James R. Wiley

Biography

James is a multi-award winning cinematographer and director, whose work has premiered on Rolling Stone and Afropunk. He's known as the founder of the narrative dance music video genre - a format that elevates the story through the synergy of dance with narration and music. He graduated from UNCSA School of Filmmaking, majoring in Cinematography. In his work with Charlotte Ballet 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 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.