James McTeigue is an Australian film director He has been an assistant director on many films including No Escape 1994 the Matrix trilogy 19992003 and Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones 2002 and made his directorial debut in the 2006 film V for Vendetta Born on Sydneys North Shore he grew up in Collaroy Plateau a suburb on the Northern Beaches of Sydney Australia McTeigue attended Marist Brothers North Sydney then Cromer High School in Cromer a northern beach suburb of Sydney He completed tertiary study in film at Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga Campus