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Pro
Profile Complete
Real characters, doing unexpected things, shot beautifully, with emotive and surprising music. Big fan of run on sentences.
Playlists
Ray Smiling is a writer/director whose work focuses on finding universal emotion presented in wild specificity. A romance sparked from a Tilda Swinton fandom. A vulgar rap song as a touching requiem. A love letter delivered via video game. A dance battle on a football field. He makes you see yourself, in unlikely situations and characters.
He’s created the Ciclope shortlisted PLAY THIS AT MY FUNERAL—a collection of vignettes about the intimate moment a random song becomes your song. The Clio winning JUNETEENTH THOUGHTS—where two coworkers discuss the nuances of a complicated holiday. There’s also the award winning web series KHAKI IS NOT LEATHER—an exploration of loneliness and the internet, told through cam girls/boys. Vulture called it “an A24 wet dream.”
His aesthetic morphs to meet the world he’s playing in. But it’s consistently visually vibrant, expressive, and with a defined focus on capturing a moment. A place, a vibe. When it all comes together, you’ll see yourself in worlds you've never been to, and in people you’ve not thought about.
He’s recognized by Ad Age as the Director to Watch for 2023 and has worked commercially for clients such as Adidas, Under Armour, Nike, Netflix, Foot Locker, Champs, Covergirl, the NBA, Beats By Dre, and Amazon Music.