James Knight
As the virtual production director at AMD, James Knight has continued to apply his unique and innovative visual effect and performance capture techniques to film and video game projects in a way that has drawn the highest of praise from critics and audiences alike. Knight’s illustrious career includes credits that read as an essentially comprehensive listing of the most visually appealing films of the past decade. Those credits include serving as performance capture specialist for Avatar, Hulk, Prince Caspian, I Am Legend, and 2012, not to mention his work as performance capture supervisor on The Amazing Spiderman.
James Knight’s experience working on so many industry-changing films has served him incredibly well, further inspiring him to pursue the loftiest of goals and to experiment with new and highly innovative techniques and practices — thereby ensuring the industry continues to move ever forward. Knight’s immense talent can be seen in more than just films like The Amazing Spiderman and Avatar, as AMD’s virtual production director also possesses a wealth of experience in the video game industry, working on projects that include Star Wars: The Old Republic, Gotham Racing, Batman: Arkham City, and Scene It, not to mention a host of others as well.
Knight remains an active member of several professional organizations, including the Scientific and Technical Achievement Committee at The Academy as well as the Visual Effects Society. Knight is also on the board of directors for BAFTA-LA (the Los Angeles chapter of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts), where he oversees a number of critical tasks in addition to his role as co-chair of the video games committee.
A longtime resident of Los Angeles, Knight’s interests expand beyond the realm of film and visual effects. In addition to his passion for traveling, Knight has also developed a keen interest in the local real estate market and in recent years has become increasingly active as an investor.
1. What do you know about the real estate industry?
It’s all still relatively new to me, but I’ve done a lot of research and had many lengthy discussions with a number of the area’s most prominent real estate professionals.
2. Have you ever sold real estate? How did you make it happen?
I have not yet sold real estate, but I did recently begin investing in real estate.
3. How much experience do you have in buying or selling real estate?
I purchased a home in Los Angeles about 10 years ago, and it was at that time that I decided to become more involved in the real estate market as an investor.
4. Have you ever made a sell or a purchase you have regretted?
Not yet, and I certainly hope to avoid making a decision I’ll ultimately come to regret. I’m quite happy with the home I bought as well as the investments I have made.
5. What advice would you give inexperienced who are wanting to buy or sell?
The mentoring I’ve had over the years has been invaluable, so my advice is for anyone lacking experience to find a mentor willing to provide advice as well as practical guidance.
6. What have you found out to be the best way to market property?
I haven’t had to market any properties yet, but my investments have mostly focused on the relative desirability of the property’s location. I imagine marketing around a property’s location is especially effective.
7. What tools do you believe are essential for success in the real estate industry?
I believe one must possess an analytical mindset along with access to a wealth of relevant data in order to succeed in the real estate industry.
8. What has real estate taught you about life?
Real estate has taught me a great deal about what people tend to value most when making what is likely to be one of the most critical decisions of their lifetime.
9. How can you use what you have learned in real estate to succeed in other areas?
In real estate, it is often the details that make all the difference, which is a concept I have always applied to my virtual production work.
10. Do you have a mentor who taught you what you know?
Yes, I am quite fortunate to have several mentors, mostly because I sought the advice of anyone willing to provide it when I first considered investing in real estate.
11. Do you have a feedback system? How does it work?
I haven’t found it necessary to have a feedback system yet, but I do use an evaluative tool to determine the overall effectiveness of a particular investment.
