Ellen Wheeler - Directing and Producing

Directing and Producing

During the final season of Another World, Wheeler drew on her stage directorial experience and was invited by Executive Producer, Chris Goutman, to direct a few episodes of Another World. After the cancellation of Another World in 1999, she continued her focus on directing. While continuing to act, she directed several episodes of As the World Turns and finally became part of the directorial team at As the World Turns.

After two seasons with ATWT, Wheeler served for a time an associate producer at another Procter & Gamble serial, Guiding Light. After returning to ATWT and directing the show for several years, she was promoted to Executive Producer of Guiding Light in April 2004, serving until that show's September 2009 cancellation. Under her direction, the show named a new head writer, David Kreizman, and in 2008, she created a four-person head writing team; in addition to Kreizman, that team includes Lucky Gold, Chris Dunn and executive story editor Jill Lorie Hurst.

Wheeler is credited with Guiding Light's transition to a new filming method. The show moved away from traditional three-camera filming in a "proscenium" stage setting, and in early 2008 began to broadcast episodes that were recorded on digital cameras. The show rebuilt smaller, more realistic sets in its studio and also used several other sets in a New Jersey town (adjacent to New York City, where GL is produced).

In 2007, Wheeler launched Guiding Light's 70th anniversary (the longest running show in history) by volunteering her cast and crew on a charity and service campaign known as "Find Your Light", encouraging viewers to participate alongside actors, directors and crew members in work for the homeless and other deserving groups and individuals across the country.