Will Deloney

William Franklin Deloney was born in Houston, Texas but spent his formative years growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas. His appreciation of folklore began in the South at an early age hearing tales of outlaws, ghosts, and monster tornadoes by indelible raconteurs. Fascinated by presentation and patter being an art form, Will began performing magic for friends, family, and birthday parties in the late 80s. Similar to French magician turned filmmaker Georges Melies, Will's conjuring transformed into the magic of movie making. In 2004, Will completed a Master's Degree in immersive media. While at IU, he led an Advanced Documentary Production class that won an Emmy Award for the John Mellencamp documentary "Trouble No More". After Bloomington a fellowship in the Big Apple was offered by The International Radio and Television Society placing Will with the NY Times/Discovery Channel on a 3 hour Discovery Spotlight special about the 2004 Democratic and Republican conventions. The experience introduced Will to radical TV production turnaround times where footage he shot of the twin tower lights was added into the show less than an hour before airing. It was this experience that helped Will land a story producer position on the series "My First Time in the Winter Olympics" where he won his second Emmy in 2010. While living in NYC, Will attended a screening of selected works by folklorist filmmaker Alan Lomax at the Film Forum in Manhattan. Lomax had visited farms, prisons, and rural communities across the globe to record and document songs for the Library of Congress. The raw field recordings and unedited footage witnessed on the big screen had an immediate and profound impact; Will has been on his own mission to document and record authentic stories and music in the spirit of preserving cultural equity ever since. With over 20 years of experience producing and directing television, motion pictures, and documentaries, Will is a positive force in the creative community. As the Executive Director for Pixelated Ideas, Will collaborates with international creative professionals exploring and capturing culture-defining stories that attract diverse audiences.