Connor Schell

Last updated

Connor Schell
Connor Schell (8162032321) (cropped).jpg
Schell at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards
Alma mater Harvard University (BA)
Columbia University (MA)
Occupation(s)TV and film producer
Employer ESPN
Organization Peabody Awards Board of Directors
Children3

Connor Schell is an American producer of television and film and founder of non-fiction production studio Words + Pictures. He is the co-creator with Bill Simmons and executive producer of the 30 for 30 series for ESPN. [1] [2] Schell was also an executive producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary film O.J.: Made in America [3] [4] and the Emmy Award-winning miniseries The Last Dance. [5]

Contents

Until early 2021, Schell was executive vice president and head of content at ESPN. [6] At ESPN, he oversaw the production of the NFL Draft, the College Football National Championship game, Wimbledon, the NBA Finals, and shows like College Gameday and SportsCenter . [7] He is a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors [8] and was inducted into the Sports Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame in 2012. [9]

Schell left ESPN to start a joint venture with Chernin Entertainment, founding the non-fiction production studio Words + Pictures in 2021. [10] Under the Words + Pictures banner, Schell has executive produced docuseries and films like Super League: The War for Football and an upcoming Christopher Reeve documentary. [11] [12]

In 2021, Schell and Chernin launched Full Day to focus on live entertainment, specials, and unscripted series such as The ESPYS and NFL Honors, [13] as well as The Netflix Cup, the platform's first-ever live sports event. [14]

In 2022, Words + Pictures acquired Hock Films, producers of films such as The Best That Never Was, Survive and Advance, Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies , and Of Miracles and Men. [15]

In 2022, Schell sold Words + Pictures to Peter Chernin's The North Road Company. Schell currently sits on The North Road Company's Board of Directors. [16]

Education and personal life

Schell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Harvard University and a Master's in Business Administration (with a focus in Media and Entertainment) from Columbia Business School.

He lives in New York, and is married with three children. [17]

Films

As part of Words + Pictures, Schell executive produced Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix. Schell is currently executive producing an upcoming documentary film about Christopher Reeve. [18]

Connor is a producer of the 2016 documentary film O.J.: Made in America along with Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Libby Geist, Tamara Rosenberg and Nina Krstic. [19] O.J.: Made in America premiered on ABC on June 11, 2016. [20] The film won an Oscar, a Peabody Award, and Best Documentary honors at the Gotham Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, the IDA Awards, the Producer's Guild Awards, National Board of Review, and NY Film Critics. OJ: Made in America was honored with special recognition from the AFI and a Dupont Award for Journalism. The documentary originated from conversations between Schell and Edelman in early 2014, [3] and is the longest film ever to win an Oscar. The film was also nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards. [21]

Along with Bill Simmons, Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray and Joe Roth, Connor served as an Executive Producer of the 2014 Disney film Million Dollar Arm . [22]

Schell served as an Executive Producer for the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe , the first Disney film on which ESPN Films has a presentation credit. [17]

Television production

Schell is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning 10-part docuseries The Last Dance . The Last Dance was a weekly series on ESPN from April 19, 2020 through May 17, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and when all live sports were suspended indefinitely. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards and was the most watched “30 for 30” in ESPN history. [23]

As part of Words + Pictures, Schell executive produced Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space , a real-time chronicle of Inspiration4, the historic SpaceX Dragon mission that launched four civilians into space. [24] He also executive produced the docuseries Super League: The War for Football. [25] Schell is currently executive producing an upcoming eight-part documentary on the Yankees dynasty, entitled The Yankees Win, [26] as well as a series on the U.S. Women's National Team's journey to the World Cup [27] and series on NASCAR. [28]

Under Schell's company Full Day, Schell oversees the annual productions of the Oscars Red Carpet show, the Savage X Fenty fashion show, the NFL Honors, as well as the upcoming live show The Netflix Cup. [29]

In 2014, the Disney XD channel premiered the series Becoming which was created by Schell, Bill Simmons, Erin Leyden and Gentry Kirby. Becoming is a series of 30 minute documentaries profiling athletes such as LeBron James, Alex Morgan, Tim Howard, Henrik Lundquist, Chris Paul and CC Sabathia. The show is executive produced by Schell and Simmons along with Libby Geist, Maverick Carter and LeBron James. [30]

Working with Maura Mandt and MaggieVision productions, Schell is the executive producer of the annual ESPY Awards on ABC. [31] He has been the executive producer of the show since 2013.

