Bissell, James D. 1951- (James Bissell, Jim Bissell)

PERSONAL

Full name, James Dougal Bissell III; born August 6, 1951, in Charleston, SC; son of James Dougal and Elizabeth McPherson (maiden name, Jones) Bissell; married Teresa Ann Atkinson, June 1, 1974 (divorced September, 1987); married Martha Wynne Snetsinger, October 22, 1995; children: James Dougal, Alexander Wynne, Elizabeth Wynne. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.F.A., theater, 1973.

Addresses:

Agent—The Skouras Agency, 1149 Third St., 3rd Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90403.

Career:

Production designer and art director. Worked on commercials and documentaries in New York City.

Member:

Society of Motion Picture and Television Art Directors (served on executive board), Directors Guild of America, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Awards, Honors:

Emmy Award (with Bill Webb), art direction for a series, 1980, for Palmerstown, U.S.A.; Film Award nomination, best production design/art direction, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1983, for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Satellite Award, outstanding art direction and production design, International Press Academy, 2005, Academy Award nomination (with Jan Pascale), best achievement in art direction, Excellence in Production Design Award nomination (with Christa Munro), feature film—period or fantasy film, Art Directors Guild, 2006, all for Good Night, and Good Luck.

CREDITS

Film Production Designer:

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (also known as E.T.), Universal, 1982.

Twilight Zone—The Movie, Warner Bros., 1983.

The Falcon and the Snowman, Orion, 1985.

The Boy Who Could Fly, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986.

Harry and the Hendersons (also known as Bigfoot and Bigfoot and the Hendersons), Universal, 1987.

Someone to Watch over Me, Columbia, 1987.

(As Jim Bissell) Twins, Universal, 1988.

(As James Bissell) Always, Universal, 1989.

(As James Bissell) Arachnophobia, Hollywood, 1990.

(As Jim Bissell) The Rocketeer, Buena Vista/Walt Disney, 1991.

(As James Bissell) The Pickle (also known as The Adventures of the Flying Pickle), Columbia, 1993.

(As James Bissell) Dennis the Menace (also known as Dennis), Warner Bros., 1993.

(As James Bissell) Blue Chips, Paramount, 1994.

Jumanji, Columbia TriStar, 1995.

(As James Bissell) Tin Cup, Warner Bros., 1996.

(As James Bissell) My Fellow Americans, Warner Bros., 1996.

(As James Bissell) The 6th Day (also known as Le sixieme jour), Columbia/Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2000.

Cats & Dogs, Warner Bros., 2001.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (also known as Confessions d'un homme dangereux), Miramax, 2002.

(As Jim Bissell) Hollywood Homicide, Revolution Studios, 2003.

The Ring Two (also known as Samara, The Ring 2, and Samara: Ring 2), DreamWorks, 2005.

Good Night, and Good Luck, Warner Independent Pictures, 2005.

300 (also known as "300": The IMAX Experience), Warner Bros., 2006.

Leatherheads, Universal, 2007.

Film Work; Other:

(As Jim Bissell) Production manager, The Kentucky Fried Movie, 1977.

(As James Bissell) Property master, Black Oak Conspiracy, 1977.

Art director, Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (also known as Secret Yearnings, The Shaming, and The Sin), 1979.

Art director, The Last Starfighter, Universal, 1984.

(As James Bissell) Visual consultant, St. Elmo's Fire, Sony, 1985.

(As James Bissell) Second unit director, The Boy Who Could Fly, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986.

(As James Bissell) Second unit director, Harry and the Hendersons (also known as Bigfoot and Bigfoot and the Hendersons), Universal, 1987.

Forest fire plates director, Always, Universal, 1989.

(As Jim Bissell) Assistance, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Parmount, 1989.

Visual consultant and second unit director, 50 First Dates, Columbia, 2004.

Film Appearances:

(As James Bissell) Secret Service agent, My Fellow Americans, Warner Bros., 1996.

Himself, The Making of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (documentary; also known as E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial—A Look Back), 1996.

Himself, Lions and Monkeys and Pods, Oh My! The Special Effects of "Jumanji" (documentary short), Columbia TriStar, 1999.

Himself, Bringing Down the House (documentary), 1999.

Himself, The Man on Lincoln's Nose (documentary), Adama Films, 2000.

(Uncredited) Fake ticket person at stadium, Cats & Dogs, 2001.

Television Production Designer; Series:

Palmerstown, U.S.A. (also known as Palmerstown, USA), 1980.

Television Art Director; Movies:

Valentine, 1979.

Flatbed Annie and Sweetiepie: Lady Truckers (also known as Flatbed Annie and Girls of the Road), 1979.

Anatomy of a Seduction, 1979.

(As James Bissell) Don't Look Back (also known as Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige), 1981.

Television Art Director; Specials:

(As Jim Bissell) Now We're Cookin', 1983.