THE AMERICAN PERIOD

Immediately after graduating in philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan he moved to New York where he worked for the Investigative Unit of the newsmagazines Inside Edition and American Journal.

In the following years he attended a master’s degree in screenwriting and directing at NYU.

During his stay in New York City, he also worked as a correspondent for Italy’s newspapers Panorama, la Repubblica and Il Giornale.

He ended the collaboration with Inside Edition and American Journal after he was promoted Director of the Research Department.

THE ITALIAN PERIOD

In 1999 he moved to Italy and founded a production company of his own.

In 2001 Squarcia wrote, produced and directed the TV Series For A Day which aired on the Italian Television Channel Italia 1 with the title Tutto in un Giorno. For A Day is the diary of a day through the actions of four real characters. The format’s concept is to bring together four points of view, as diverse as possible, within a context of a specific event, limited to a a 24-hour period. The show’s narrative device is similar to that ascribed to “real television”, however in For A Day it is applied to an absolute reality: there are no selected contestants tested in artificially created situations, such as an island or an apartment; instead there are the lives of four real people, their four distinct viewpoints of one particular day, which is revealed through their tensions, faces, words, and feelings. With the TV screen split in four, the characters’ stories unfold simultaneously. When one individual’s prospective emerges as more riveting, his story takes over, filling the entire screen temporarily, and then it returns to its original small quarter screen, “passing the scene” to another protagonist.

The first of the 5 episodes of the movie takes place during the G8 meeting in Genova.

For A Day won the Anart Award for best TV program in 2001

In 2007 Squarcia wrote and directed the TV Movie I giorni dell’Odio, about the scariest massacre in recent Italian history. I giorni dell’Odio is the incredible story of the arrest of a quiet couple from a small village in northern Italy accused of a terrible massacre. They killed three women and a little baby who lived next door and managed to live for over six months with their secret.

In Cold Blood was aired during prime time on Channel 5 and reached 3 million 448 thousand spectators (17.65% share).

In 2008 Squarcia wrote, produced and directed the TV series Passing the Buck. Italian title: Cash, viaggio di una banconota.

Take two ten euro bills (Romeo & Juliet), keep your eye on them as they leave the automatic teller, let them live their lives and try to follow them, when they pass from hand to hand, from shop to shop, city to city.

Between 1999 and 2000, he is the author of the television programs Fuego! aired by Italia 1 channel and Europe on Rai 3 channel.

Between 2000 and 2001 worked as a consultant for the content and promotion of several thematic channels such 24ore.tv, Europsort, TVGuide, and Smau channel.

From 2002 to 2019 he wrote and directed more than 200 pranks for the Prime Time TV Shows Scherzi a Parte and Le Iene

In 2002 he wrote and directed the advertising campaign of the arrival of the Euro Currency.

With the TV Show Le Iene (Italy 1) he returns to investigative journalism exposing a publishing house which blackmailed VIPs threatening to publish their name in the biographical book of a porn star.

In 2011 he wrote and directed the TV series 24/7 on Deejay TV

In 2012 he wrote and directed the TV series Sognando Italia on Rete 4

In 2013 he wrote and directed the documentary Ballo del Doge for Sky Arte

In 2013 he wrote and directed two seasons of the television series Le strade di Max on Deejay TV

In 2014 he wrote and directed the Art Basel Miami documentary for Sky Arte

In 2014 his format Rent a Brain is bought by Warner Bros. International Television.

In the 2013/14 television season he was the executive producer of the TV Show Lucignolo on Italia 1.

In 2015 he is the creator and producer of the Lost In Translation comic session of Striscia la Notizia, Canale 5

In 2018 He wrote and Directed the documentary “Lo Stato Social” for the tv channel “Sky Atlantic”.

In 2018 He wrote and Directed the Music Video “Nessuno Vuole Essere Robin”

In 2018 He wrote and Directed the Web Campaign for Nescafe’

In 2019 He wrote and Directed the Music Video “Al telefono”

In 2019 He wrote and Directed the documentary “The last Exorcist” for Discovery

In 2020 He wrote and produced the documentary “Zona Rossa Sempre”

In 2020 He wrote and produced the Web Campaign for Samsung Global

In 2019 He wrote and Directed the TV Series “On the road again” for Sky Italia

NOVELS

In 2017 GJ Squarcia has published his first novel, Wasteland: Revolution.