In 2008, Schell was an Executive Producer on Dan Klores' four-hour film Black Magic, the first film to run under the ESPN Films brand. Black Magic won a Peabody Award in 2008. [32]

The 30 for 30 series, created by Schell and Bill Simmons, was created in 2007 and has aired since 2009. It has won four Emmy Awards [33] and a Peabody Award. [34] In 2012, Simmons and Schell announced the creation of 30 for 30 shorts. [35] [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Zimbalist</span> American filmmaker

Jeffrey Leib Nettler Zimbalist is an American filmmaker. He has been Academy Award shortlisted, has won a Peabody, a DuPont, and 3 Emmy Awards, with 14 Emmy nominations. He is the owner of film and television production company All Rise Films.

Gotham Chopra is an American sports documentarian, media entrepreneur, producer, podcast host, director, journalist, and author. He is a co-founder of Religion of Sports, Liquid Comics, Chopra Media, and the Chopra Well. He is known for his sports-centric films, having worked with athletes such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Simone Biles and Michael Strahan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPN Films</span> Film production company

ESPN Films, formerly known as ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE), is an American production company which produces and distributes sports films and documentaries. It is owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.

Burt Kearns is an American author, journalist, and television and film producer, writer and director, whom Vanity Fair referred to as "a show business and pop culture savant."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World of Wonder (company)</span> American production company known for its LGBTQ programming

World of Wonder Productions is an American production company founded in 1991 by filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. Based in Los Angeles, California, the company specializes in documentary television and film productions with a key focus on LGBTQ topics. Together, Bailey and Barbato have produced programming through World of Wonder for HBO, Bravo, HGTV, Showtime, the BBC, Netflix, MTV and VH1, with credits including the Million Dollar Listing docuseries, RuPaul's Drag Race, and the documentary films Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (2016) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Fried</span> American film director

Andrew Fried is an American documentary filmmaker, producer and director, and the president of Boardwalk Pictures. Fried is known for producing documentary films and television series, such as Chef's Table, The Black Godfather, Last Chance U, 7 Days Out, My Love, Men in Kilts, Booktube, Street Food, Cheer, Val and The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow. He directed the 2020 documentary film We Are Freestyle Love Supreme.

<i>30 for 30</i> Series of documentary films airing on ESPN from 2009

30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes three "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezra Edelman</span> American documentary producer and director

Ezra Benjamin Edelman is an American documentary producer and director. He won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for directing O.J.: Made in America (2016).

Evan Rosenfeld is a film and television producer born in Miami, Florida.

Glen Zipper is an American writer, film producer and former New Jersey assistant state prosecutor.

Garrett Basch is an American film and television producer. He is best known for his work on the Emmy-winning series The Night Of and What We Do in the Shadows.

<i>O.J.: Made in America</i> 2016 American documentary

O.J.: Made in America is a 2016 American documentary, produced and directed by Ezra Edelman for ESPN Films and their 30 for 30 series. It was released as a five-part miniseries and in theatrical format. O.J.: Made in America premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2016, and was theatrically released in New York City and Los Angeles in May 2016. It debuted on ABC on June 11, 2016, and aired on ESPN.

Pineapple Street Studios is a podcast studio based in Brooklyn, New York. In August 2019, it was acquired by Entercom. Pineapple's work includes multi-episode narratives, investigative journalism, branded podcasts, and talk shows. They've created series for companies like Nike, Hulu, Netflix, HBO, and The New York Times. In 2020, they led all podcast companies with two Peabody Award nominations, for The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow and Running From Cops. Twelve of their shows have reached #1 on Apple Podcasts.

<i>Hip-Hop Evolution</i> 2016 Canadian TV series or program

Hip-Hop Evolution is a Canadian music documentary series that originally aired on HBO Canada in 2016. Hosted by Juno Award-winning artist Shad, the series profiles the history of hip-hop music through interviews with many of the genre's leading cultural figures. The series is produced by Darby Wheeler, Rodrigo Bascuñán, Russell Peters, Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn and Nelson George. It won the 2016 Peabody Award, and the 2017 International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. G. Morgan</span> Welsh writer and film producer

Peter Gwynne Morgan is a Welsh television and film writer/producer. A winner of the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming for his work on Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, he is married to American documentary director Marina Zenovich.

Dan Cogan is an American film producer. He has produced multiple documentary films including The Queen of Versailles (2012), How to Survive a Plague (2012), The Hunting Ground (2015), Icarus (2017), Won't You Be My Neighbor (2018), On the Record (2020), and has produced documentary series including I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020), and Allen v. Farrow (2021). Cogan is the co-founder of Impact Partners, Gamechanger Films, and Story Syndicate.

Jon Weinbach is an American film and television writer and producer. He is currently President of Skydance Sports and was previously the executive producer and executive vice president for Mandalay Sports Media, a media and production company that focuses on sports entertainment programming.

