James Ward Byrkit (director of "Coherence," co-writer of Oscar-winning film "Rango")

James Ward Byrkit is an innovative filmmaker whose projects range from blockbuster, big-budget tentpoles to low-budget, personal films.  Raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, Jim was first inspired by Star Wars, the Twilight Zone television series, and musicals like West Side Story.  These classics influenced his work as a story-board artist and conceptual consultant on the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy, including his suggestion to director Gore Verbinski that the first film have a musical number.  Jim also co-wrote the Oscar-winning hit film “Rango.”  Between big-budget projects, he directed and co-wrote the mind-blowing 2014 sci-fi film “Coherence,” currently streaming on Amazon, Hulu and iTunes.  In this interview, Jim discusses these projects, as well as a would-be flash mob version of “Lord Of The Rings” in a mall, and the importance for upcoming filmmakers to form a creative community.  He also discusses the importance of structure in screenwriting, and getting a call from “Dark Knight Trilogy” co-writer David Goyer to collaborate.