The Essential Image Source Foundation’s film members come from a variety “walks of life.” Some are the traditional film crew members such as the cinematographers, editors and writers. Others are the scientific advisors, retired business persons, technical specialists and corporate sponsors. Yet another very critical and passionate group of members are the volunteers. This month, EISF’s Featured Film Member of the Month is one such volunteer, Jim Brye.
Promoting responsible use of the Channel Islands has long been on Jim Brye’s agenda. He served two three-year terms on the advisory council for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, which is a partner in the “Jewels of the Pacific: The Channel Islands” high definition docu-feature project. For Brye, the film project is an opportunity to encourage visitors to explore the Channel Islands. “People need to go use the islands because they’re so close, and they’re so beautiful,” he said. “The unique thing about this sanctuary is it’s very pristine and almost primitive in the way it’s been protected, but it’s adjacent to a 15 million person population area.”
Brye helped point Essential Image Source Foundation President and Founder Susan Sember and her film production team in the right direction—both figuratively and literally. He introduced Sember to people who could be valuable resources for the project, and he helped guide a team during a weeklong film shoot. Brye said he connected the Essential Image Source Foundation to people who could share their island expertise, their resources—such as boats—and funding. “I’ve opened a few doors for them, and they’ve just sort of done the rest,” he said.
In February, Brye joined the Essential Image Source Foundation Team to explore and document the five northern islands. “I was the self-appointed sherpa,” Brye said. He carried film gear, helped navigate the islands and suggested locations that might provide good images. Brye enjoyed the evenings when the team would savor dinner on the boat and watch footage from the day’s shoot on a high definition monitor. It included scenes of gray whales, coreopsis flowers, elephant seals and the Anacapa lighthouse. He believes the use of high definition technology will make the scenes from the islands more compelling. “This can capture the imagination of the public, which is sometimes pretty hard to do,” he said.
Brye’s imagination, however, was captured long ago. “As a boater, I think it’s kind of neat that in a couple of hours, I can be in a place that makes me not worry about gridlock,” Brye said. He worked with the marine sanctuary in order to maintain public access to the area, while still protecting the unique ecosystem. Over the past six years, Brye said he saw a subtle attitude shift in the sanctuary’s leadership away from the former hands-off mentality. “The main goal is still to protect these resources,” he said. “But they’ve also adopted the philosophy that it’s OK for people to responsibly use these resources.”
After 25 years in sales and marketing for semiconductor companies and running his own custodial business, J.L.M.—which he sold in January—Brye is ready to take to the sea. His immediate future is filled with adventure for him and the two women in his life: his wife, Mary, and his 42’ sailboat, Allegro. He has lived on the boat for seven years, and he doesn’t miss owning a lawnmower. “We found it very liberating,” he said.
Brye plans to sail Allegro along Mexico and Central America, and then he’ll “take a left at the Panama Canal.” He embodies a sense of adventure and an appreciation for nature’s playground that is shared by so many members of the film team. The couple scuba dives, kayaks and snorkels. “My wife and I are training to be fishermen,” Brye said. “Although right now we pretty much just entertain the fish.”