ABOUT
ELLIS WILLIAMS IS THREE-TIME EMMY AWARD WINNING PRODUCER WITH OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. HE HAS BUILT A CAREER IN SPORTS MEDIA ON DIGITAL AND BROADCAST PLATFORMS. HIS APPETITE FOR RESEARCH FUELS HIS DETERMINATION TO DISCOVER KEY INFORMATION THAT ELEVATES HIS SUBJECT MATTER. AS A DIRECTOR, HIS LEADERSHIP AT EACH STAGE OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS IS FELT THROUGH HIS ABILITY TO CONTEXTUALIZE THE VISUALS NEEDED TO CAPTURE THE THEMES OF THE STORY. WILLIAMS DEVELOPS CONTENT THAT UNCOVERS THE REALITIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO EXIST IN A DIVERSE GROUP HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPACT THESE CHARACTERS HAVE ON THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. IT IS HIS GOAL TO BRING NUANCE AND BEAUTY TO THEIR EXPERIENCES ADDING A TEXTURE TO CONTENT THAT IS INCLUSIVE.
ELLIS’ EXPERIENCES SPANS ACROSS VARIOUS FORMS OF STORYTELLING SUCH AS NEWS, FEATURES, BRANDED AND DOCUMENTARIES BEGINNING IN 2014 AT TURNER SPORTS’ ONLINE PLATFORM BLEACHER REPORT. HE WORKED ON MANY PROJECTS MOST NOTABLY, QUIET STORM: THE RON ARTEST STORY ACQUIRED BY SHOWTIME IN 2019. AT CBS SPORTS, IN THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT UNDER PETE RADOVICH, ELLIS’ TENACITY GAINED HIM ADMITTANCE INTO THE DIRECTOR’S GUILD OF AMERICA AS AN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR. HE WENT ON TO CONTRIBUTE TO “CBS SPORTS PRESENTS,” THE CINEMATIC APPROACH TO STORIES SURROUNDING SPORTS BIGGEST EVENTS LIKE THE SUPER BOWL, THE FINAL FOUR, THE ARMY NAVY GAME AND MORE. WILLIAMS EARNED HIS FIRST EMMY FOR OUTSTANDING OPEN/ TEASE IN 2020 FOR HIS WORK ON SUPER BOWL LV. “STAND BY ME” PERFORMED BY JENNIFER HUDSON GAVE PRAISE TO AMERICA’S FRONTLINE WORKERS TOLD THROUGH NFL PLAYERS’ PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.
WILLIAMS GAINED NOTORIETY IN 2020 AFTER DIRECTING THE “8:46” CAMPAIGN; A COMPANY WIDE INITIATIVE CENTERED ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND ALLYSHIP AT THE HEIGHT OF SOCIAL UNREST IN AMERICA. WITH APPEARANCES BY SIXTEEN ON-CAMERA ANALYSTS AND HOSTS INCLUDING JAMES BROWN, NATE BURLESON, CLARK KELLOGG, GRANT HILL, LISA LESLIE, BRANDON MARSHALL AND IAN EAGLE “8:46” EXPANDED TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PGA OF AMERICA FOR THE 2020 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AND WON A NEW YORK FILM FESTIVALS TV & FILM AWARDS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE COVERAGE.
WILLIAMS WENT ON TO BECOME ONE OF SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL’S NEW VOICES IN THEIR UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2020. NOW IN ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING AT CBS SPORTS, WILLIAMS PITCHES AND STRATEGIZES EXECUTION FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS. HIS ABILITY TO DIRECT IS REINFORCED BY THE KNOWLEDGE HE HAS OBTAINED AS A PRODUCER. HE UNDERSTANDS HOW TO PACKAGE A SHOW, WORKS WITH WRITERS TO ENHANCE THE MATERIAL. HE EQUIPS HIS CREWS WITH THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR AN ASSIGNMENT. HE ADHERES TO DEADLINES; COORDINATING THE SCHEDULE ENSURING A QUALITY PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE WHILE MANAGING THE BUDGET. WILLIAMS LOOKS TO EXPAND HIS REACH INTO NARRATIVE FEATURES AND IN 2023, HE WILL PRODUCE HIS FIRST NARRATIVE SHORT UNDER HIS PRODUCTION COMPANY ONCE IN A LIFETIME MEDIA INC.
IN 2024, WILLIAMS EARNED HIS THIRD EMMY FOR BEST ORIGINAL OPEN/ TEASE FOR “MY WAY,” CELEBRATING THE FIRST-EVER SUPER BOWL IN LAS VEGAS USING THE BACKDROP OF FRANK SINATRA’S ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF LIGHTS.