James Adames
- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Location Management
James Adames' big break in the film and television business was more
than a career change - it was a second shot at life. Adames, 27, was
wrapping up a two-month prison sentence on Rikers Island when he
learned about the Made in NY Production Assistant Training Program, a
partnership between the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and
Broadcasting and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations. Now in its fifth year,
the four-week program has put hundreds of low-income New Yorkers on the
path to entry-level jobs in film and television for free. To return the favor,
Adames has begun his own solo campaign to change the lives of others,
from strangers on the street to his one-time mentor. Raised in
Washington Heights by a single mother, Adames dropped out of junior
high school and fell in with a drug-dealing crowd. In 2006, he was
arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and, in 2007, sentenced
to four months in prison. He got off in two for good behavior. Made in
NY offered a way to enter the industry in the fast lane, but still, he
had reservations. With two kids to support, Adames had little time to
spare finding income. Adames decided to go for it and graduated from
the program in October. Since then, he has exceeded expectations,
finding consistent work and moving swiftly from entry-level tasks to
working as a key PA and, more recently, as a locations manager. He was
even able to move from Washington Heights to Parkchester, Bronx.
