Jim's teaching

Every project—whether it is an in-class assignment or a comprehensive project—is an opportunity for students to emotionally engage an audience. By crafting lectures, labs, and assignments with clearly defined goals and techniques, students can make the most of each opportunity. Every day on set is a chance to strike the balance between technical mastery and active script analysis.  As such, my lectures and labs are predicated on the following:
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1. The filmmaker needs to embark on a critical self-analysis to understand her/his world and personal perspective
2. The filmmaker needs to understand how to technically transpose abstract thought to concrete image through the mindful use of equipment.

Telling a great story is no simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. It requires serious consideration and deliberate action. Teaching remains very similar: look decisively into your students’ hearts, see what they know well and less well about themselves, and find the appropriate reinforcement for the situation. It requires a steady and even hand at the wheel. It demands constant vigilance.

There is a reason why students have suggested that my teaching philosophy is summarized as “tough but fair.”
 
It is because the learned not just what they thought they need to learn, but what the audiences demanded that they would learn.