EP 142: Pure Truth with Director/Producer/Editor Hannelore Williams

Hannelore Williams doesn’t just sit in the edit bay. She listens to the heartbeat of a story. Whether she’s cutting scenes from a CNN docuseries or capturing the quiet power of a Hulu campaign, Hannelore uses rhythm and instinct to bring truth forward. Her hands shape images, but it’s her ear that makes the story sing. She understands where a beat belongs and where silence says more than sound. 

In this episode, we step inside Hannelore’s creative mind. We talk about what it means to work on stories like The People v The Klan, and how to handle narratives that carry both weight and history. From Secrets of Playboy to 360° journalism at The New York Times, her work spans format and form, but her mission remains clear: to make stories that matter, and make them unforgettable. 

She tells us why editing isn’t just technical. It’s emotional. It’s political. It's the work of sitting with hours of footage and waiting for the truth to speak. And when it does, Hannelore is ready. Whether cutting a Netflix special or a Tame Impala music video, she finds the subtle shifts, the honest looks, the buried gold. 

You’ll hear about her time on camera and her heart for service, from South African orphanages to New York soup kitchens. But mostly, you’ll hear how a woman with vision and a sharp sense of justice can turn raw footage into something with purpose. This is Hannelore Williams—and this is Visual Intonation. 

Hannelore Williams' Website: https://www.hannelorestories.com/ 

Hannelore Williams' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannelorestory