The-Artery has brought directorial duo the Ray Sisters–Austin and Westin Ray–aboard its roster.
The siblings were introduced to The-Artery when their women’s equality spec PSA, “We Are The Daughters,” earned them inclusion in SHOOT’s 2019 New Directors Showcase. The-Artery was a sponsor of that year’s Showcase and the Ray Sisters were attracted to the creative company’s out-of-the-box thinking and approach.
Now that they are part of The-Artery family, the duo hopes to create content that explores roads less traveled. Austin Ray cited the producing prowess of The-Artery managing director/EP Deborah Sullivan, and the visionary VFX and aesthetic of company founder and executive creative director Vico Sharabani. “It’s inspiring for us to align with filmmakers who have been in this business for years, yet still retain an unbridled enthusiasm and spark for creative work–whatever the genre,” said Austin. “We’re extremely excited to join The-Artery as it blazes a new trail into narrative live-action.”
Sharabani said, “The-Artery was built around versatile talent and Ray Sisters fit these exact traces of personality, character, taste, and style. We’ve been in close contact with Austin and Westin for over a year and, as collaboration increased, we decided to bring them on board.”
Sullivan added, “I’m especially proud to add not one, but two talented female artists to our roster. During our early conversations with Ray Sisters, the most important consideration was how The-Artery can help them grow. Thankfully, our team has, over time, worked hard to develop the resources to offer that and more.”
The original idea for Ray Sisters came about as both siblings fine-tuned their separate talents in film school. After working various production roles, including producing shorts and music videos as well as composing, the sisters decided it was time to form a directing duo.
Decorated with awards since their school days, Westin emerged from film school with a DGA Student Film Award for directing while Austin’s music scores, which first premiered in a film at Telluride Film Festival, garnered the Student Academy Award as well as BAFTA Student Award. Later, their short film The Listening Box won the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival as well as an HBO award from the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Their film This One Step was also screened at the Sedona Film Festival, among others. A Not So Still Life, the duo’s branded content piece for Moët & Chandon, was one of the winners of the Moët Moment Film Festival. Recently, Austin was also named Best New Music Composer at the 2019 Kinsale Shark Awards.
Westin Ray noted that she and Austin “overlap quite a bit in skills, since we both direct, shoot, and edit. I am more language-oriented, whether screenwriting or discussing character arcs with actors. Austin is razor-sharp with visuals and typically the techie putting out equipment or software fires. We joke that separately we’re flawed, but together we make the perfect human being!”
