James Ward Byrkit
James Ward Byrkit (also known as James Byrkit or Jim Byrkit) is an American filmmaker.
He is perhaps best known for his many collaborations with director Gore Verbinski. Byrkit was the conceptual consultant and storyboard artist on the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, having helped create several props and designed some of the most iconic sequences of Gore Verbinski's trilogy. Byrkit also directed Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011), a short film and an immediate prequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Byrkit is also known for directing the science fiction thriller Coherence and co-writing the script for Rango, also directed by Gore Verbinski. For Rango, Byrkit starred as several characters, most notably Waffles, a horned lizard.
Byrkit's debut feature Coherence earned critical and audience praise and garnered attention for his unconventional approach in the making of the film as "proof that inventive filmmakers can do a lot with a little", and identifying him as a groundbreaking talent. Since its release, Coherence has become an international sensation and regularly appears on ranking lists of best films.
Byrkit's follow-up project, Shatter Belt, is an episodic series in the tradition of Twilight Zone. Production on the first four episodes was completed in 2022, with the world premiere scheduled for 2023 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Awards
- Breakthrough Director (nominated) at the Gotham Independent Film Awards 2014
- Next Wave Best Screenplay at the Austin Fantastic Fest for Coherence (2013)
- Maria Award for Best Screenplay at the Sitges Film Festival for Coherence (2013)
- Carnet Jove Jury Award for Best In Competition at the Sitges Film Festival for Coherence (2013)
- Black Tulip Award for Best Feature Debut at the Imagine Film Festival for Coherence (2014)
- Imagine Movie Zone Award, Special Mention at the Imagine Film Festival for Coherence (2014)
- Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production for Rango (2011, won, shared with John Logan and Gore Verbinski)
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Yes, and... | Yes | Yes | No |
| Fractalus | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked | Yes | No | No |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rango | No | Story | No |
| 2013 | Coherence | Yes | Yes | Executive |
| 2016 | The Forest | No | No | Co-producer |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Stop at Nothing | Yes | No | TV movie |
| Special Unit 2 | Yes | No | Episode "The Rocks" | |
| 2023 | Shatter Belt | Yes | Yes | 4 episodes |
Video game
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rango | Yes | Yes |
References
External links
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