About Me

My name is James Bartol, and I am a filmmaker and production designer, working in the greater NYC area.

My passion for production design stems from a deeply seeded fascination with the ability to create our own worlds: to imagine and realize a space with its own atmosphere that has the power to house, cultivate, and enhance a narrative experience. I am continually inspired by my role as a designer to conceptualize the environment, build the surroundings, and set the scene for our stories.

I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Production from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, with a concentration in Production Design and Art Direction. Production design credits feature a variety of feature and short films that have screened at festivals worldwide including the Malibu Film Festival, NewFest, Cinequest, Holly Shorts Festival, Cannes Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival. Television, print and commercial projects include clients and networks such as Levi’s, Nordstrom, Estée Lauder, TruTv, Investigation Discovery and MTV.

In 2019, I was selected for the Berlinale Talents program in Berlin, Germany, which I attended in February of 2020. Other recognitions include the award for “Best Production Design” (for the film, Behind the Wall) at the Canberra International Film Festival in Australia (2015), and a nomination for “Best Production Design” (for the film Chateau Sauvignon: Terroir) at the Independent Horror Movie Awards (2015).