Hey, I’m James Guardino,
the documentary and commercial director
– not the brazillian underwear model (yeah, I’m disappointed too – I wish I had his abs).
JG in 60 Seconds
People talk to me. On buses, in bars, on elevators. Sometimes it’s really personal and I rarely seek this out – it just happens. It’s my super power.
I have an outsider’s perspective and a blue collar work ethic – from my dad, who was a boxer and a truck driver, and raised me on his own. Being a creative entrepreneur and filmmaker, I live to connect and collaborate with like-minded clients and creatives. That’s when the magic happens because filmmaking is a team sport.
I love a good story and believe that everyone has one. My visual style is human, intimate and present. I’ve been told that I have a unique sensitivity in working with real people actors. I have interviewed hundreds of people from biotech billionaires to pro wrestlers, kids with cancer to women who overcame homelessness, and even Larry Flynt in his gold plated wheelchair.
I founded and run Byline Studio, a creative video agency. We have clients around the country, and produced over 500 short films, commercials, mini docs, animations and branded content-type projects. Byline works directly with companies and brands and collabs with agencies.
I also work independently as a director on feature films, long form doc series and commercials.
Selected Work
NICK
EMOTIV
KAREN
Be My Action Hero
Ethan’s Marathon
Christine Bray
10 Gold Medals
Cure Starts Now
Opioid in Dayton
Steve
THEY LIKE TO WIN
CANCER EXPLAINED
200 MILES
THE ATLAS CODE
Building a Cure for CF
Education
M.J. (Master's of Journalism)
Relevant Coursework: Documentary Filmmaking, TV News, journalism and business strategies cohort at Haas School of Business, receipient of the business journalism scholarshipBachelor of Arts
English, Journalism, Photography, Track & Field team captainThe JG Timeline
As a visual storyteller who depends on others to share their stories - the highs and lows in an honest way, publicly - it’s fair for me to do the same. So, here’s a timeline of some key moments in my life that provide context for some of my work.
I am the first person in my family to graduate college. Senior year, my father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He deteriorated very quickly to the point where one night he sneezed and broke his leg. I cared for him by myself and was with him when he died. That day he told me to “be somebody”.
I can relate to the shock, pain and eventual growth that happens when cancer strikes. Here are a few short films I’ve made about cancer such as a mother of a piano prodigy who beat cancer, a PhD who studies the same cancer that she was dignosed with and a married couple that works together on all things related to recovery.
Getting that acceptance letter to documentary program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism was a thrill. I moved to Berkeley, shot and edited short films and news stories day and night for two years, and made some great friends and collaborators along the way.
I spent the next several years filming Al on his many misadventures in his Pompano Beach mansion, on an ambulance on his way to Riker's Island and living in a homeless shelter in NYC. I have over 60 hours of unseen footage and I am in talks to turn this into a broader film about Al and his impact on free speech and the culture.
Simultaneously, I started a creative video agency which has evolved into Byline Studio focusing on telling authentic human stories, driven by emotion, featuring real people.
We live in PA now where my wife teaches at a small liberal arts college. We have two young kids (a boy and a girl) and two old dogs (both boys).
Say hey!
Send a message
