Ryan Trefes is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, producer, and journalist from Louisville, Kentucky, currently based in New York City, NY. He is a producer of premium documentaries, such as the critically acclaimed "The Fire and The Forgotten" for PBS and "Lie to Me: Deepfakes and Deception," currently in development.

Ryan is a video graphics animator and video journalist at The Wall Street Journal, where he specializes in data-driven reporting, visual forensics and cartography. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on WSJ’s investigation of Tesla’s autopilot crash risks. He was also part of a team that produced an Emmy-nominated feature about the Sudanese civil war. As a journalist, Ryan has produced and covered stories across the globe, from Cienfuegos, Cuba, to refugee settlements in Uganda. He specializes in explainer videos that utilize motion graphics to entertain as well as inform.

His narrative work is distinguished by his use of comedy as a vehicle to explore serious topics such as adoption. He is a graduate of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he wrote and directed the award-winning short film, Little Apollo. Ryan values the importance of both journalism and entertainment in modern society and is committed to his passion for both.