James Willmott was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.​ Primarily self taught, he began his career as a DoP through means of short narrative films and documentaries; eventually working on and shooting feature films, tv dramas, advertisements and TVC. ​ Serving over 7 years in the British Army, this was his first career and surprisingly assisted him majorly, shaping him into the DoP he is today. Working alongside his fellow colleagues and various crews as a unit, James strives to achieve the best for each production.