DIRECTOR

A New York native and dancer with a passion for the visual arts, Serene attended The School of American Ballet, Tenafly High School then The University of Vermont.

Post graduation, she opted out of law school and worked at an advertising agency in New York, founded a company that imported baskets from Haiti, then moved to Los Angeles to work in production on television commercials. Commercial production stuck and she worked her way up until she became a producer.

In 2014 Serene conceived and directed the documentary film, “Getting to The Nutcracker”, a behind the scenes look at what it takes to produce the classic ballet from auditions to final performance. The movie garnered 7 major festival awards, including a Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, Best Direction, and Best Feature Documentary.

Her second documentary, “The 5th Dementia” is about a Los Angeles-based band whose members live with Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s. They are able to sing and play music despite their neurodegenerative diseases.

Both films are available through most streaming platforms including Amazon and Apple.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ray was born to career military parents, with family roots in the red clay of Augusta, Georgia. During his nomadic childhood, he lived in Spain, England, Texas and the US Southeast.

After graduating from Ringling School of Art and Design, he began his career as an art director working in advertising agencies in the US southeast and ultimately in Chicago, at The Leo Burnett Company.

He made the move to directing after working as a creative director on Burnett’s International Task Force as a global problem solver, taking temporary posts in Frankfurt, London, Paris and Tokyo.

Trained as a graphic designer and illustrator, he is a classic storyteller as a filmmaker, known for his Emmy Award-winning spot for Snap.com and his emotionally powerful commercial work for clients like American Airlines, Bank of America, The US Army, The Home Depot, Questrade, Sargento, Saturn, and Zales.

In addition to shooting Out Feet First, Ray is directing “Black on the Bike”, a documentary about Black amateur and professional cyclists.