<i>Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space</i> Netflix series documenting SpaceX Inspiration4 mission

Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space is a 2021 American five-part docuseries jointly produced by Netflix and Time Studios to chronicle, in near real-time, the successful SpaceX Inspiration4 orbital mission which occurred in September 2021.

Alex Stapleton is an American director, showrunner, and executive producer of documentary feature films and unscripted television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Zimbalist</span> American filmmaker

Michael Zimbalist is an American filmmaker. He is a three-time Emmy Award and a Peabody Awards winner.

References

  1. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (March 21, 2015). "Documentaries Are the Go-To Players of Sports Television". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ Rose, Lacey (June 21, 2010). "Talking TV With ESPN's Connor Schell – Forbes". Forbes . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Watercutter, Angela. "The Epic Story of 'O.J.: Made in America's' Creation". Wired.
  4. ↑ "'O.J.: Made in America' wins Academy Award". ESPN.com. February 27, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Connor Schell's studio details executive team". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. January 12, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ Petski, Denise (June 16, 2017). "ESPN Revamp Continues With Connor Schell Named EVP Content". Deadline.
  7. ↑ "Connor Schell: Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films and Original Content". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  8. ↑ Kanter, Jake (December 11, 2019). "ViacomCBS's Chris McCarthy, ESPN's Connor Schell & Soledad O'Brien Among New Peabody Board Members". Deadline. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Forty Under 40 Class of 2017 revealed". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. February 20, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (February 10, 2021). "Connor Schell, Chernin Entertainment Will Launch New Non-Fiction Studio". Variety.com.
  11. ↑ "Apple announces new four-part documentary event "Super League: The War for Football" to premiere January 13". Apple TV+ Press. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  12. ↑ Dalton2023-05-18T05:01:00+01:00, Ben. "'McQueen' filmmakers reunite for documentary about 'Superman' star Christopher Reeve (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. ↑ Morfoot, Addie (March 26, 2022). "Connor Schell Has Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Live-Event Arm, Full Day Productions". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  14. ↑ "What to Know About 'The Netflix Cup', the Live Sports Event You Never Saw Coming". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Hock Films". hockfilms.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ Weprin, Alex (July 6, 2022). "Peter Chernin Launching $1B+ Content Studio Rollup The North Road Company". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Connor Schell – ESPN MediaZone". espnmediazone.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  18. ↑ Dalton2023-05-18T05:01:00+01:00, Ben. "'McQueen' filmmakers reunite for documentary about 'Superman' star Christopher Reeve (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Forty Under 40: Connor Schell". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  20. ↑ Times, Los Angeles (March 30, 2016). "ESPN sends a message in film-vs-TV debate: It will qualify upcoming O.J. Simpson series for the Oscars". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  21. ↑ "ESPN's Oscar-winning 'O.J.: Made in America' nominated for 6 Emmys". July 13, 2017.
  22. ↑ "ESPN's Bill Simmons, Connor Schell to Exec Produce 'Million Dollar Arm' (Exclusive) | Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Viewership numbers from 'The Last Dance' prove Michael Jordan documentary was a smash hit". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  24. ↑ "TIME Studios Wins Exclusive Documentary Rights to Inspiration4, the World's First All-Civilian Mission to Space". Time. February 11, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Apple announces new four-part documentary event "Super League: The War for Football" to premiere January 13". Apple TV+ Press. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  26. ↑ Lopez, Isabelle (February 15, 2023). "ESPN Films Announces Multi-Part Documentary Event "The Yankees Win"". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Staff, Richard Deitsch and The Athletic. "Netflix docu-series to follow USWNT at 2023 Women's World Cup". The Athletic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  28. ↑ Gluck, Jeff. "NASCAR docuseries coming to Netflix in 2024". The Athletic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  29. ↑ Morfoot, Addie (March 26, 2022). "Connor Schell Has Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Live-Event Arm, Full Day Productions". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  30. ↑ Kevin Noonan (February 10, 2015). "LeBron James and "30 for 30" Producers Set Sports Docu Series at Disney XD – Variety". variety.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  31. ↑ "ESPN execs explain decision to give Caitlyn Jenner an ESPY | SI.com". si.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Black Magic". peabodyawards.com.
  33. ↑ "Fourth Annual Television Academy Honors" . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  34. ↑ "30 For 30" . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  35. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (May 15, 2012). "ESPN Doubles Up on '30 for 30' Documentary Series" . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  36. ↑ The Paley Center for Media (January 29, 2015), Bill Simmons, Connor Schell & Jason Hirschhorn talk Sports Storytelling at 2014 Paley IC Summit , retrieved July 1, 2016
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.