Jay Ellis

James Jay Ellis is now Executive Producer for StreamScene Productions, creators and distributors for several TV and Feature Film projects currently in development, including Sleepless On Sunset, Tracy Prowler Attaché, Chaplain, The Day, Beneath, Virt, Syntra and Heavenly Manors. New Media projects on StreamScene's roster include Best On Sunset brands and others to be launched in 2014. James Jay Ellis was born in Los Angeles near the end of World War II to a nominally middle class, normally dysfunctional family. His father was a humorless corporate writer and mother a clinically depressed, prescription drug-addicted housewife. From an early age he has been passionate about large social issues and continues to produce media to foster social change. In college he studied the sciences - seriously pursuing pre-med courses, aiming to make a difference as a neurosurgeon. But along the way, after volunteering at Harbor General Hospital, he realized that medicine was filled with many whose motivations were very different from his own. In college, increasingly dissatisfied with slide rules and flat tops, struggling with calculus and organic chemistry, his vocational testing (not quite Clockwork Orange) resulted in the obvious... he was very much a "creative type," not a doctor. Ellis studied acting at Bret Harte Junior High school, graduated from Washington High School and then El Camino College, majoring in marketing and minoring in theater. There, after switching from medicine to acting, he formed "Cinema Club of El Camino College." So at this time, age 19 - adopting the stage name "Jay Ellis" - he began to act in little theater, cast as a small but shining supporting role (an adolescent who loses his virginity half on and half off stage), he was sure he had been discovered - Standing ovations and two Hollywood agents -- Yea... "Discovered" almost literally overnight. But Hollywood, circa 1962 - as an actor - was not his cup of tea either. It was just at the time when the more gracious Studio System was giving way to the coarseness of Cattle Calls. Quite a transition. Young Jay Ellis quickly grew weary of casting directors describing their underwear and vague invitations to read scripts in their Malibu homes. Moreover he saw many of his fellow actors as "not well." Jay Ellis was nevertheless cast in bit parts in TV series and in TV commercials. And during this time he studied assiduously at Desilu Professional Theatre Workshop (now the Paramount Pictures lot) and Oxford Theatre Workshop. At Oxford he fondly recalls the influence of Jack Donner. There in the mid 60's Donner passionately taught Ellis his unique acting technique he called "Essential Reality." The young actor also continued stage acting, appearing in many shows in many small theater productions. At Desilu Ellis had free access to productions on the lot and glide effortlessly in and out of the huge sound stages where I Love Lucy, My Three Sons, Slattery's People, Ben Casey and the Bing Crosby Show were filmed. In the late 60's, as valet parking lot attendant at LAX, Ellis met many stars and celebrities, and was invited by both Amanda Blake (Kitty on Gunsmoke) and Fess Parker (Adventures of Daniel Boone) to their sets where, just as at Desilu, he enjoyed all the advantages of hanging out with cast and crew... hundreds of invaluable hours, soaking in all the rich nuances of television sound stage and location production craft. By this time he was hooked on working on the other side of the camera. In 1970 Ellis was hired by CBS as District Sales Manager for their new Educational Media Division in Northern California. After a year in this position Ellis bought a home in Orinda and quit CBS to form and operate Humanics, Inc., a non-profit corp. with a mission to provide free fundraising and community relations services to Children's Services Organizations. Based in Strawberry Studios that Ellis created in 1973 -- What else? This was Berkeley, barely out of the 60's, just down the road from UCB and People's Park -- he donated countless hours to Humanics Inc. beneficiaries while providing photography and video production services to clientele including Macy's Department Store and the University of California. In the eighties Jay became a general contractor, remodeling homes mostly on the west side of Los Angeles and also launched a successful home inspection company. Out of his Beverly Hills builder's and home inspection offices, Ellis produced "Lights, Camera, Action!" a community cable TV show to teach underprivileged youth video production skills. In this decade Ellis married, fathered two sons, divorced. and navigated the challenging voyage of single parenthood, while continuing work in construction. In the nineties his construction career path evolved into consultative work as home designer and ultimately successful upscale residential real estate community development. After completion of environmental award-winning Deerbrook View Estates Ellis began investing in and developing luxury properties in Florida and New York. He also launched Senior Marketing Services, a senior housing marketing and advertising firm, delivering creative services in print, television and radio media to clients nationwide. In the new millennium Ellis' attention has again turned to creative media work - now focused on entertainment in television and motion pictures. In 2005 he formed StreamScene Productions which has now evolved into an independent production company, poised to produce and distribute exciting new media, television and feature film projects now in development.