melinda.james0[at]gmail.com
Member of the International Collective of Female Cinematographers, The Authority Collective, Level Ground Collective and Sporas.
2020 - 2021 Sigma Cine Ambassador
2019 ASC Vision Mentorship Recipient [Mentor: John Simmons, ASC]
Commercial/Branded Content
2023
Disney: The Little Mermaid Trailer Reactions
Panavision: The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Mane by Mane Addicts: Campaign
2022
LeBron James x Tonal
SFMOMA - Chanell Stone: Natura Negra
Nike: Nike FM - Path to Progress Ep.5 ft. Dr. John Carlos, Ibtihaj Muhammed, & Simone Gabriel
Geico: Geico Presents Mad Props: Crystal Chen
Cora: Campaign
Secfi: The Number People
2021
Tracee Ellis Ross - PATTERN Beauty
L’Oreal: MTV’s The Hills with Audrina Patridge
P&G: Good is Gold - Allyson Felix and Scout Bassett
2020
Amazon Music: Ol’ Dirty Bastard - Unique (LA DP)
The Essential Campaign: #EssentialWoman
Disney Channel: Celebrate Pride with Raven-Symoné
Netflix: Rooted in Culture (Celebrating Black History Month)
Hulu: Your Attention Please (Coco & Breezy and Nicole LaPointe Jameson) [Director + DP]
Disney Channel: Celebrate Black History Month with Raven-Symoné and Quinn Wilson
2019
Disney Channel: Discover Your Voice! | Hispanic Heritage Month (5-part series)
Chase x NowThis: ‘Anatomy of’ with Amanda Seales
Ad Council: Discussing Mental Health | Seize the Awkward with Aminé, Hayley Kiyoko, Christina Perri
Benefit Cosmetics: ‘Boss Brows’ Campaign
1-800-Flowers: ‘Make Mom Feel Loved’ Mother’s Day Commercial
2018
OwlNWood: ‘Beautiful Things’ Campaign
Pandora: Sounds Like Pride with Troye Sivan
Pandora: Shawn Mendes Breaking Genres
Pandora: Janelle Monáe Gets Real in VR
Pandora: Ne-Yo - Literally, Literally - “Good Man”
Pandora: Trippie Redd - The Sauce - "Dark Knight Dummo"
Pandora: Rich the Kid - The Sauce - "New Freezer"
Pandora: Meghan Trainor - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down
shesaid.so: Madame Gandhi - Women in Music
2017
Pandora: Sounds Like You: 2017
Pandora: Cigarettes After Sex - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down
Pandora: Lil Yachty - The Sauce - "On Me"
Pandora: G-Eazy - Literally Literally - "The Beautiful & Damned"
Pandora: Miguel - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "War & Leisure"
Pandora: Poppy - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "Poppy.Computer"
Pandora: Kelly Clarkson - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "Meaning of"
Pandora: Ty Dolla $ign - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "Beach House"
Pandora: Macklemore - Literally, Literally - "Gemini"
Pandora: Questlove Supreme ft. Too $hort
Pandora: Kia Niro - Smarter Way to Go - Director
Pandora: Western Union - Making Dreams Come True ft. Phillip Phillips - Director
Video Installation
2021 Know That I’ve Enjoyed Sunshine - 4 Channel Installation - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Between One World and The Next - Single Channel Project - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2019 Oklahoma is Black - 3 Single Channel Installations - Oklahoma Contemporary, Oklahoma City, OK
2019 To Have and To Know - Single Channel Installation - Photoville LA, Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, LA
Short Documentary
2019 ‘Oklahoma is Black’ - Director and Director of Photography [Premiered at 8th Annual Blackstar Film Festival]
2019 ‘Nay’ - Director and Director of Photography [Premiered at Outfest Fusion for their 1 Minute Film Competition]
Short Narrative
2022 ‘Work’ - Dir By: April Maxey [Premiered at Sundance 2022]
2017 ‘Snow Mountain’ - Dir By: Ed Ntiri
2016 ‘Xanh’ - Dir By: Sal Tran
Music Video & Short Music Films
2019 Denitia - “Be There” - Director and Director of Photography [Premiered on TomTom Magazine]
NXTGEN - “Rewind” - Dir By: Shadae Lamar Smith
2018 Queens D. Light - "Flavor of Green" [Premiered at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive]
2017 Angel in the Infinite - Dir By: India Davis [Premiered at the Brava Theater in San Francisco]
2016 Mara Hruby - "Wee Small Hours" [Premiered on NPR Music]
