Jim Byrkit

Jim Byrkit has worked side by side with Gore Verbinski on film projects for the last ten years.  He was the first person hired way back at the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean I and went with Verbinski on the very first location scout to the Caribbean in 2002, where the two of them started forming the visual style of the movie, including the famous intro scene of Jack Sparrow arriving on a sinking ship.

As Conceptual Consultant for the next two films, Jim had an expanded role that included storyboarding thousands of hand drawn frames for key action scenes, designing crucial elements including “Shipwreck Island”, Davy Jones’ Organ Room, and the amazing Sao Feng Chinese Allegory Map that features prominently in Pirates 3.  Working with Gore and writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, Jim was a key member of the creative team that brought the two sequel films from a three-page outline to their final finished form.

Jim was on set often, spending time in the Caribbean with the crew, as well as working back at the studio with the previsualization team, directing preliminary special effects animatics.  Together with editor Lance Peria, Jim edited the incredible final whirlpool sequence of “Pirates 3” as a computer animatic.

Recently, Disney chose Jim to direct a ten minute short featurette to be included in the “Pirates 3” DVD coming out at the end of 2007. 

You can see Jim on the 1st “making of” bonus feature on the current DVD release, and see his drawings throughout the piece.  His knowledge of multiple aspects of the film put him in a unique position to give insight into the making of this legendary trilogy.