If it wasn't for Robert Rodriguez's book "Rebel Without A Crew" I would never have gotten into this at all let alone quit the day job not oh so many years ago to pursue my passion fulltime.
Awards
2004 Payne County Line Best New Video Of The Year: Brandon Jenkins -"Austin"
2004 Austin Music Network Music Video Of The Year 1st Place - Brandon Jenkins "Down In Flames"
2004 Austin Music Network Music Video Of The Year 2nd Place - Ryan DeSiato - "Make Believe"
2005 2005 Payne County Line New Video Of The Year: Brandon Jenkins - "Down In Flames"
2006 Payne County Line Video Of The Year : Brandon Jenkins - "Down in Flames"
2006 IFFYNTX Film Festival Best Picture : For Love & Stacie
2007 Seattle True Independant Film Festival Audience Award : For Love & Stacie
Creating. While right now 90% of my time is working on this film, I honestly love all aspects of video production and filmmaking. Every job I get, whether its a music video, commercial, or a training video, is a challenge to my talents and I relish the opportunity. Its a gift to have chosen a career from which I'd never want to retire. Like Picasso I want to be pushing myself creatively to the very end.
Beyond that its my friends and my family, it's my hope that one day I can give back to them all that they have given and sacrificed for me.
Music
Kind of like a bit of everything. From Tool to Sarah McLachlan to Frank Sinatra and just about anything you might care to squeeze in between. A big fan of local bands and the artist that make Austin such and amazing town to live in.
Movies
Harvey with Jimmy Stewart ( just makes ya wanna be nice to everyone ), Rodriguez, Tarantino, The Coen brothers, The Graduate, just about anything with Will Ferrell, Chris Farely, or Jack Black. I have about 100 DVD's and it just aint enough, though I've tapered my DVD buying since mainstream HD is right around the corner.
Television
Hate to admit it but I'm strangely addicted to reality shows. Survivor, The Apprentice, Amazing Race, Hell's Kitchen, The Contender, Roller Girls, etc etc etc. Other stuff, Family Guy, American Dad, CSI, Dinner For Five.
Heroes
My Mother and Father who adopted me at birth and raised me as though I was their own ... because I was.
Where to begin ?
Moved to Austin from Chicago when I was 19, best mistake I ever made. Great town, great people, though I'll be the first to admit I do miss Chicago Pizza and White Castles ( and no mater what Conan's says, they are defiantly NOT Chicago style ! ).
While I've done everything from working with the handicapped to Dj'n at nightclubs I dove into video production full time about 4 years ago and have never looked back. " Diving in " for me meant quitting the full time gig, starting a production company, and essentially giving up the good life to become the proverbial starving artist. With that said it would be foolish for me to bitch about how hard it was (or at times can be) since I chose this path and in so doing, can't exactly play the victim. In truth it has had more than its fair share of rewards, sometimes financial, always emotional, and at least in that regard I am perpetually fulfilled.
The last few years have been pretty amazing. Underground Planet went from an idea and a dream to winning first place for "Best New Music Video" for the second year in a row in Oklahoma with our second video for Brandon Jenkins and then went on to win second place for " Video Of The Year " with Ryan DeSiato's " Make Believe " video at the Austin Music Network awards. Only coming in second to our Brandon Jenkins " Down In Flames " video, just how cool is that? So that year the only person that beat me was me. Shortly thereafter I was asked to be a presenter at The National Association Of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas. To give you an idea of just how flattering that is, I was filling in for the Senior Director of NBC Nightline, not too bad for a simple guy with a camera kickin in Austin Texas.
So that's where I'll leave it for now. I'll update the blog from time to time as well as the forum on my main site www.undergroundplanet.com . Also the place to go if you have any interest in checking out some of my work, most of my videos are there for the browsing.
Off to edit;
- Ray
P.S. If you just haven't had enough to read here are a couple articles I'm more than a little proud of: Hollywood Industry Article
I am going undergound...I think and then coming up just in time to fake my own death...live as a Madam in a brothel in Mexico for a couple of years...have facial reconstuction, remove my 'man boobs', then AND only then really get serious about music!
Besides making me buy a set of depends....you put a smile on my face....so my cheeks hurt...what the f*%k....I will share I promise...you're already in some of my friends comments
YOU SUCK!!!! ... for RUINING the finale of Hells Kitchen for me! OH, the time spent, waiting for the finale to find out who wins their very own kitchen in Las Vegas, all for NOTHING! All to be ruined by the phone call slip (TO SOMEONE ELSE WHILE I WAS IN EARSHOT)of 'yeah, Hells Kitchen, Rock wins' EVEN AFTER I HAD JUST SAID 'i haven't seen it yet, don't tell me anything'! FUCKER. Happy Birthday ... ASS!!!!!!!
Hey Its Thor,,Right on bro looks like ur doing good in life maybe ill make it up to Seattle one day, and check out one of ur screenings..Or whatever..Peace..
