Meet Jonathan James | Producer & Writer

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

Hi Jonathan, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
Our end goal is to be a fully functioning production company that produces features, tv, and new media (podcasts, etc…). This has always been our goal. Right now we are working on getting our very first two feature films into production. Through our short films, we have been able to build not only a brand, but a family of filmmakers, and we feel that we owe it to them to get to this final phase. For us, when we succeed our entire filmmaking family succeeds.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We are extremely proud of the projects we have been able to produce with the help of a myriad of diverse creative talents. Each one has had great success in one way or another and has helped us to build upon each one creatively. We hold ourselves to incredibly high standards, but it has definitely not been an easy journey. Any film costs money, and while we try to keep our budgets for these films as low as we possibly can, it creates a lot of difficulty in getting these films off the ground.

What we’ve learned is to really rely on the kindness of strangers and our crew. Things rarely go smoothly in filmmaking and having crewmembers that we can trust has been one of the most important aspects of our process. It makes our job easier, and we are able to focus on putting out other fires. The last thing we want to do is someone else’s job; however, My Producing partner, Sabrina Cooper, and I have a background in almost every department of filmmaking and are always willing to get our hands dirty if need be to see the project get completed.

If there is one thing I want people to know about our brand and story is that we are 100% filmmakers through and through. I know that sounds silly, but today you see so many Studios and Production Companies run by MBAs with little to no experience or understanding of how to actually make a film. At Black Castle Productions we are like the independents of the 70s and 80s. We live and breathe filmmaking and storytelling, and pride ourselves on our knowledge of the craft at every phase of Production.

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?
I like to give friends and family the Hollywood treatment. A lot of tourists come to Hollywood and in reality, there’s actually not a whole lot of attractions you can really take someone to give them a taste of that Hollywood magic and glamour…unless you really know how or have a connection.

Picnic & Concert at The Hollywood Bowl — This is a MUST, and I feel a lot of people miss it while visiting LA (mostly because it depends on when you visit, but there’s something magical about the place. There’s a lot of good energy and great music here that always makes me feel inspired.

The Magic Castle — I know this is a hard one for many, but it really is a one-of-a-kind experience you can’t find anywhere else. Vegas might have some great magic shows but it’s always exciting to see the variety of different close-up magic you can experience within the castle.

The Academy Museum of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — This is a great place to go for all movie lovers. While not everyone can attend the OSCARS, this is as close as you are going to get while visiting Los Angeles.

Ramen and/or Sushi — Everyone has their favorite spot, but as many of my family members have found Los Angeles is one of the best places to find incredible Ramen and Sushi for an affordable price.

Warner Bros Studio Tour — In my opinion, this is the best tour around. While Paramount is always a great visit for its history, I think WB is the best place to go to see movies in action. The stages are always bustling, and you never know who you’re going to see.

Big Foot Lodge (Los Feliz) — this is one of my favorite bars to hang out with friends. Good atmosphere and good cocktails without dealing with the packed tourist crowds that you might find in West Hollywood or of the Sunset Strip.

The Spare Room – Roosevelt Hotel — This is also one of my favorite places to take visiting friends and family to hang out. The Roosevelt’s old Hollywood feel is a great place to hang out.

Grand Central Market — This is one of my favorite places to take people for a bite to eat, mostly because of the variety of food. There’s something for everyone, and plenty of great food to try if you’re looking for something a little different.

Castaway (Burbank) — If you’re looking for something a little more romantic, I really enjoy Castaway. Not only is the food good, but the view over Burbank is breathtaking.

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?
We want to dedicate this shout-out to the incredible film crews that we work with on every one of our films. The only reason we are able to produce anything is because of their hard work and talent. Without them, none of what we do would be possible.

Website: www.blackcastleproductionsca.com

Instagram: @black_castle_productions

Twitter: @BlackCastleProd

Facebook: facebook.com/blackcastleproductions

Youtube: @BlackCastleProductions

Image Credits
Porcelain Photo by: Sean Paul Franget of SPF Studios