Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
IMDbPro

James Takata

  • Camera and Electrical Department
  • Cinematographer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
James Takata
James Takata is a film and television director, writer, and cinematographer. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600.

James directed and co-wrote California Scenario, a feature shot in 10 days for 150K, which premiered at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. He has directed TV episodes of This Is Us, Criminal Minds: Evolution, and The Company You Keep.
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Known for

    Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Faithe Herman in This Is Us (2016)
    This Is Us
    8.7
    TV Series
    • Camera and Electrical Department
    California Scenario (2026)
    California Scenario
    7.5
    • Director
    • 2026
    Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim in The Company You Keep (2023)
    The Company You Keep
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Director
    Ron Perlman, Jimmy Smits, Katey Sagal, Drea de Matteo, Mark Boone Junior, Dayton Callie, Kim Coates, Rockmond Dunbar, Tommy Flanagan, Charlie Hunnam, Ryan Hurst, William Lucking, Michael Ornstein, Emilio Rivera, Theo Rossi, McNally Sagal, Winter Ave Zoli, Niko Nicotera, Maggie Siff, David Labrava, Chris Reed, Ryder Londo, and Rusty Coones in Sons of Anarchy (2008)
    Sons of Anarchy
    8.5
    TV Series
    • Camera and Electrical Department

    Credits

    IMDbPro

    Camera and Electrical Department

    • Miles Underwater (2026)
      Miles Underwater
      • additional cinematography
      • 2026
    • A Guest in My Country (2024)
      A Guest in My Country
      7.7
      Short
      • additional photography
      • 2024
    • Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Faithe Herman in This Is Us (2016)
      This Is Us
      8.7
      TV Series
      • camera operator
      • director of photography: second unit
      • steadicam operator (uncredited)
      • 2017–2022
    • Jason Antoon, Vanessa Lachey, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, and Aggy Tarrant in NCIS: Hawai'i (2021)
      NCIS: Hawai'i
      6.8
      TV Series
      • camera operator: 'a' camera
      • steadicam operator
      • 2021
    • Michael Berryman and Frederick Koehler in The Evil Within (2017)
      The Evil Within
      5.6
      • first assistant camera
      • 2017
    • I Walk (2017)
      I Walk
      Short
      • camera operator
      • steadicam
      • 2017
    • Kylie Bunbury in Pitch (2016)
      Pitch
      7.5
      TV Series
      • camera operator: 'a' camera
      • steadicam operator
      • 2016
    • Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Jameela Jamil, and D'Arcy Carden in The Good Place (2016)
      The Good Place
      8.2
      TV Series
      • steadicam operator
      • 2016
    • Kepler's Dream (2016)
      Kepler's Dream
      6.0
      • camera operator: 'a' camera
      • steadicam operator
      • 2016
    • Scorpion (2014)
      Scorpion
      7.1
      TV Series
      • camera operator: 'b' camera
      • camera operator: 'a' camera
      • steadicam operator ...
      • 2014–2016
    • Untitled Johnny Knoxville Project
      7.5
      TV Movie
      • camera operator: 'a' camera
      • steadicam operator
      • 2015
    • Emma Ishta in Stitchers (2015)
      Stitchers
      6.8
      TV Series
      • camera operator
      • 2015
    • The Unraveling (2015)
      The Unraveling
      4.9
      • steadicam operator
      • 2015
    • The Phoenix Project (2015)
      The Phoenix Project
      4.2
      • steadicam operator
      • 2015
    • Ron Perlman, Jimmy Smits, Katey Sagal, Drea de Matteo, Mark Boone Junior, Dayton Callie, Kim Coates, Rockmond Dunbar, Tommy Flanagan, Charlie Hunnam, Ryan Hurst, William Lucking, Michael Ornstein, Emilio Rivera, Theo Rossi, McNally Sagal, Winter Ave Zoli, Niko Nicotera, Maggie Siff, David Labrava, Chris Reed, Ryder Londo, and Rusty Coones in Sons of Anarchy (2008)
      Sons of Anarchy
      8.5
      TV Series
      • camera operator
      • camera operator: 'b' camera (uncredited)
      • 2014

    Cinematographer

    • The Horror of Dolores Roach (2023)
      The Horror of Dolores Roach
      7.1
      TV Series
      • Cinematographer
      • 2023
    • Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Faithe Herman in This Is Us (2016)
      This Is Us
      8.7
      TV Series
      • Cinematographer
      • 2019–2020
    • Broken Wings (2016)
      Broken Wings
      4.2
      Short
      • Cinematographer
      • 2016
    • Kim Jiang Dubaniewicz in Only Child (2011)
      Only Child
      Short
      • Cinematographer
      • 2011

    Director

    • Mark Hamill in Criminal Minds (2005)
      Criminal Minds
      8.1
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2026
    • California Scenario (2026)
      California Scenario
      7.5
      • Director
      • 2026
    • Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim in The Company You Keep (2023)
      The Company You Keep
      7.3
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2023
    • Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Faithe Herman in This Is Us (2016)
      This Is Us
      8.7
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2022
    • Broken Wings (2016)
      Broken Wings
      4.2
      Short
      • Director
      • 2016
    • We the Parents (2013)
      We the Parents
      6.1
      • Director
      • 2013
    • Trapped
      Short
      • Director
      • 2010
    • Remember Pearl Harbor
      Short
      • Director
      • 2002

    Personal details

    • Official site
      • website
    • Height
      • 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.