A year later he published the second volume: Wasteland: The Land of lost dreams.

ORIGINAL TV FORMATS

Tutto in un giorno

For A Day is a Tv Series aired on Italia 1 starting in 2001.

The series has a positive response from the public and critics, also was awarded by the Association of Television and Theater Authors (ANART) for Best Series of the Year Award and by the Venice International Television Festival

Cash

It’s an eight episodes TV Series broadcasted by All Music TV, which follows the journey of two 10 euro banknotes, christened Romeo and Juliet, across Italy and beyond. The rights of the format were acquired by the Canadian distribution company Distraction and aired internationally with the title Passing the Buck

Rent-a-Brain

Is a scripted reality series. The program allows anyone to become someone else. In the first episode the show made the dream of a father who wanted to get into his 14-year-old daughter’s head come true. 2014 Rent a Brain was bought by Warner Bros. International Television.

Worst Case Scenario

A TV Series which explores situations in which none of us would ever want to be.

A “normal” person who has to face an “exceptional situation.” Each episode is based on true stories.

On the road Again

Two friends, two motorclycles. Italy.

FILMOGRAPHY

Investigative Journalist

• Inside Edition (NBC)
• American Journal (ABC)

CREATOR

• For a Day  (2001) – ITALIA 1
• Passing the Buck (2008) ALL MUSIC
• Rent a Brain (2009) –  Warner Bros Intl.
• Worst Case Scenario
• The streets of Max, (co-creator) DEE JAY TV
• Lo Stato Social, Sky Atlantic
• On the road Again

SCREENWRITER

• Fuego (Italia 1) The Diary (Italy 1)
• Europe (RAI 3)
• Scherzi a Parte (Channel 5)
• Link, Italia 1
• Superstar, Italia 1
• For a Day (Italy 1)
• Matrix (Channel 5)
• In Cold Blood (Channel 5)
• Passing the Buck (All Music)
• Jonathan (Iris)
• 24/7 (Deejay TV)
• Sognando Italia (Rete 4)
• The Streets of Max (Deejay TV)
• The Wedding Crashers (Italy 1)
• The Night of the Doge (Sky Arte)
• Art Basel Miami (Sky Arte)
• Mi raccomando, Canale 5
• Lost in Translation, Striscia la Notizia (Canale 5)
• Lucignolo (Italia 1)
• Lo Scherzo Perfetto, Italia 1
• Lo Stato Social, Sky Atlantic
• Le Iene, Italia 1
• Una Notte a San Siro, Rai2
• Nessuno vuole essere Robin (Music Video)
• Al telefono (Music Video)
• Zona Rossa Sempre
• The Last Exorcist
• On the road Again

DIRECTOR

• The Diary (Italy 1)
• Europe (RAI 3)
• Scherzi a Parte (Channel 5)
• For a Day (Italy 1)
• Matrix (Channel 5)
• In Cold Blood (Channel 5)
• Passing the Buck (All Music)
• Jonathan (Iris)
• 24/7 (Deejay TV)
• Sognando Italia (Rete 4)
• The Streets of Max (Deejay TV)
• The Wedding Crashers (Italy 1)
• The Night of the Doge (Sky Arte)
• Art Basel Miami (Sky Arte)
• Lucignolo (Italia 1)
• Lo Scherzo Perfetto, Italia 1
• Nescafe’ campagna Web (2018)
• Nessuno Vuole Essere Robin, Videoclip
• Lo Stato Social, Sky Atlantic
• Le Iene
• The last Exorcist
• Nessuno vuole essere Robin
• Al telefono
• On the road again

PRODUCER

• For A Day (Italy 1)
• Cash, travelers of a banknote (All Music)
• Rent-a-Brain
• Worst Case Scenario
• Zona Rossa Sempre
• Samsung Global Web Campaign
• On the Road Again

ADVERTISING

• Euro Fever
• Non Aprite quella bocca.
• Nescafe’ Web Campaign
• Samsung Global Web Campaign

MUSIC VIDEO

• Nessuno Vuole essere Robin, Cesare Cremonini
• Al telefono, Cesare Cremonini
• Ciao, Cesare Cremonini (produced)

AWARDS

• 2002 – Anart Award (National Association of Authors Radio-Television and Theatrical) for For A Day, awarded best program of the year
• 2002 – Venice International Television Festival for “4 a Day”
• 2012 – Ideona Award for the show “Le strade di Max”