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Aaron Ray

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Aaron Ray is a multifaceted professional renowned for his significant contributions to the Film, Music, Digital Media, and Technology sectors as a Producer and Manager.[1] His proficiency in Social and Commerce Platforms and his innovative approach to financial management have marked him as a significant figure in the industry. A pioneer of the Multi-Channel Network (MCN) and artist-owned infrastructure companies, Ray has created substantial value across different sectors, including Venture Capital (VC)-backed Start-Ups and Cryptocurrency Tokens.

Early Life and Education

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Aaron Ray grew up in South Florida, where he became a competitive DJ and producer of bass and club music. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Florida (1990-1995), where he distinguished himself academically and in his extracurricular activities. He graduated as the Most Outstanding Man of his class and was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in 1995[2]. Ray held the presidency of the Sigma Chi Fraternity twice, served on the Florida Blue Key executive committee, and produced Gator Growl, a student-led event with over 72,000 tickets sold[3]. He was an ardent supporter of the Rock the Vote initiative and Ross Perot's 1992 Presidential campaign.

Early Career

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Aaron Ray initiated his career under the mentorship of the esteemed Hollywood manager Sandy Gallin at Gallin-Morey Management, gaining invaluable experience with clients such as Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Nicole Kidman, Roseanne Barr, Neil Diamond, Richard Pryor, and Luther Vandross. During his tenure, Ray was instrumental in managing contracts and deals for these high-profile clients and began reviewing writers and scripts for hit TV projects such as Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Roseanne, and Martin.

Ray further honed his skills as a Director of Development at 20th Century Fox studio, working with Producer Lynda Obst. There, he oversaw scripts through the writing and development phase for projects like Carl Sagan's Contact, One Fine Day, The Siege, and The Hot Zone. While packaging the Sandra Bullock film Hope Floats, Ray began his professional relationship with director Forest Whitaker, whom he later managed to an Oscar Win in 2007.

Executive Career

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The Firm

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Big Momma's House Producer's Badge for Aaron Ray

Aaron Ray's career trajectory surged during his time at The Firm (1997-2001), where he held the position of Senior VP of Management and Production. As one of the first 10 employees, Ray played a pivotal role in the company's expansion. His innovative approach to artist management, particularly in terms of creating ownership in intellectual property, contributed to the success of renowned clients like Ice Cube, Korn, Martin Lawrence, Vin Diesel, Limp Bizkit, and The Backstreet Boys, among others. Ray's strategic acquisitions and business deals also included the purchase of the classic Pony[4] shoe company and a position on the board of Build-A-Bear during its launch[5].

Aaron Ray's multiplatinum plaque for The Backstreet Boys album Millenium

During this period, Ray expanded the normal range of client representation into brands, companies, studios and financing sources and began packaging entire projects in house or for client production deal he set up[6]. These deals led to the diversification and expansion of client portfolios, such as transitioning Ice Cube into a multifaceted Musician/Writer/Director/Actor/Producer with New Line Studios[7] and the number one opening hit Next Friday[8], as well as Artisan Studios[9], and launching Fred Durst's directing career[10]. Additionally, Ray co-produced the hit film Big Momma's House,[11] which led to further opportunities and a production deal for Martin Lawrence and pushed him into the $20 million per picture category[12]. This period was also marked by record-setting album releases from Korn, Limp Bizkit, and The Backstreet Boys[13], all multi-platinum and charting at number one.

Nine Yards client Paul Walker

Nine Yards Entertainment

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In 2001, at the age of 29, Ray founded Nine Yards Entertainment and served as its CEO until 2005[14]. Under his leadership, the company flourished as a top-tier Management, Production, and Consulting company[15], and Ray's innovative strategies[16] significantly impacted the careers of clients such as Selena Gomez, Paul Walker, Jeremy Piven, and many others[17][18].

RKO Studios Logo

Ray's innovative approach led Nine Yards Entertainment into Broadway and saw him serve as Chief Strategy Officer and Board Leader for client RKO Pictures[19]. He also represented the estates of renowned artists such as Orsen Wells, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers, and executive produced the remake of Cary Grant's classic film, Mr. Blanding’s Builds His Dream House which was remade with Ice Cube in the leading role in Are We Done Yet?[20]

One of the highlights of Ray's time at Nine Yards Entertainment was overseeing the screenplay of Monster’s Ball, which earned client Milo Addica a 2001 Academy Award Nomination for Best Screenplay after over 100 drafts[21]. The film featured an all-star cast and won Halle Berry the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the only Black woman and the first woman of color to receive the award in the Academy's history.

Ray's role as a producer saw him create multiple joint ventures for his clients and the company, with successes such as The Black Knight and Big Momma's House, both of which were penned by client Darryl Quarles for Martin Lawrence[13][1]. This put Martin in the highest earners category making $20 million per film. Ray's strategic packaging of Paul Walker, Cole Hauser, Eva Mendes, and Director John Singleton led to the extension of the Fast & Furious franchise with 2Fast 2Furious, which grossed over $50 million in its opening weekend[22].

