ABOUT

Jim Aikman is an award-winning filmmaker, cinematographer, writer and commercial director living in Portland, Oregon.

He works on feature and short documentaries, podcasts, web series, branded content and more for dozens of clients and distributors around the world, with an unparalleled work ethic and unique creative vision. He specializes in character driven stories about adventure, natural history, science and the triumph of the human spirit, creating content for brands like National Geographic, AT&T and REI.

As a Director, Jim brings his experience from all stages of production to craft meaningful stories from conception to delivery.

He is available for long term Director positions and short term shooting, editing and writing. Contact today at jim@bedrockfilmworks.com.

Born in the flatlands of Michigan, Jim spent his twenties in the mountains of Colorado, and now lives around the lush gorges and soaring volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. He brings a spirit of adventure to his work around the world, often starting with large bodies of archival material to find the right story for the moment, blending cutting edge modern cinematography with historical assets.

Jim received a formal education in the art of storytelling, with degrees in Film and English Literature from the University of Michigan where he cultivated a deep understanding of narrative theory to craft thoughtful, authentic stories about real characters. He completed the Banff Adventure Filmmaking Workshop in 2012 and the Blackbird Writing Workshop in 2021.

He is a member of the International Documentary Association, the Oregon Media Production Association, the Internet Movie Database, the American Alpine Club, and listed in Source Oregon.

Jim also loves to give back to his filmmaking community by leading workshops, emceeing film festivals, and mentoring young filmmakers.

He is now the Creative Director and Director of Photography at Bedrock Film Works, a full service production company based in Portland and Bend, Oregon. Most recently, he directed a feature length documentary for the National Geographic Channel that is now streaming on Disney+.

STRENGTHS:

• Twenty years of production experience

  • Documentary, commercial, broadcast, agency, radio, narrative, and more

• International production experience

  • Expeditions to remote locations around the world

• Working in wilderness settings, technical terrain, and harsh conditions

  • Expert climber, skier, swimmer, etc

• Directorial leadership on long-term feature documentaries

• Project manager with good sense of budget

• Navigating large archival volumes

• Experienced at any scale of production, from non-profit web videos to big budget TV series

• Strong understanding of production roles and process

• Fierce attention to detail and creative solutions

awards

BEDROCK REEL

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