Bio

Life, Camera & Action!

Born in Detroit, raised by his parents and older brother, Rell became and independent filmmaker to the core from day one taking cross-country family trips, watching his dad photograph and film weddings and family reunions from financing his own Super 8mm movie camera (in the mid-70's) but it was independent film director Robert Townsend and his movie "Hollywood Shuffle" (1987) that inspired Rell to pursue the arts and entertainment by enrolling in mass media training class while still in high school.

While attending community college in 1995, Rell landed his first professional internship with FM 98 WJLB (Detroit) becoming the youngest go-to person for writing and producing radio segments, commercials, voiceovers and tag-lines along with the task of prepping national recording artists for their radio interviews and performances at station related events and concerts.

After leaving radio, Rell ventured off into producing music for "Poppa Snoop" (father of Snoop Dogg) in Los Angeles and music for local artists in Detroit financing his own equipment (in the early 2000's) which eventually lead back into his studies in filmmaking after directing local music videos for artists.

In the fall of 2013, Rell won an online video competition which led to an all expense paid trip to Los Angeles for a taping of a reboot of the Arsenio Hall Show (see The OMG Insider recap). After the end of the taping, Arsenio said: "Rell will one day become a great film director, he is very sure of himself, he knows what he wants especially by the way he kept pointing and directing my camera operators around suggesting good shots of the audience during the taping of the show." (lol) Upon returning from the show, Rell began correspondence work as a "roving reporter" producing a segment for show shortly before its cancellation in 2014.

Assuming duties as the primary photographer/videographer for the legendary writer, actor, comedian Paul Mooney, and producing a documentary with Paul and the late Dick Gregory during the "Godfather's Of Comedy Tour" (2014) in Detroit has proven to be one of the most memorable experiences spending the whole day with both comedians, traveling with them to their radio & tv interviews before their show later that evening. Rell has traveled with Paul Mooney to Oakland and New York to cover special events and award presentations with him.

On April 13, 2019, Rell attended a screening of "The Making of The Five Heartbeats" followed by a Q&A session at the Redford Theater in Detroit. It was a surreal second time meeting Robert Townsend again after 28 years, since the movie's release in 1991. The first meeting occurred when Robert Townsend brought “The Five Heartbeats” to Rell's high school (Osborn High) to play in a pickup basketball game with the FM 98 WJLB staff as a part as a promotion for the film's release.

With a career spanning over 25 years since his first professional start, Rell is creating a lane for himself by producing documentaries, working red carpet events, producing social media content for comedians, recording artists, community leaders for their upcoming special appearances and events by way of capturing the essence of their art as well as candid moments with professionalism and integrity. 

Working as a one man crew, Rell's discipline in creating is his attention to detail and story driven approach in overseeing his productions provides stellar relationships and quality productions.

The year of 2023 will prove to be an expansive year with the hopes of working more with The Isley Brothers (respectively) as he ventures out into other genres of entertainment by way of capturing aerial images and landscapes with his drone in addition to producing documentaries for professional Boxers, providing the BEST in visual entertainment through Social Media Support.