We had the good fortune of connecting with James Ridgley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Growing up as an extroverted introvert I have always forced myself to take risks. My first career as a comedy-juggler – I worked at the California Renaissance Faires and the minute I heard about a few good ones across the US I booked one near Chicago and managed to get a ride with a craftsperson doing the faire also. We arrived and I was pretty much completely on my own to buy a tent to live onsite for the 6 weeks and fend for myself. I must’ve been 19 years old. But I managed pretty well and the next year I bought and customized a Van to live in and travel to different fairs in Illinois and Kansas and Texas. Right now I am taking a huge risk by writing, directing, producing and editing my own feature films! I green-lit myself and will see how this career change – ‘late in life” – will take shape.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Writing has been the most consistent thing in my life. The difficultly lies in getting over your beginners ego so you can improve. The awesome pride of creation from a blank page makes many writers think whatever they have created is the best! To them and their parents perhaps and yet it takes a lot of work to get to a point where it really is good to a general public. My first screenplay was absolutely awful! It was ten years before I really wrote something good enough to be runner up to the winner in a screenplay contest, and it was the first one I ever submitted to and it was a small personal story to boot “WHERE LIFE BEGINS.” Lucky me. Back to the question: Lessons I’ve Learned: Keep going and get feedback from professionals – even non-professionals as long as you have learned enough not to take every criticism personally AND only take feedback you really think is useful. Easy to say and yet that alone can be a long road of trail and error. After having 2 Original TV Series in development and 3 feature screenplays in line for funding – all to amount to nothing – I took back my roots in the small, personal stories and wrote them for me to make myself. For which I have now 3 of them in post-production hell – almost ready to market. Could that be my brand? Hmmmmm

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Chala Boba on Sherman Way for the best Boba and coffee drinks ever! My other favorite coffee place closed! Also Point Dume beaches – natural and not too far above Malibu.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
People: Derek Loughran – a great actor and the best Mime in Los Angeles ever! He was in my movie A Natural Disorder of Things and will be the lead in my newest film – a horror film called THE SHED. My brother Joseph has been very supportive of my efforts and also some very close screenwriter friends who give me great notes besides having long talks about characters and stories. Hope McPherson is one – she is an incredible screenwriter and is Executive Producer on A Natural Disorder of Things.

Website: https://www.jamesridgleyfilms.com/home

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-ridgley-56b1072/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrsG_GCLX8jufNrD2hT8Ppg/videos?app=desktop&view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0

Image Credits
Michael Bayouth; Saskia Adom

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