From Ranni to Hollywood: Juvel Geo Jose’s incredible journey to working with The Rock

We’ve all heard stories of young dreamers boarding trains to Chennai, chasing a future in the film industry. But Juvel Jeo Jose, a native of Ranni, took a different route. He boarded a flight to North America, carrying the same dream of making it big in cinema. When he left Kerala ‘under the pretext of pursuing higher studies’, all Juvel had were a few lessons in graphic design and a handful of dreams. What followed was a journey of struggle, perseverance, and self-belief.

After years of wandering and working odd jobs, he finally found his way into the film industry, starting in the lighting department and gradually working his way up. Today, through sheer determination and hard work, Juvel has carved out a place for himself in Hollywood as an art director, contributing to several films and web series.In a conversation with Manorama, he opens up about his journey and also shares his unforgettable experience of working with none other than Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Chasing a dream across the ocean
Cinema had been in my mind since I was a Plus Two student. I wanted to learn cinema in detail. Though I tried a hand at making some music videos and short films with my friends, they were not done satisfactorily. So I thought of going to the US to learn about all aspects of cinema. I took a diploma course in media and straightaway caught a flight to the US. The only plan I had in my mind was to learn cinema somehow. But it was only after reaching the US that reality began to unfold. Things were not at all easy. I had absolutely no idea whom to meet or where to start.

Surviving the early years
To survive in the U.S., I took up every job I could find, working at construction sites, doing plumbing work, and even taking on small graphic design assignments, a skill I had picked up back in Kerala. Through it all, I held on tightly to one dream that one day, I would make it into the film industry. For nearly seven years, I lived a life built on hustle and hope, moving across North America in search of opportunities. Whenever I heard about a movie shoot happening nearby, I would rush to the location, only to be stopped at the gates by security guards. I would tell them about my dream of working in films, though there wasn’t much they could do. Still, I never gave up.
Lighting the way to Hollywood
Later, I came to know about film unions and it was through them that I got an entry into cinema for the first time. I got my first chance in lighting. It was in 2016. I worked in many movies, including films with Steven Spielberg at the helm. I also worked in several other movies such as ‘The BFG,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Predator,’ and ‘Deadpool,’ etc. But I could not give any contributions to cinema by simply being part of the lighting department. That, however, provided a big opportunity to understand how such big-ticket movies are made and to learn about all the activities taking place inside such movies.

The leap from light to art
Having worked in the lighting department for two or three years, I understood that I had many opportunities in the art department. After attending several interviews, I finally got a chance to work as a concept illustrator in a small TV show. Thus, in 2019, I started work in the art department. The only experience I had till then was building cribs for church programmes in my village, besides doing some small plays. In the US, there are huge and elaborate sets. Initially, I was embarrassed and wondered how things worked. But the graphic designing that I learned from Kerala came in handy, and through that TV show, I built many connections. Using that, I got opportunities in several movies and TV shows.

A dream assignment with The Rock
It was while I was working on the TV show ‘The Good Doctor’ that one art director, who happened to see my portfolio, asked me if I could work on an upcoming movie, ‘The Smashing Machine.’ He told me that the production designer was James Chinlund and that he had liked my portfolio. James Chinlund is a famous art director who has worked on movies like Batman, Planet of the Apes and Avengers, among others. I had always wished to work with him ever since I became a member of the Hollywood film crew union. So I immediately joined him.
The work went on from April 2024 to August of the same year. It was only after reading the script and beginning discussions with him that I learned that Dwayne Johnson was both the hero and the producer of the movie. I was overjoyed to know that the film was being produced by Studio A24, as they always give us the freedom to explore our creativity.

I joined the movie as the Lead Graphic Artist and got the opportunity to design several concepts and assist in art direction. The art department was active right from the beginning, designing the entire look of the movie. Within just one month of joining, I began assisting the art director directly. I would often ask him about his experiences working on Batman and Avengers, and he would patiently listen and explain everything in detail. I learned several valuable lessons from that set. On this project, I enjoyed complete creative freedom. It even felt like creating a short film back in my college days. I tried out many experiments and fortunately, all of them turned out to be successful. We even created a set for Japan right here itself.

Up close with The Rock
It was while working on that set that I suddenly felt someone walking past behind me and for a moment, I thought it was The Rock himself. What immediately flashed through my mind were the memories of my childhood days, playing with trading cards of wrestling stars. I quickly rushed to see him and looked from the front. But it wasn’t actually The Rock. He has six stunt doubles who share striking similarities with him, and I had just seen one of them. The Rock treats these stunt doubles like his own family, taking them along everywhere.
Later, when he arrived on set, I finally saw him in person. I would occasionally meet him in the kitchen, and he would talk to all of us. He behaved like a brother and it was a truly special feeling for me.

When hard work finally paid off
Now, I feel that I am finally reaping the results of 15 years of struggle. There was a time when even my friends didn’t know whether I was alive or not. I did all kinds of jobs, from house construction, cleaning, and granite work. Those experiences, tough as they were, became useful when I entered the film industry.
Often, we have to handle massive teams comprising 200 to 300 people. My early experiences made managing such work easier for me. Since I already knew how these things worked, I could guide and coordinate the teams efficiently. My two biggest strengths are hard work and God’s blessings, along with the constant support of my family: my father, mother, wife, and brother.

What Malayalam cinema can learn
I watch Malayalam films whenever I get time. The work culture of Malayalam cinema is quite different from what I see here. Here, every shoot happens with an incredibly detailed plan. Once I sign a contract for a film, the production company already knows exactly where I’ll be in the coming days and even months. Sometimes, I myself might forget the schedule but they haven’t. Everything is so well-organised, and that’s something I deeply admire.
I wish to bring some of the things I’ve learned here back to Malayalam cinema. Our industry is filled with extraordinary talent, but we need to harness it better. With the right planning and structure, Malayalam cinema can truly rise to its full potential.
Kumbalangi Nights; A film that stayed with me
One Malayalam movie that amazed me with its art direction is ‘Kumbalangi Nights.’ In that film, the house itself felt like a character. It’s a movie that still lingers in my mind. I also loved ‘Manjummel Boys.’

My journey as an art director
Currently, I’m working as an Art Director for two episodes of a Netflix TV series. I took up the role of art director for the first time in the upcoming movie ‘How to Lose a Popularity Contest,’ which is set to release in December. It’s been a wonderful journey so far. I want to say this to all those who dream about cinema. If someone like me, with limited skills and from a small village in Ranni, can make it here, then anyone can. All you need is the will to work hard. It took me 15 years to get here, but today, it might take only a few minutes. That’s how much the world has changed.