We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Willie Giles. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Willie below.
Willie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
This has been a hot topic for Picture Perfect, Me and my team have gone to great lengths to create and maintain an inclusive environment. As a person of color in this industry, I found that I was one of the only minorities in the room starting out. Many times you hear about the hardships that come with being a minority, but that wasn’t exactly my story, so I try to make sure I am holding the door open for others.
I was on a mission, and I had a goal. I knew there was something I had to be doing in this industry. I didn’t really let things knock me down.
Being inclusive means that my team and I have to think about how we search for talent both on screen and behind the scenes. My right hand, and Senior Producer, is a talented woman of color, and my marketing lead is a woman who identifies as neuro-divergent and a part of the Latinx community. Between the two of them, myself and my network, we manage to create a crew that represents Atlanta pretty well. Every project we work on is an opportunity to create a team that can speak to the experiences of the project. My team talks about diversity and inclusivity, and we check in on new ways to make sure we are continuing to create a safe, inclusive, environment, where creativity can thrive.
We recently released a blog series that dives into diversity in film and talks about how we, as leaders, can recruit, sponsor & mentor, and promote others in order to help create opportunities for those who may not have them readily available.
Willie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Im Willie Giles, Emmy-award-winning director of photography/producer/editor, and I am the Owner and Director of Picture Perfect Production & Editorial, also known as PPP&E. Our team is PPP&E is comprised of a talented team of filmmakers, producers, designers, and post-production professionals that strive to impress. Picture Perfect is an innovative Atlanta-based video production, post-production, and editorial company.
My early beginnings are marked by a handheld camera and a group of rowdy neighborhood kids reenacting martial arts films for all our neighbors to see. We would put on these showings as a sort of premiere, and I knew, that was what I wanted to be doing.
As a renaissance kid, I grew up creating anything I could get my hands on, from home movies, running my own late night radio show, to creating my own music. Everything that I have done has led me to where I am today. The rhythm in music is what helps me in my editing work, which is what ultimately led me to Atlanta in the first place. Over the years in this industry, I have cultivated some truly special relationships with people who have been working in film for a very long time, and so I am always nurturing those connections and mentoring others in the process.
My team and I work endlessly to create an easy-going yet efficient experience for our clients through customized equipment and proficient crew members. During the pandemic, we made adjustments to our process which led to greater growth within the company and our skill set. We developed a way for our clients to be hands on and a part of every aspect of production, while also being able to be wherever is most convenient for them. It could be in the next room, on set, or in their own offices.
Our team’s passion overflows into their work, which results in original, high quality, and profitable products. With an inclusive environment, Picture Perfect attracts a team of visionaries who approach their work and their life with an open mind and an eager spirit. We think creatively and solve problems with style, leading to exciting and innovative outcomes.
The skill seen by our team, to manage, to work cohesively, to seek out growth is a rare find.
PPP&E is comprised of a talented team of filmmakers, producers and post-production professionals that strive to impress. We’re able to bring a single idea to fruition while working from start to finish to conceptualize and organize all aspects of production that include commercial advertising, theatrical shorts and trailers, television promotions, original television shows & Series, and digital media content for professional and social purposes.
Overall, PPP&E continues to be one of the most versatile and inclusive production companies in the industry, constantly striving to place a creative and professional stamp on national and international digital media.
I have worked with several broadcast networks and fortune 500 companies. From commercials to award shows, television shows and promotions, music videos, theatrical shorts, theatrical trailers, digital web video campaigns, viral video campaigns, branding, public service announcements to feature-length documentaries.
early on I worked on documentaries, such as Don Cornelius “visionary, trailblazer and cultural icon” and be inspired; the life of heavy d. Both one-hour specials were aired on vh1 and bet network with overwhelmingly well-received reviews. From 2009- 2012, I worked as the show and segment DP/editor, and producer for the soul train music awards, a nationally televised awards production shown on a Comcast-owned bet.
My work has been aired and syndicated on Showtime, HBO, bet, Fox, PBS, NBC Universal, the discovery channel, the food network, MTV, and vh-1. He has also worked on projects for Tyler Perry studios, participant media, fox, bet, Disney, HBO, NBC, Showtime and Turner networks.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
When I work on a project, and I get to see the impact that a spot makes on a community or an individual, I feel a deep sense of pride for what I do. Recently, Picture Perfect worked with Youth Advocate Programs, and the experience was beyond humbling. These kids were exposed to unfair circumstances, or they suffer from disabilities or substance abuse, or they just needed someone to be in their corner, and to see these young people on the other side of it, and to have the honor of capturing their story was a life changing experience.
On the aesthetic side, it is incredibly satisfying to dream up this cool camera set up and see it through each step from storyboarding, planning, set up, measuring and troubleshooting, directing the move, and finally editing it together to create some really cool camera effects. As a Director of Photography and Director, I get the privilege of the process and I have to say, it is very exciting to see it all come together. Being on set with my team is often my favorite part. We work so hard to get to the moment we hit record, getting on set is only the middle of it, but the pieces start moving and each member of my team is so good at working together and creating a welcoming on set experience, that I can trust in them and work on the frame in front of me.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Consistency. I have been doing this for a long time, and one thing my colleagues know is that they will always get the very best and they know what to expect on and off set. I foster my relationships, I check in with old friends and partners and I continuously seek out new connections. Everything that I have done has led me to where I am today. Over the years in this industry, I have cultivated some truly special relationships with people who have been working in film for a very long time, and so I am always nurturing those connections and mentoring others in the process. Film is a family, and my sets are known to embody that with each and every project.
I am at a point today where my crew is made up of people who were recommended to me. When one of mine taps someone else, I trust them, and I think that has gone a long way to establish my reputation as both an artist and a mentor. I am known for the work ethic I embody, the talent that I surround myself with, and the compassion I show for my team. So, loyalty and consistency.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pppne.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictureperfectproduction/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pppne
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/picture-perfect-production-&-editorial/
- Youtube: https://vimeo.com/pppne
- Other: https://vimeo.com/pppne
Image Credits
Niki Zaldivar-images named