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Name: James
Username: James Bridges
Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina
Occupation: Still Photographer
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What attracted you to the Entertainment Industry, and what was your first job or big break in the business?
Making a living first attracted me, and there was the photography thing too. My first break was working as Dino De Laurentiis' dailies projectionist/human remote control. My second break was when I fell 35 feet onto asphalt while taking pictures for Dino and shattered my leg, quit my job and became a still photographer on a movie.
What is the biggest challenge you faced trying to break into the industry, and how did you overcome it?
At times, talent is secondary to whom you know and where you've been, and that can be very frustrating to a young, talented person. Eventually, one must realize that there is "nothing personal" in this; it's just the way of life is.
What advice can you give those trying to break into the "industry?"
Move somewhere they make movies.
Please describe your job for those who might not know what a Still Photographer is.
I'm responsible for the movie's photography that appears in magazines, on posters, video boxes, toys, cereal boxes, games, etc.
Can you share any tricks of the trade that help you work faster/cheaper/better?
Faster, cheaper, better theory: my advice is pick only 2 at any given time. 3 at the same time does not work, or at least not in any of my experiences
Please illustrate the way the performance of your position can help or hurt a movie. Name a movie that you've seen (or worked on) that we could view and understand the difference between a good job and a bad job.
1. Sorry, I'm not much of a back patter.
2. Not one to point the finger either.
3. Not interested in promoting someone else.
16 years has taught me these 3 things, through changing #1 and calling attention to my good work is something I'm working on.
Are you a writer, and if so, how many screenplays have you written?
I might be. Wrote a novel once and some short stories.
What's the best lesson you've learned in regards to working in Hollywood?
I've never worked there.
What advice would you give to writers on how to craft a script that addresses practical production issues?
Spend a few moments on a movie set before you write one. It's important to understand the limitations of writing a scene that takes place underwater in a glass tank, in a night exterior, with children and farm animals in the snow.
What advice would you give a director on how to make production easier?
Delegate your authority and trust the people that you have hired and the people they have hired.
List your top 5 favorite films
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- 1984
- Barton Fink
- Dr. Strangelove
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- American Beauty
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