Awards and Grants
2020 Black Artist Fund grant recipient
Argo Short Film Impact Award
California Relief Fund for Artists grant recipient
2019 ASC Vision Mentorship recipient
2017 Bay Brilliant: KQED Arts Women to Watch
2013 SF Masterminds 1st Place grant recipient
2012 Florence French Award
Residencies
2021-2022 Adobe Creative Residency
2020-2021 Echo Park Film Center Artist-in-Residence
Lectures and Panels
2024 Guest Speaker: Queer Cinema, Santa Clara University, CA
2023 Guest Speaker: Emory University’s Narrative Fiction Film Production, Online
2022 Outfest Fusion Industry Panel, Los Angeles, CA, Online Panel
“Women in Underrepresented Fields,” USC Feminist Media Fesitval, Los Angeles, CA, Online Panel
Guest Speaker: Dartmouth Critical Media Production, Los Angeles, CA
“ZEISS: Sundance Cinematographers Roundtable,” Online Panel
2021 Guest Speaker: Temple University's Film and Media MFA Colloquium, Online
“Making It as a Cinematographer with Free the Work,” Outfest, Los Angeles, CA, Online Panel
“UC Irvine DigiFilm Guest Filmmaker Week” UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, Online Panel
2020 “Through Her Lens: Creating a Truly Inclusive Film Industry” featuring Black Women Cinematographers, Online Panel
“Reframing Black Queer Perspectives in Art + Media” Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
“let me tell you what home looks like” Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2018 "Inclusivity Now" MOPLA, The Line Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
"When Women Disrupt" University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
"Women in Film" Compton College, Compton, CA
2017 "LunchTime Talks" Camp Reel Stories, Oakland, CA
"Guest Lecture: Social Justice for Social Media" Bay Area Video Coalition, San Francisco, CA
2016 "Filmmaker Roundtable @ QWOCFF" Brava Theater, San Francisco, CA
"SocDoc 10th Anniversary Panel" UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Education
2012 M.A. in Social Documentation | UC Santa Cruz, CA
2008 B.A. in Psychology & Sociology | CSU Chico, CA
Member of the International Collective of Female Cinematographers, The Authority Collective, Level Ground Collective and Sporas.
2020 - 2021 Sigma Cine Ambassador
2019 ASC Vision Mentorship Recipient [Mentor: John Simmons, ASC]
Commercial/Branded Content
2023
Disney: The Little Mermaid Trailer Reactions
Panavision: The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Mane by Mane Addicts: Campaign
2022
LeBron James x Tonal
SFMOMA - Chanell Stone: Natura Negra
Nike: Nike FM - Path to Progress Ep.5 ft. Dr. John Carlos, Ibtihaj Muhammed, & Simone Gabriel
Geico: Geico Presents Mad Props: Crystal Chen
Cora: Campaign
Secfi: The Number People
2021
Tracee Ellis Ross - PATTERN Beauty
L’Oreal: MTV’s The Hills with Audrina Patridge
P&G: Good is Gold - Allyson Felix and Scout Bassett
2020
Amazon Music: Ol’ Dirty Bastard - Unique (LA DP)
The Essential Campaign: #EssentialWoman
Disney Channel: Celebrate Pride with Raven-Symoné
Netflix: Rooted in Culture (Celebrating Black History Month)
Hulu: Your Attention Please (Coco & Breezy and Nicole LaPointe Jameson) [Director + DP]
Disney Channel: Celebrate Black History Month with Raven-Symoné and Quinn Wilson
2019
Disney Channel: Discover Your Voice! | Hispanic Heritage Month (5-part series)
Chase x NowThis: ‘Anatomy of’ with Amanda Seales
Ad Council: Discussing Mental Health | Seize the Awkward with Aminé, Hayley Kiyoko, Christina Perri
Benefit Cosmetics: ‘Boss Brows’ Campaign
1-800-Flowers: ‘Make Mom Feel Loved’ Mother’s Day Commercial
2018
OwlNWood: ‘Beautiful Things’ Campaign
Pandora: Sounds Like Pride with Troye Sivan
Pandora: Shawn Mendes Breaking Genres
Pandora: Janelle Monáe Gets Real in VR
Pandora: Ne-Yo - Literally, Literally - “Good Man”
Pandora: Trippie Redd - The Sauce - "Dark Knight Dummo"
Pandora: Rich the Kid - The Sauce - "New Freezer"
Pandora: Meghan Trainor - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down
shesaid.so: Madame Gandhi - Women in Music
2017
Pandora: Sounds Like You: 2017
