Thursday, October 1, 2026
Josh Warner is not your average teenager. In fact, he is already an acclaimed filmmaker, and became a business owner before he began adolescence.
He is passionate about film, and wants to enrich people’s lives by creating, and capturing the magic of a particular moment, making it last a lifetime, he said. “I think the concept of telling a story, and making people feel good about it inspires me.”
Josh is motivated to make “quality” films and recordings that touch people’s hearts. “…I want to take people away from all the horrors in the world, society, and think that you can be happy even if it is for the two minutes you’re watching my film,” he added.
The 17-year-old junior at East Rockaway Jr./Sen. High School is taking filmmaking to new levels. He started his own company, Holy Moly Productions, in 2006. He began playing with old VHS camcorders as a youngster. It was not until a fourth-grade film project that he knew this was his calling.
He was inspired to start “Holy Moly” just two years later after seeing a logo of a three-eyed monkey at the end of an episode of the former animated series, “Jimmy Neutron.” “That was something that caught my eye,” he said. He then came up with the name, “Holy Mackerole,” which was changed to the current name.
Friends Anthony Tesoriero and Teddy Sieban were recruited for the new venture. Warner recalled spending nights over at the Sieban’s home to make videos. The late Mayor Ed Sieban — Teddy’s father — would make banana bread, and encourage the young boys to keep making videos, Warner said.
Starting out, the group has one VHS camcorder. They later developed editing skills, and began more advanced filmmaking. Now, they use high definition video and audio, microphones, and other equipment. The members also cover a variety of events, including lots at the high school. They film theatre musicals, put together sport highlight reels for student athletes, complete VHS to DVD conversions, and just about any other filming or editing job you can think of. The company is well and thriving, and Josh does many other activities, including the morning school announcements.