Lollapalooza Music Festival
Lollapalooza Music Festival

The Collective

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In 2005, Ray co-founded The Collective, an entertainment management company based in Beverly Hills, California, with partners Michael Green, Jeff Golenberg, and Sam Maydew. Notable music clients included Linkin Park, Alanis Morissette, Kanye West, Slash, Enrique Iglesias, The All American Rejects, Clint Black, Plain White T's, Aaron Lewis and festivals Lolapalooza and Monster Massive.

As a strategic leader, Ray was instrumental in expanding The Collective from a 5-person talent-only management company to a full-service multimedia worldwide content studio, which was eventually sold to the German conglomerate ProSieben in 2014 for a reported value of $450 million[23][24].

The Collective managed a diverse roster of YouTube Creators and Channels, including the first YouTube millionaires FRED[25], The Annoying Orange, Epic Meal Time, Video Game High School[26] and FreddyW, along with top music artists like Linkin Park, Guns and Roses’ Slash, Alanis Morissette, and many others. The company's actor clientele included Academy Award and Golden Globe Nominees and Winners such as Selena Gomez, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker, Dennis Hopper, and Evangeline Lilly[16].

Management Client Linkin Park performing at the Transformers 2 premier in Westwood, CA

As part of his role at The Collective, Ray brokered a deal that revitalized RKO Pictures and relaunched the legendary Time Inc. Studio[27]. He also produced several updated versions of classic films, including Fritz Lang's legal thriller Beyond A Reasonable Doubt[28] starring Michael Douglas, and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, based on the bestselling novel by Tucker Max[29]. Ray's influence in the entertainment industry continues to be evident in his numerous accomplishments and the success of his clients and partners[19].

The Big Momma's House franchise was furthered by packaging client Director John Whitesell with Martin for Big Momma's House 2 and Big Momma's House 3. Ray brokered a deal for John Singleton and director Franc Reyes to finance Latino films[30] and Executive Produced the Harvey Keitel and John Leguizamo thriller The Ministers[31].

Salient Media, Collective Digital Studio & Collective Sounds

As opportunities for distribution became available, Aaron and his partners, alongside producer/director Gary Binkow, created various studios, starting with Salient Media. This division was designed to cater to clients with specific customer bases and produced a range of comedy titles that were distributed through Vivendi Universal. Their most successful project was Katt Williams' Pimpin Pimpin, a special that set new records on HBO and sold several million copies. Salient Media's portfolio also included works from Kevin Nealon, Mike Epps, Don Rickles, Mo'Nique, and Eddie Izzard.

Additional films were made in the horror genre bolstered by the acquisition of Bloody-Disgusting in 2007. Under the Bloody-Disgusting label, genre horror films such as V/H/S, V/H/S2, V/H/S: Viral enjoyed success. This success was an extension of Ray's rights deals and development work on the RKO Val Lewton Horror Titles[32], which included I Walked With A Zombie, The Body Snatcher, Isle of the Dead, and Cat People.

Collective Sounds

Ray led the spin-off of Collective Sounds in 2011, signing notable artists to the label. The roster included Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members such as Alanis Morissette, Jimmy Cliff, and Metallica's Jason Newstead, all of whom produced well-received albums under the label.

Aaron Ray's Katt Williams platinum plaque for Pimpin Pimpin

Collective Digital Studio (CDS)

Ray played a pivotal role in the creation of the Collective Digital Studio (CDS) in 2011, leading the formation of an internal DevOps team[33]. The team's primary focus was on emerging social media companies[34], including MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, with a specific focus on YouTube[35]. This strategic focus led to the creation of one of the first Multi Channel Networks (MCN)[36].

Ray's leadership also resulted in the re-integration of CDS into the newly formed entity after the acquisition of Metacafe[37][38]. This transition shifted the company from a transactional service-based entity to one of the world's largest asset-based digital businesses[39]. An initial investment of $83 million from ProSieben led to a valuation of over $450 million, with over 230 employees[40] The new entity was renamed Studio71 and stands as one of the only successful digital studio platforms ever launched from the a top tier management company. The MCN model was initially reliant on YouTube before CDS hired a sales team to arbitrage ads against their client's social channels[41]. A major deal was made with the Electric Daisy Festivals' parent company Insomniac [42]. This model is consistent with Ray's entire career and the result is one of the largest digital studios in the world.

Technology & Free Speech Advocacy

Ray is a fervent advocate for free speech and civil rights. He's recognized as a thought leader and futurist, often giving talks and participating in industry panels. He was among the first to isolate data collection from his clients' deals, developing tools to protect against potential pitfalls of data collection and manipulation by platforms such as Facebook. The best selling author, Ryan Holiday's book about this became a book called Trust Me I'm Lying. Ray was Holiday's mentor and is cited as a major influence [43]

BeautyCon launch in Los Angeles, CA

Ray's innovative thinking also led to early utilization of machine learning algorithms, incorporating the "Lollipop" into client Linkin Park's video for Lost in the Echo[44]. This served as a visual reminder of data collection and targeted use to the viewer.

