BIO
started his career as a Camera Operator following horses around a track at country race-tracks in New South Wales with SKY RACING at age 16. Thoroughbreds, Trotts and Greyhounds - after a short stint in regional South Australia with WIN TV, moved to SYDNEY as a news camera operator with the Nine Network / Australia at age 17. Trained by a team of industry veterans and with varied field experience, he joined an elite daily production and contributed to its news cycle.
After 4 or-so years of press-conferences, bush-fires, helicopters, court-stalking & the occasional race-riot, went freelance :2007, founded boutique production company Beat.productions, which spearheaded Defhead, one of Australia’s first live-music webcasts; produced & shot, "Groove Delicious" a 13-part nationally syndicated children’s TV show; and worked on corporate and music video productions s well as Two seasons of "Ngati NRL" - an indigenous sports documentary for TVNewZealand.
In 2008, at Age 24, James relocated to Los Angeles, California to study film and refine his Cinematography whilst working as a Prep Tech / Rentals assist at a respected Indie-driven production GEAR rental house in Hollywood. After 2 years navigating Los Angeles -
James found his way to Africa.
In Nigeria, 2009 feature film debut, Inalé, was recognized globally for its indigenous authenticity : Filmed entirely in a remote Idoma-Village, Inale was nominated for five African Movie Academy Awards, and James won the 2011 African Critics Award for Best Cinematography.
It screened in France and Germany on limited release.
In 2010, James toured Spain, Northern Ireland, Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom as the Director of Photography on the hit reality TV series
"Stafford Brothers" for Fox Networks Australia & WDE.
commitment to the industry extended beyond the camera, an became an active educator and film festival attendee. In 2011 and 2012, James served as a guest panel member at the Monaco Film Festival which preceded the Cannes Film Festival & March du Film conference where his film screened, and then also as a guest Cinematography lecturer at the NDU film festival in Beirut, Lebanon.
biggest project to date has been "Black November" starring Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Anne Heche, Akon and Wyclef, released On-demand (available on amazon) in the United States & was also screened in 2013 at the United Nations building and at the National US Congress Library in Washington D.C - from which a bill was written and co-signed and put before congress to clean up the Niger Delta.
Back in Africa, he shot the breakout hit Last Flight to Abuja with director-producer, Obi Emelonye and in London, the igbo-language film Onye Ozi, which premiered in UK Cinemas and Lagos in 2012/13. He quickly followed up with another commercial success with Michelle Bello’s romantic comedy Flower Girl, which made its way to Ghana and an Africa Magic Viewer's Choice-nominated hit.
Last Flight and Flower Girl were the highest grossing West African films for years 2012/13.
in 2013 James teamed up with Robert Peters, in Atlanta to shoot Box-office hit, Nigerian-American Comedy 30 Days in Atlanta, starring AY, Ramsey Nouah, Vivica Fox & Lynn Whitfield. T
30 Days in Atlanta broke all records in Nigerian Cinema, beating Hollywood hits such as "Avengers" & "Skyfall " which shared a schedule. (reference: Silverbird cinemas, GoldenIcons)
James’ expertise in the Nigerian region and passion for African cinema has seen him return on 16 different occasions to shoot a mixture of films, music videos and documentaries throughout Nigeria with many collaborators.
2013, guest lecturer at the Nigerian Film Commission's Shoot 2013 Workshop in Jos, Nigeria.
Continuing in his international career, in late 2013 James traveled to China to film a feature documentary, Guangzhou Dream Factory, due for release in late 2016.
Since moving to Texas, James has been diving into as much Network TV work as possible as both Camera Operator and Director of Photography.
credits include Bravo's "Married to Medicine",
"Book of John Gray" OWN,
FYI's "Bride and Prejudice" , BET's "Being"
currently filming Season 3 of TLC's "Outdaughtered"
"30 Days in Atlanta" made the 2017 Guinness Book of World Records as the Highest selling film in Africa alongside Star Wars.
He is an active member of the Texas Film Commission
James married Brittney Nicole, a native Texan, and they live in a 100-year-old house in Sugar Land, Texas, where James enjoys the outdoors, horses, playing musical instruments, travel, work, live music and cooking at home -
ever on the lookout the next movie, adventure, or story to tell.