Justin Marshall Elias
Biography
Justin Marshall Elias is an actor and composer based in Hollywood, California. As an actor, Elias has performed in feature and short films, commercials, webisodes,and has received critical acclaim for his work on stage. An award-winning composer, Elias has created music and provided sound design for feature and short films, documentaries, television commercials, and corporate multimedia projects as well as releasing several ambient music albums under the artist name "Dendroid".
Elias was born in Palo Alto, California, and resided in nearby Fremont, California. Read more... a sign-language interpreter. At age eight, he relocated with his parents and older sister Jessica to Eagle, Idaho. An actor from the earliest age he can recall, Elias first made up an imaginary world called "Forever Game" and promised himself he'd never stop playing. He loved films, particularly the sci-fi genre, and loved to act out and improvise scenes as well as develop characters. This led to making experimental films in middle and high school, in which he also acted.
Elias began exploring his interest in music while in middle school, bouncing around from instrument to instrument but never really settling on one. Starting around eighth grade, he became a self-labeled "musicologist" to gain an understanding and appreciation for all types of music. Elias' grandfather encouraged him to play an instrument, believing music was vital to a good life. He joined the marching band in high school playing the alto saxophone.
Toward the end of high school, Elias began working with a digital audio workstation called FL Studio (formerly known as FruityLoops) that featured a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer. By the time he was a senior in high school, Elias had technically mastered professional broadcasting and film making software and hardware. He was hired as a technical director by an audio visual and presentation technology services and solutions company, and managed workers more than twice his age. Elias considers Electronica his gateway into the world of music creation. He credits IDM (intelligent dance music) artist Aphex Twin for "opening his ears up to a vast range of sounds." Elias credits as early influences in music composition a number of bands, artists, and composers including Woven, Plaid, Squarepusher, The Prodigy, Moby and Brian Eno.
After graduating high school, Elias began his undergraduate study at Boise State University. His ongoing fascination of movies led him to transfer his sophomore year to Montana State University, ranked in the top five film schools in the nation to pursue filmmaking. Elias made the competitive film gate his Freshman year, one of 40 students accepted out of 300 applicants. While working on films in college, he continued to find himself pulled towards a single element in film, sound. He consistently received accolades for his sound design and music choices. While at MSU, Elias scored many student films, and garnered several awards and nominations for film composition and sound design. During his senior year Elias scored four short and feature films, including composing the original score for the short film "Water's Handle Music" which won the Medallion Award at the 2009 Washougal International Film Festival. During an awards ceremony, a casting director in attendance approached him and said, "go to LA and be an actor, you can do it!"
After graduating MSU, he briefly returned to Idaho and was cast as "Garry Lejeune" in the play "Noises Off" at the StageCoach Theatre for which he won the 2011 Masque Award for Best Actor. During the play's run he was cast for two television commercials. Elias reflected on the previous advice of the casting director as well as that of composer George S. Clinton who both urged Elias to relocate to Los Angeles. Upon arriving in LA in 2010, Elias continued to pursue his dual-track goals of composing and acting and also began working on the production side of the industry for production companies including the SciFi Channel, Jim Henson and the Food Network.
Having become established at creating emotionally engaging film scores, Elias has garnered the attention of producers and directors and become a sought-after composer exhibiting a wide stylistic range and command of electronic composition. Adding to his appeal is Elias' ability to work in creative partnership with a film's director when composing to picture.
Elias was born in Palo Alto, California, and resided in nearby Fremont, California. Read more... a sign-language interpreter. At age eight, he relocated with his parents and older sister Jessica to Eagle, Idaho. An actor from the earliest age he can recall, Elias first made up an imaginary world called "Forever Game" and promised himself he'd never stop playing. He loved films, particularly the sci-fi genre, and loved to act out and improvise scenes as well as develop characters. This led to making experimental films in middle and high school, in which he also acted.
Elias began exploring his interest in music while in middle school, bouncing around from instrument to instrument but never really settling on one. Starting around eighth grade, he became a self-labeled "musicologist" to gain an understanding and appreciation for all types of music. Elias' grandfather encouraged him to play an instrument, believing music was vital to a good life. He joined the marching band in high school playing the alto saxophone.
Toward the end of high school, Elias began working with a digital audio workstation called FL Studio (formerly known as FruityLoops) that featured a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer. By the time he was a senior in high school, Elias had technically mastered professional broadcasting and film making software and hardware. He was hired as a technical director by an audio visual and presentation technology services and solutions company, and managed workers more than twice his age. Elias considers Electronica his gateway into the world of music creation. He credits IDM (intelligent dance music) artist Aphex Twin for "opening his ears up to a vast range of sounds." Elias credits as early influences in music composition a number of bands, artists, and composers including Woven, Plaid, Squarepusher, The Prodigy, Moby and Brian Eno.
After graduating high school, Elias began his undergraduate study at Boise State University. His ongoing fascination of movies led him to transfer his sophomore year to Montana State University, ranked in the top five film schools in the nation to pursue filmmaking. Elias made the competitive film gate his Freshman year, one of 40 students accepted out of 300 applicants. While working on films in college, he continued to find himself pulled towards a single element in film, sound. He consistently received accolades for his sound design and music choices. While at MSU, Elias scored many student films, and garnered several awards and nominations for film composition and sound design. During his senior year Elias scored four short and feature films, including composing the original score for the short film "Water's Handle Music" which won the Medallion Award at the 2009 Washougal International Film Festival. During an awards ceremony, a casting director in attendance approached him and said, "go to LA and be an actor, you can do it!"
After graduating MSU, he briefly returned to Idaho and was cast as "Garry Lejeune" in the play "Noises Off" at the StageCoach Theatre for which he won the 2011 Masque Award for Best Actor. During the play's run he was cast for two television commercials. Elias reflected on the previous advice of the casting director as well as that of composer George S. Clinton who both urged Elias to relocate to Los Angeles. Upon arriving in LA in 2010, Elias continued to pursue his dual-track goals of composing and acting and also began working on the production side of the industry for production companies including the SciFi Channel, Jim Henson and the Food Network.
Having become established at creating emotionally engaging film scores, Elias has garnered the attention of producers and directors and become a sought-after composer exhibiting a wide stylistic range and command of electronic composition. Adding to his appeal is Elias' ability to work in creative partnership with a film's director when composing to picture.
Actor

Character:
Shawn
The Backslide 2015
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Character:
Ricky
The Adventures of Avery & Pete 2015
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Character:
Melissa's Husband
Seekers 2013
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Character:
Mo
Puppet Theory 2012
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Creature / T.V. Reporter
Shreds of Humanity 2009
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Character:
Reynaldo Reymundo Llamas
David and the Dance Instructor 0
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Character:
Reynaldo Reymundo Llamas
David and the Musical Speed Date 0
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Character:
Justin
Episode 12 0
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Character:
Justin
Episode 13 0
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Character:
Justin
Episode 15 0
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Justin
Episode 16 0
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Composing

Character:
Melissa's Husband
Seekers 2013
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Character:
Creature / T.V. Reporter
Shreds of Humanity 2009
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Character:
Reynaldo Reymundo Llamas
David and the Dance Instructor 0
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Character:
Reynaldo Reymundo Llamas
David and the Musical Speed Date 0
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