boss. The picture, a precursor to the buddy cop film genre popularized a decade later, stars James Caan, Alan Arkin, Loretta Swit and Valerie...
starring James Caan and Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...
.
After high school in San Mateo, CA., Pollina moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he worked various jobs pursuing an acting career. Eventually, Pollina segued into production work when he grew tired of the audition grind, an area he's remained active in since. One of his first jobs was working with puppet masters Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft , are a sibling team of television producers who were influential in children's television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s....
.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he ran a successful film and television marketing company called Optical Nerve where he made many of his contacts in the industry. Beyond writing, producing and directing hundreds of trailers and TV spots, Mr. Pollina has the distinction of designing and creating the first ever DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
interactive menu for home video maven, Warren Lieberfarb at Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
. The use of interactive menus is commonplace now but at the time Mr. Pollina's design for Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's Academy Award winning, Unforgiven
Unforgiven
Unforgiven is a 1992 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood with a screenplay written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after he had hung up his guns and turned to farming...
was ground breaking. Mr. Pollina was President of Optical Nerve when it served as one of Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
's key marketing companies during FSN's initial launch. Soon after this launch FSN went on to surpass ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as the nations leading broadcast sports authority and became the number one supplier of live sports in most areas of the US. He left the marketing world to pursue television and film development in 2000 and teamed with several television writers to produce award winning short films.
His first theatrical success was with 2004's You Got Served
You Got Served
You Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition...
for Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
which delved into the street dance battling and b-boy craze. The film has the distinction of opening #1 at the box office and marking January as a new "season" for successful film releases.
Since "You Got Served" he continues to be active in film making and has branched out into television, and new media.
Pollina has never been married and currently lives in Los Angeles and New York.