Julie's Bio

Julie Herlocker grew up in the midwest loving movies and tv, greatly influenced by her father’s passion for thrillers with a sense of humor, as well as classic westerns. She made her way to Los Angeles, and learned the craft of filmmaking on set and in post. 

Herlocker joined the DGA when she was directing insert units for NBC’s “Las Vegas” starring James Caan and  Josh Duhamel. Her first short film was the dramatic comedy "Peter's Ashes.” Intrigued by ways to  build tension with non-linear storytelling, she co-wrote, produced and directed her next short, the thriller "7AM Wednesday.” 

Prior to directing, Herlocker was a Post Producer in episodic television where she enjoyed working closely with showrunners, spending countless hours in the cutting room . She learned the craft of visual storytelling from some of episodic's strongest creative teams - on shows including MILLENIUM, THE WEST WING, Steven Spielberg presents TAKEN, SKIN, LAS VEGAS, GRIMM and DIETLAND.  In total, she supervised the finish of over 300 episodes of television, including more than 2400 hours directing performances on the ADR Stage.

While a Producer on NBC's Grimm, she made her episodic directing debut in the show's final season. Over the course of 123 episodes, Herlocker was the only crew member to earn the opportunity to direct.

Invigorated by the creative collaboration and the opportunity to shape a story's perspective, Herlocker "re- directed" her career from post to directing. Her work leans to female led stories that build tension and take unexpected turns.

She wrote, produced and directed the three-minute-thriller “A Close Call.” Crafting the characters’ backstories inspired her to create the feature project, “Dangerous Assumptions” which she pitched to earn a spot as a Finalist in the 2021 Lifetime/WrapWomen PitchFest, an inaugural contest inviting emerging female filmmakers to submit proposals for narrative feature films, specifically women-themed thrillers. 

Herlocker was hired by MarVista Entertainment to  direct the feature film "The Sintern." Shot in 14 days on location in Arizona, the story of a young woman who completely transforms herself includes performances by Glee's Samuel Larsen in Scottsdale's massive First Baptist Church. The film is streaming on Tubi.

A graduate of the DGA’s DDI Mentorship Program, Herlocker was selected for the inaugural 2024 Alliance of Women Directors Rising Director Fellowship for feature film directors. She is currently a director in the Paramount Global Directing Initiative.

Herlocker was recently brought on to direct "Unbridled Courage", a female led western set in 1899 Texas. Photography is expected to begin in September 2025.

In addition to directing, she is developing multiple projects with her production company Shadow Art Entertainment. 

Julie Herlocker lives in Los Angeles, CA, where she and her husband are finishing up raising their four kids with the help of their Boston Terrier, Yogi.

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