Photo: © Warner Independent Pictures

Born in Charleston, SC. Jim Bissell is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a fine arts degree in theatre. He moved to New York City and warked on commercials and documentaries for two years before moving to the west coast where he began working as an art director and second unit director. Early in his career, he won an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Art Director for a Television Series for his work on "Palmerstown, U.S.A." Bissell's feature film production design credits include E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982, BAFTA nomination), TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983), THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN (1985), THE BOY WHO COULD FLY (1986), HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS and SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME (both 1987), TWINS (1988), ALWAYS (1989), ARACHNOPHOBIA (1990), THE ROCKETEER (1991), THE PICKLE and DENNIS THE MENACE (both 1993), BLUE CHIPS (1994), JUMANJI (1995), TIN CUP and MY FELLOW AMERICANS (both 1996), THE 6th DAY (2000), CATS & DOGS (2001), CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002), HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE (2003), THE RING TWO and GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (both 2005), 300 (2006), THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES and LEATHERHEADS (both 2008), and 1906 (scheduled for release in 2009). Bissell teaches seminars at the American Film Institute, USC, UCLA Extension and THE NC School of the Arts on the art of production design. He is a member of the DGA, ADG and A.M.P.A.S. Bissell has been married to costume designer Martha Wynne Snetsinger since 1994.  Nominated for Achievement in Art Direction 2005: GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK - Art Direction 1 nomination