jim may: director/DP/producer/editor
email: jim@ruckusfilm.com
Partner of RuckusFilm, Inc., a film production
company he co-founded in 1983. His most recent is serving
as producer/ of "LIVE from The Bluebird Cafe",
now in its 5th season <view
reel>. The one hour show features performances by
the best songwriters in the business, for new cable network
Turner South. Recent guests include Shawn Mullins, Kathy
Mattea, Buddy and Julie Miller, Don Henry, and Kim Carnes.
In addition to shooting hundreds of television
commercials (including the award-winning "Ernest"
spots starring Jim Varney), he has served as Director/DP
for music videos featuring Alan Jackson, Kelly Willis, Kathy
Mattea, Clint Black, Tammy Wynette, Patty Loveless, Travis
Tritt, Jo-El Sonnier and many others. He's also shot and
produced long-form videos for acts like Aerosmith, Bela
Fleck and the Diner Junkies.
In 1998, Jim worked as director of photography
on the independent feature film "Existo". Jim
has also served as director of photography for the Emmy
winning CBS TV series "Hey Vern, It's Ernest!";
the Touchstone feature film "Ernest Goes to Camp";
the independently released "Dr. Otto and the Riddle
of the Gloom Beam"; "New Country, Getting Tough,"
a BBC one hour special; special segments for CBS specials
for the "65th and 70th Anniversaries of the Grand Ole
Opry", and the "25th Anniversary of the Country
Music Foundation". He has also worked with United Methodist
Communications shooting the films "One Great Hour of
Sharing" and "Global Missions", and directed
their weekly syndicated television show "Catch The
Spirit" for four seasons.
Jim's work has earned the Music City News
"Video of the Year" Award, the Nashville Network's
"Viewer's Choice" Award for Favorite Video, the
Houston International Film Festival's "Gold Award"
for country music videos, Billboard Magazine's music video
awards for "Best New Artist" and "Best Male
Artist", the IHFF Silver Award for "Best Information,
Cultural or Historic Programming" and numerous Diamond
Addy Awards for various commercials.
A native of Athens, GA, Jim holds degrees
from Harvard University and the University of Georgia in
Athens.
