Jay Will

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Works by the Film Director Jay Will (Game Over) and Film Producer Carleene Samuels.

The Caribbean landscape is the distinguishing stamp on director Jay Will's work. Coming of age in Jamaica inspired his eye for angles and lines and the non-linear way they cut across his screens, creating layers upon layers of motion. This has become a defining line in his storytelling and editing styles, which transport viewers through multiple worlds in a matter of minutes.

His material is global and local, prophetic and present. Williams is one of the few directors in the Caribbean and American industry who is able to mirror the diversity of the music he brings to life. That is why artists such as Mr. Vegas have enlisted him as their go-to director: one who turns international hit songs into visual masterpieces that compel viewers from all backgrounds to participate in lively dance phenomena. Diamond artist Shaggy has called on Jay Will more than five times to bring the saturated hues of the Jamaican experience to the screen for his wildly successful albums. Williams's videos for Shaggy are some of the most stimulating productions in Reggae music over the past three years--proving that Caribbean talent can be smart, sexy and satirical all at once.

While much of Jay Will's acclaim is a result of his ability to translate the animated landscape of the Caribbean into a stimulating visual scene, film and video industry professionals are also taking note of his abilities as a storyteller. The highly respected CVM TV gave Williams the Director of the Year Award in 2006, and, for his riveting portrayal of Jamaica's pulsating Dancehall culture, Williams was the recipient of the Best Documentary Award at The Flashpoint Film Festival in 2006, Video Director of the Year EME Awards 2008, Best Dancehall Video Reggae Academy Awards 2008, Best Music Video IRMWA Awards 2008. The Jamaican Observer also named Williams as one of “The 20 Most Influential Persons/Entities In Reggae and Dancehall Music” in 2008.

Williams is from Spanish Town, Jamaica. Attended Northeast High School in Florida, attended film school at Full Sail in Orlando Florida and later Moved to Tallahassee where he attended Florida A&M University. Williams moved to New York to work at CBS and then transferred to MTV. He later left MTV to pursue a full time directing career. Williams later formed a company Jay Will Films/Creative Source with Producer Carleene Samuels where they produce, direct, a variety of shorts, documentaries, music videos, TV shows, and Commercials. Some of their work include: M.I.A "Boyz", Shaggy "Church Heathen", Beenie Man "Dreaming Of You", Jah Cure “Journey”, T.O.K "Footprints", Lee “Scratch” Perry “Pum Pum”, and many more.