Bio
Ray Giarratana is a director and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Ray is a natural fit for many multi-faceted productions given his unique skill set both as a storyteller and technical problem solver.
The Tiger Rising is Ray’s feature film directing debut. The film was released theatrically through Paramount and is now streaming on Hulu (with a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 73%). Ray adapted Kate DiCamillo’s award winning book into a screenplay, and upon reading his adaptation, Kate graciously granted him an open ended option, saying that he’d captured her voice perfectly.
Ray loves working with a wide range of actors and approaches each actor where they are, helping to give them whatever they need to do their best work. For Tiger, after auditioning over 400 young actors, he cast the talented Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth) and Madalen Mills (Jingle Jangle) in the lead roles. He was blessed to cast a pair of A-list actors, Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid, as well as a couple of awesome seasoned character actors, Sam Trammell and Katharine McPhee. Ray can also work with very difficult actors such as Shicka (The Hangover), a 350 pound tiger.
Ray believes in a relaxed and creative atmosphere on his set. It’s important to him that the set be a safe place and that everyone there, including the crew, feel the freedom to contribute to the storytelling in every way they can.
Ray is a natural collaborator and works well in the context of a team. Over his long career as a Visual Effects Supervisor, he’s worked with dozens of top directors and cinematographers, directors like Wes Anderson, Mark Romanek, David Fincher, David O. Russell, and cinematographers such as Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, Janusz Kaminski, Robert Richardson, Claudio Miranda, Jeff Cronenweth, Bradford Young & Vilmos Zsigmond.
He has supervised and directed units for The Life Aquatic, John Wick 3, Outlaw King, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, I Heart Huckabees, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Fun with Dick & Jane.
Along with his wife and partner, Deborah Giarratana, their production company GG Filmz has been instrumental in producing The Tiger Rising, Machine Gun Preacher, directed by Marc Forster and starring Gerard Butler, and Burden with Tom Wilkinson, Garrett Hedlund and Forest Whitaker.
Ray is a member of the DGA and has won numerous awards for his work, including several Emmys & Clios.
Work
Director Reel
Working with Ray
The Tiger Rising – Intl Trailer
Historical VFX Reel
