We were lucky to catch up with James Neyman recently and have shared our conversation below.

James, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The toughest thing for me is scheduling the talent. As a local independent filmmaker/producer I can’t keep people on a payroll, so it always comes down to figuring out what individual day is going to work for 5-10+ people when all those people have day jobs, other projects, etc. Its definitely a soul-crushing struggle when you have a day that works for 99% of the crew, then the one key actor you need says “I can’t make it, I have to work at Subway that day.” And now suddenly your shoot has to extend out another month before you find another suitable day. Maybe I’m the asshole, I don’t know, but I feel like if you want to work in this industry then you need a day job that accommodates that. If you just need something to get by while pursuing acting – door dash or uber. Anything that’s steady AND freelance. Nothing with a set schedule is my recommendation!

James, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have done mostly independent feature films. As a director/producer, the movie I’m most proud of is “The Kingsbury Run” which you can find on Amazon Prime. It is an example of what you can do with a small team and minimal resources. It references the unsolved serial killer: “the mad butcher of kingsbury run”, who targeted victims in Cleveland in the 1930’s. My film is a quirky, whodunnit about a copycat killer in present day. The retired detective who handled the original cold case teams up with a private investigator to solve the mystery.

The other two films I’m most proud of are ones where I worked as cinematographer and editor, “Fun” and “Eleanor”, from Perfect Holiday Productions. “Fun” is about a couple that tries to rekindle their failing marriage by staying at a BNB, only to find themselves as victims of two psychos torturing them on the dark web for money. “Eleanor” is about a very troubled woman with quite the problem on her hands trying to work her way through life. Both films are currently working their way through distribution and will be out hopefully later this year.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

One of the biggest scams of the last few years.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Its that we provide a product with limited resources that is marketed alongside other products that have infinite resources, and our product is expected to be on that level. My films will probably never look like Disney or Warner Bros, so when you see a rating that says 1 out of 10, and the reason for the rating is nothing but: “This looks like home video” great, thanks. That’s helpful. When you watch independent film, and I mean truly independent film – A24 is not “independent film”.. when you watch, you have to have an expectation that what you’re watching is probably the work of very few people. It’s important to judge it for what it is, not what it isn’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thekingsburyrun.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thekingsburyrun

Image Credits
Pat D’Angelo, Josh Miller, Robbie Barnes, Kinsley Funari, B.R. Tatalovic, Deanna Sherman, Terry Kiser, Stephanie Riker.