James was born and raised in California on November 28, 1979. He was raised by his Native American mother, Betty. He is the middle child between his older brother and younger sister. He formed Zombot Pictures in 2012 with Adriana Mather and Anya Remizova. They focus on diversity both in front of the camera and behind the camera. Their films include Eat Spirit eat, Honeyglue, and We Are boats.