A native Californian, Gary Orona was born in 1964. His photographic talents landed him a a job as photographer for the Ventura (California) Star Free Press at age 18. By age 22 he had his degree in film production from Columbia and was rapidly becoming a director/cameraman of note. A world traveler and extreme outdoor enthusiast, Orona was picked by EMI Records in Tokyo, Japan, to produce/direct/photograph over 100 music videos for the Karaoke market. By his mid-20s he was producing and directing music videos and commercials, and at age 26 was hired as Director of Photography for Imperial Entertainment's The Bikini Carwash Company (1992). The following year he directed the sequel, The Bikini Carwash Company II (1993), and his movie career was rolling.