My name is James Ritzman, and I have been involved in creative media production since I started taking classes in Video Production at Shoreline Community College. After leaving SCC, I started Washington State Video and produced videos for Shorecrest High School.

After a year of shooting video there, I enrolled at the Art Institute of Seattle and completed my AAAS (Associate's Degree) in Video Production and Audio Engineering. Around the time I graduated from AIS, I began taking modeling classes at a local school (and even taught there for a while) and soon began a part-time modeling career.

My Video

I produced, directed, wrote, and shot an independent featurette called "Explorer 13." While in the midst of shooting the video, I was hired by FOXnet to work on one of their series, "The Spud Goodman Show." I started out as their Lighting Director, and soon became a lead Camera Operator. Despite some of the 16-hour shoots, it was one of the most fulfilling jobs I've ever had.

Photography

It was during this time that I also started pursuing still photography. Although I like the power of film and video to tell a story with moving pictures and sound, I also like the fact that still photography requires no more than me, my camera, some film, and maybe a model (as opposed to film/video which requires a script to be written, actors to be cast, crew to be hired, equipment to be secured, schedules to be coordinated, locations to be polanned, editing to be done, etc.). So, I used my knowledge of lighting and composition to start taking pictures of models I would meet while taking/teaching classes.

I returned to school once again - this time to specifically learn more about film production (as opposed to video production). I graduated from the University of Washington's Film and Video Production Certificate Program, and was soon working as a Director of Photography for other students' post-graduate productions.

Web Production

Although I had been producing my own personal web site since 1995, I hadn't done any design or development work for anyone else until I co-designed and developed the original SeattleModels.com for another local photographer. The site was eventually redeveloped by someone else, and later taken down all together after the photographer kind of disappeared.

I also designed and developed the original and the new version of BradsCustomAuto.com. They are a repair and modification shop for Corvettes and Mustangs (including my own 1991 Corvette). I also designed and developed InfraScapes.com for my infrared landscape photographs, but I took it down recently due to spamming problems. And, of course, JRitzman.com. Some other projects I've worked on were the site for the Colombian consulate in San Francisco, CheerPhotography.com, and a site for a salon near Everett.

Current Info

In the early 2000's, my regular job as a Sales Associate at Blue Cross started weighing on me and my motivation to do creative work waned. The money was good though :) . I also started playing "Magic: the Gathering" and other trading card games.

After being layed off in a department restructuring, I considered some business proposals including possibly opening a LAN Gaming Center. Things didn't come together on that, so I continued doing modeling work, some temp work, and photography. I recently spent a year as the Laboratory Administrative Specialist for Clayton Group Services (aka Bureau Veritas), but the company closed the Seattle laboratory in December of 2006. I also spent some time working for Seattle Style TV as their video director - shooting fashion shows in the area.


Really personal information...