Biography

James is a multi-award-winning cinematographer and director whose work has premiered on Rolling Stone and Afropunk. He's also a licensed commercial aircraft pilot.

James is known as the founder of the narrative dance music video genre - a format that elevates the story through the synergy of dance with narration or music. He's an alum of UNCSA School of Filmmaking, where he majored in Cinematography. He enjoys using vintage lenses with his RED cinema cameras.

During the 2020 pandemic, James helped pioneer the universal paradigm shift in the ballet world toward the digital presentation of premiere performances.

At age 11, he won 1st place in the school science fair with his project on depth of field. That love of photography during childhood soon expanded into a passion for cinematography. During high school, he was voted 'Most Likely To Be Famous' by the senior class. The son of an author mother and a pilot father, James played numerous sports during his upbringing, including 9 years of competitive soccer; and he was a varsity golfer in high school.

While a teenager, James volunteered five summers in a row, coaching youth at The First Tee - teaching golf skills, as well as the program's 'Nine Core Values': Honesty, Responsibility, Respect, Perseverance, Sportsmanship, Courtesy, Judgment, Confidence and Integrity.
- IMDb mini biography by: anonymous

James holds dual citizenship: USA and U.K.

Working with some of the world's greatest dancers, I am constantly inspired - not only by their astonishing talent and skill, but also by their creativity and work ethic.

Sometimes, Dance finishes what words can only start. (on the power of Narrative Dance)

It's a huge blessing to be an editor as well as cinematographer, because as I'm filming, I'm already editing in my mind. So I'm able to create the shots, visuals and lighting while planning the cuts and sound design that I'm going to use during post-production. Interfacing the skill sets results in tremendous impact and continuous high energy on the screen.