James P. Lay

James is a Writer/Director/Musician/Engineer and a Professor at one of the largest private Universities in the country. James is widely known as a Top Hollywood Sound Designer and was the Winner of the 2003 Los Angeles Music Awards "Best Producer of the Year" competing against Michael Jackson's Producer-Rodney Jerkins and Led Zeppelin Producer Andy Johns, winning for his work with Rachelle Spector (ex-wife of Beatles Producer Phil Spector). Decedent of two of the oldest American Families, James' family is portrayed in arguably one of America's most famous Paintings by Norman Rockwell, see below. With multiple #1 Box office films and over 60 feature film credits, James has worked as a Sound Designer/Rerecording Mixer/Supervising Sound Editor on numerous films featuring Brad Pitt. James has worked for Director Michael Mann(ALI), Producer/Director Francis Ford Coppola. He has worked personally for Will Smith(WSE) as well as worked with: Angelina Jolie, Robert Deniro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gary Oldman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and numerous other A listers. James moved into the Writer/Directors chair in 1996 with his debut TV series "The Edge". Son of a Scientist (NOAA) and raised in the cultural artistic tech savvy ground zero of San Francisco/Silicone Valley, James enjoys Writing and Directing quirky stylized commercial films with heart. He spent years in the music business as a Musician, Songwriter, Producer and Engineer and his band worked with world renowned Grammy Winning Producer Eric Valentine (Grace Potter/Slash/Maroon 5/Smashmouth/Good Charolette/Third Eye blind). James' descends from two of the oldest American Families of notoriety; Tristram Coffin of Nantucket(A Royal from Devon England-see wiki) who arrived in America in the mid 1600's and Thomas Pennell who arrived in 1708. Tristram Coffin was an original settler and owned Nantucket Island Massachusetts. The Pennell's were one of most successful Ship Building families on the coast of Maine in "Pennellville" from 1760 to 1874. James's great uncle, Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet Robert Peter Tristram Coffin was a close friend of Norman Rockwell, Rockwell utilized James's grandparents and mother as models for Rockwell's most famous paintings the "Freedom from Want" Painting in 1943 that was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, the painting is more commonly known to most American's as the "The Thanksgiving Dinner" painting.