John grew up putting on skits for his folks and, at age 12, shot his first short film on Super8 film. His interest laid in both writing/directing and spfx makeup as well as stop-action animation. By age 17 he had written his first feature length scrip, a horror called “Hell of a Party” and began creating props. “Ultimately it was the budget that killed the project. All I had was a Super8 camera that didn’t record sound so I was sunk without a financier.”

A trip to visit the set of “Evil Dead 2” in nearby Wadesboro, NC sealed the deal. “Seeing people doing what they loved AND getting paid for it. I knew that was what I wanted to do, but breaking into the business proved to be a challenge.”

By 1987, John decided to take his photography skills to the next level and apply them to images in motion at a small TV studio in Charlotte, NC. While there, he honed his directing and editing skills, from preproduction to post on all the spots he was involved with. While in Charlotte, John met Harry Joyner and formed a friendship with the filmmaker who told him to pursue his dream. “Harry was one of those honest guys who really knew the ins and outs of the indi community. He was always brutally honest when reviewing my scripts while remaining encouraging. That’s the feedback that all filmmakers need.”

In 1993, John went back to college to complete his degree in commercial art and advertising and started Foutz Design Studios in 1994. By 1997 he was back to making short films in his spare time. This lead him to dissolve Foutz Design Studios and form Foutz Studios, LLC in 2004. “I wanted the company name to reflect my film work as well as my design and ‘studio’ summed up both worlds.”

In the fall of 2004, Foutz Studios produced the pilot for a reality show called “The Actor’s Gauntlet” and shot the film “Bird in a Glass House”. Since then, John has been involved with many projects, covering directing/DP duties as well as some acting opportunities. In this past April, John directed "Passion of the Nerds for Shadowdog Productions, working with Bobby Wagner as producer and actor. "Bobby filled in twice as actor. The first time he had short hair and for the next character he was shaved bald. He's a real team player."

Foutz Studios, LLC currently has a number of feature films in development for John to direct. “Kamp Karate” (written by John Zakour), is a kid’s camp comedy about a group of kids who form a close friendship while learning life lessons over a summer at the camp. “Life Long Losers” (written by John Zakour, produced in conjunction with Game-On Entertainment) An adult comedy where three self professed losers must find a way to buy their favorite watering hole before the hospital turns it into a parking garage. “Imagination Stone” (Written by Weldon Bankston) is a romantic comedy that tells the story of a down-on-his-luck designer who finds a magical stone that becomes his muse, just as it was for Michelangelo 500 years ago, but must decide whether it only brings out what is already inside or become completely dependent on its "power".

Why teach this seminar? "I believe fear holds a lot of people back from their true potential. fear of the unknown is the most powerful. By learning what to expect and even taste a brief experience of the audition process through working in front of the camera, fear will be defeated."