Pandora: Cigarettes After Sex - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down
Pandora: Lil Yachty - The Sauce - "On Me"
Pandora: G-Eazy - Literally Literally - "The Beautiful & Damned"
Pandora: Miguel - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "War & Leisure"
Pandora: Poppy - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "Poppy.Computer"
Pandora: Kelly Clarkson - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "Meaning of"
Pandora: Ty Dolla $ign - Thumbs Up Thumbs Down - "Beach House"
Pandora: Macklemore - Literally, Literally - "Gemini"
Pandora: Questlove Supreme ft. Too $hort
Pandora: Kia Niro - Smarter Way to Go - Director
Pandora: Western Union - Making Dreams Come True ft. Phillip Phillips - Director
Video Installation
2021 Know That I’ve Enjoyed Sunshine - 4 Channel Installation - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Between One World and The Next - Single Channel Project - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2019 Oklahoma is Black - 3 Single Channel Installations - Oklahoma Contemporary, Oklahoma City, OK
2019 To Have and To Know - Single Channel Installation - Photoville LA, Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, LA
Short Documentary
2019 ‘Oklahoma is Black’ - Director and Director of Photography [Premiered at 8th Annual Blackstar Film Festival]
2019 ‘Nay’ - Director and Director of Photography [Premiered at Outfest Fusion for their 1 Minute Film Competition]
Short Narrative
2022 ‘Work’ - Dir By: April Maxey [Premiered at Sundance 2022]
2017 ‘Snow Mountain’ - Dir By: Ed Ntiri
2016 ‘Xanh’ - Dir By: Sal Tran
Music Video & Short Music Films
2019 Denitia - “Be There” - Director and Director of Photography [Premiered on TomTom Magazine]
NXTGEN - “Rewind” - Dir By: Shadae Lamar Smith
2018 Queens D. Light - "Flavor of Green" [Premiered at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive]
2017 Angel in the Infinite - Dir By: India Davis [Premiered at the Brava Theater in San Francisco]
2016 Mara Hruby - "Wee Small Hours" [Premiered on NPR Music]
Awards and Grants
2020 Black Artist Fund grant recipient
Argo Short Film Impact Award
California Relief Fund for Artists grant recipient
2019 ASC Vision Mentorship recipient
2017 Bay Brilliant: KQED Arts Women to Watch
2013 SF Masterminds 1st Place grant recipient
2012 Florence French Award
Residencies
2021-2022 Adobe Creative Residency
2020-2021 Echo Park Film Center Artist-in-Residence
Lectures and Panels
2024 Guest Speaker: Queer Cinema, Santa Clara University, CA
2023 Guest Speaker: Emory University’s Narrative Fiction Film Production, Online
2022 Outfest Fusion Industry Panel, Los Angeles, CA, Online Panel
“Women in Underrepresented Fields,” USC Feminist Media Fesitval, Los Angeles, CA, Online Panel
Guest Speaker: Dartmouth Critical Media Production, Los Angeles, CA
“ZEISS: Sundance Cinematographers Roundtable,” Online Panel
2021 Guest Speaker: Temple University's Film and Media MFA Colloquium, Online
“Making It as a Cinematographer with Free the Work,” Outfest, Los Angeles, CA, Online Panel
“UC Irvine DigiFilm Guest Filmmaker Week” UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, Online Panel
2020 “Through Her Lens: Creating a Truly Inclusive Film Industry” featuring Black Women Cinematographers, Online Panel
“Reframing Black Queer Perspectives in Art + Media” Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
“let me tell you what home looks like” Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2018 "Inclusivity Now" MOPLA, The Line Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
"When Women Disrupt" University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
"Women in Film" Compton College, Compton, CA
2017 "LunchTime Talks" Camp Reel Stories, Oakland, CA
"Guest Lecture: Social Justice for Social Media" Bay Area Video Coalition, San Francisco, CA
2016 "Filmmaker Roundtable @ QWOCFF" Brava Theater, San Francisco, CA
"SocDoc 10th Anniversary Panel" UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Education
2012 M.A. in Social Documentation | UC Santa Cruz, CA
2008 B.A. in Psychology & Sociology | CSU Chico, CA