Meet the director merging Louisiana culture, competition for streaming TV

For film producer Aaron L. Williams, success is not measured in accolades, but in the lasting imprint of his work.

“To me, a failure in life would be to not create something that influences how the world operates,” Williams said. Whether it’s a movie that becomes a holiday classic or a song that evokes love when people need it most, Williams said he aims to create work that leaves a mark.

As a versatile film producer, director, and visual effects compositor, Williams pushes creative boundaries. He is now making waves with Southern Food Truck Wars and Fawesome Family Game Show, two local competition shows currently streaming on fawesome.tv. “Louisiana has such a rich culture of food and festivals, and people here love competition. I knew a food competition show would resonate with our audience,” Williams said. He created two competitions that feel both fresh and familiar to viewers.

Southern Food Truck Wars, hosted by Baton Rouge’s Jay Ducote, is a six-episode series where food trucks from across the South compete for the title of Southern Food Truck Champion. Contestants are judged on presentation, taste, and execution.

Fawesome Family Game Show is a fast-paced quiz show hosted by LaTangela Fay, featuring challenges like ‘Etch It Out,’ inspired by Pictionary, and ‘Word Scramble,’ based on Boggle and Scrabble. Each episode offers a $1,000 cash prize. (Both game shows air on demand, for free, and on any device at www.fawesome.tv)

Securing a show on streaming platforms, like Fawesome, required Williams to build relationships, master the craft, and perfect his approach. By the time he pitched the shows to Fawesome, he had already established a reputation for creating high-quality content, making him an ideal fit for the network’s needs.

These Louisiana-based productions are a natural extension of Williams’s extensive background, yet what truly sets them apart is the hard work behind the scenes. He said his job is not just directing the production process. He also fosters a sense of urgency and drive on set. The Baton Rouge native credits much of his work ethic to his father, a construction company owner who worked tirelessly, from early mornings through lunch breaks. “So I keep myself moving, moving, moving like my father always did…It allows me to be effective.”

BEHIND THE SCENES OF FAWESOME’S COMPETITION SHOWS

When developing productions, Williams said he asks, “What will people want to watch this year? Where is it going to be? What’s the final output? And then once I figure that out then it helps me figure out what the beginning is and where to start. I see the whole project before it’s done.” Then, he turns his attention to selecting talent that embodies the brand and will work well on set. For him, that means bringing local talent into the fold is an essential part of the process.

He found the perfect fit with Ducote, a seasoned host whom he worked with before. For the gameshow, Williams considered flying in a celebrity comedian until his assistant, Terrie, suggested LaTangela Fay. “That was a good call. LaTangela is phenomenal in those spaces,” he said. “She doesn’t try to take over the show, I think it really worked well.”

 Producing the shows wasn’t just about filming. Williams and his team had to build out the entire graphics package, create voiceovers, and manage sound design. For the game show, he wrote custom code and had to figure out how to time contestant reactions perfectly. The shows were filmed within a few months and ready to air by December. Now that those elements are in place, he said “we could essentially produce the show live-to-tape. It’s all about being ready for anything.”

And, Williams’s plethora of ideas keeps him ahead of the curve.  “People burn through content fast,” he said. “You can spend months making something, and a few days later, the audience is already asking, ‘What’s next?'” Williams is prepared to expand the show to 16 or 24 episodes, depending on viewer interest. 

His Digital Media Studios in Baton Rouge is designed to meet those demands by producing continual fresh and dynamic content that not only thrive in today’s entertainment landscape but also help shape the future of streaming content.

THE INFLUENCE OF LOUISIANA AND PERSONAL LEGACY

He defines himself as an “architect, thinker, and fixer.” And, his morning routine includes writing a list of new ideas that he could later develop into larger films. “I’m always thinking about the bigger picture,” he said.

In the early 2010s, Williams found himself deep into developing courses aimed at creating more opportunities in Louisiana’s film industry. At that time, his program was based at the Celtic Studios campus in Baton Rouge, where he had between 80 and 100 students enrolled. His mission was clear: to bring film and television jobs to Louisiana by offering hands-on education to aspiring filmmakers.

Williams’ efforts didn’t go unnoticed. He was named one of The Drum newspaper’s “Five Under 35,” an honor recognizing early career trendsetters and leaders in Louisiana’s Florida Parishes.

This was just the beginning of his expanding influence.

“Louisiana has a different culture of people and is very very hard to break. If you can figure out how to get Louisiana moving, you can get anything to move,” he said. He has learned to identify niches and genres and find ways to serve them. “If you don’t figure it out, you can find yourself lost in the wind,” Williams said. This skill of adapting to challenges has helped him create highly relevant content that resonates with audiences, both locally and beyond.

He founded the Academy of Motion Picture Development, where he has guided more than 200 aspiring filmmakers and TV professionals. He also founded Digital Media Production House, LLC and Digital Media Studios in Baton Rouge and has played a pivotal role in launching TV networks like Black News Channel, Launch TV, and the upcoming Asian News Channel. Williams helped launch NBC and FOX News in Louisiana and Texas. He established urban gospel radio distribution through Thought Network Broadcasting and WTQT 106.1FM in Baton Rouge. He produced, directed, and contributed to well-known films and TV shows including Cadillac Records, Mama I Want to Sing, Flypaper, VH1’sExtreme Couponing, and AMC’s A Christmas Holidate.

When asked about his legacy, Williams recalled a conversation with his daughter while shopping for his son’s birthday. “She told me she had a dream where I’d died, and it scared her.” He pointed to a pair of Nikes and told her that the man who created those shoes would always be remembered. He told her, “The reason why I do these movies and tell these stories is because I’m trying to leave some type of imprint in this world so that whether I’m here or not, you still see me.”

“To me that’s success,” Williams said.