Richie Ellis of Brooklyn on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Richie Ellis and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Richie, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I head straight to my local café. No phone, no emails — just me, a coffee, and this beat-up pad I call my “vomit draft.” That’s where I spill out the scenes I mapped the night before. Could be a music video I’m about to shoot, a commercial I’m pitching on, or a film I’m developing. Doesn’t matter if it’s messy, doesn’t matter if half of it gets tossed later. I do it every morning, same way, almost like muscle memory. It’s my way of getting out of my own head before the day starts throwing noise at me.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Yeah, so I’m Richie. I’m a director, editor, and writer — I live in that space where film, commercials, and music videos overlap. I’ve been lucky to work with brands like Puma, Tonal, Amazon, Sony, and a bunch of others, and also with artists who trust me to push things a little left of center. What I’m always chasing is honesty — I want the work to feel alive, not overproduced.

My background in writing really drives how I direct. Even when I’m shooting a commercial, I’m thinking like a screenwriter — what’s the story here, what’s the beat that makes you actually feel something? My style’s pretty raw, which is by design, because I think that’s where the truth hides. Awards are nice, but honestly the goal is always the same: catch something real before it slips away.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The first big one was my writing mentor. He drilled into me that the page is where you figure yourself out — that if you’re not being honest, it shows. That lesson has stuck with me in everything I do.

And then my relationship with New York took it further. The city’s chaos — the sirens, neighbors yelling from windows, block party bass rattling the street — it all seeps into the work. Instead of fighting it, I lean into it. That relationship with the city keeps teaching me that the accidents, the rough edges, the things you can’t plan — that’s where the truth lives.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell my younger self: take bigger risks. Even though I took some big swings, I’d say push it further. Don’t play it safe just because you think you’re not ready or you don’t have the resources. The moments where I leapt without a net — those are the ones that shaped me the most. The little failures fade, but the risks that paid off? They opened doors I couldn’t have even imagined back then. So yeah, go bigger, earlier. Trust that you’ll figure it out on the way down.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m committed to honesty in storytelling — no matter the medium or how long it takes. Whether it’s a commercial, a music video, or a film, I’m chasing that fleeting, real moment that actually lands with people. It’s not about polish or spectacle; it’s about catching something human before it slips away. That’s the project I’m always working on, even when it feels like it’ll take forever.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
Yeah, for me that feeling hits when I’m walking onto set. It’s like this jolt of adrenaline mixed with calm — the chaos is about to start, but it’s also where I feel completely at home. All the planning, all the writing, all the pitching leads to that moment where it’s real. The crew’s buzzing, lights are going up, someone’s running cables, someone’s testing sound, and you can feel the day about to unfold. That’s when I’m most excited — because anything can happen, and the best stuff usually does.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://richie.work
• Instagram: richiegrams