Custom Collider

From 2014 to 2022, Ray served as the Chairman of Custom Collider. He was responsible for creating and executing public and confidential strategies for entities in industries such as Entertainment, Digital Payment and Encryption, Health and Wellness, Sports, Media, and Fashion.

Ray co-founded BeautyCon with Moj Mahdara in 2014[45], acquiring the rights from the Beauty Alliance. This venture became a significant source of income for fashion influencers, while also contributing to the success of monthly subscription services offering curated merchandise to subscribers[46]. A horror feature Produced by Ray with SAW2 and SAW3 director Darren Bousman was announced during this time[47].

Data analysis of Martin Lawrence's film receipts
Data analysis of Martin Lawrence's film receipts

Ray was also been instrumental in the production of Broadway musicals, notably American Psycho: The Musical[48]. The stage adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel received positive reviews and was nominated for several awards[49].

Ray's portfolio also includes deals for equity in Venture Capital offerings and funds, with his services extending to board membership for CODE.org[50]. In this role, he collaborates with leaders in the technology space and higher institutions to prepare society for the digital job movement.

Ray's interest in cryptocurrencies led him to participate in the largest fundraising campaigns in history[51] and early involvement in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) for Tether, WAX, EOS, and Bancor He has also been instrumental in leading digital stars and influencers into Hollywood, setting deal templates and points that are still in use today.

Evershine Data and Web3 Studio

In April 2022, Ray founded Evershine Data and Web3 Studio, where he currently serves as CEO. The company focuses on the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to create and train large datasets to make synthetic content and repurposes content libraries not yet digitized. The Artificial Senses project includes advanced sensors and Internet of Things technology as well as Deepfakes, Voice Cloning and OSINT. The company also advises on the production and distribution of Cryptocurrencies and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) collections on multiple blockchains.

Aaron Ray on a Panel at SXSW

His ideas and opinions have been well-documented in various outlets, including a Forbes article from 2020 titled "The Event Horizon of Truth"[52]. This piece served as the genesis for the synthetic media and AI company Evershine, which supports a new system of governance in the form of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and tokens. The company is expected to launch a new line of AI-enabled products and projects in the fall of 2023.

Honors and Awards

Ray's career has earned him numerous accolades, including being named among The Hollywood Reporter’s "35 Top Executives under 35"[53], The Los Angeles Times’ "Top Dealmakers in Hollywood", The Los Angeles Business Journal's "Who's Who"[54], and Detour Magazine's "Top 100 People You Need to Know in Hollywood". He was also listed in the "Top 50 Most Powerful in Music" three times and was nominated for a Producer’s Guild Award in 2012.[55]

Ray has been a speaker at many conferences, including the Billboard Music Conference, Digital Hollywood, SXSW, MIDEM, and the Variety Entertainment and Technology Summit[56]. His work and influence continue to be recognized within the industry[57].

References:

  1. ^ "Aaron Ray". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  2. ^ "Hall of Fame Members | DIVISION OF STUDENT LIFE". studentlife.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  3. ^ "UF Digital Collections". ufdc.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  4. ^ https://www.facebook.com/* (2001-11-05). "The Firm runs with Pony". Ad Age. Retrieved 2023-06-08. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |last= (help)
  5. ^ "TAKING A RIDE ON PONY – FIRM AIMS TO BRING BACK SNEAKER BRAND". 2001-02-27. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  6. ^ Petrikin, Chris (1999-07-26). "New Regency puts Quarles in the 'Black'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  7. ^ Lyons, Charles (2000-05-26). "New Line gives 'Dawgz' home". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  8. ^ "Next Friday". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  9. ^ Lyons, Charles (1999-10-20). "Artisan warms up to Ice Cube". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  10. ^ "MUSIC MAKERS SEEK CINEMA SYNERGY". 1999-10-07. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  11. ^ Petrikin, Chris (1999-02-25). "Quarles' 'Mama' at Fox". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  12. ^ Fleming, Michael (2000-10-20). "Col's $20 mil double dip for Lawrence". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  13. ^ Boehlert, Eric (1999-08-18). "Backstreet Boys' "Millennium" Reign Continues". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  14. ^ Harris, Dana (2001-05-25). "Ray manages 9 Yards gain". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  15. ^ Harris, Dana (2001-06-29). "9 Yards buys Shapiro/Murray". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  16. ^ Rommelmann, Nancy (2003-11-16). "The Gen Nexters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  17. ^ Harris, Dana (2001-08-17). "Luber partners up with Nine Yards". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  18. ^ Rommelmann, Nancy (2003-11-16). "The Gen Nexters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  19. ^ Fleming, Michael (2004-06-30). "Revolution set to rebuild RKO 'Dream House'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  20. ^ Press, The Associated (2007-04-03). "Are We Done Yet?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  21. ^ "Will Rokos and Milo Addica". Variety. 2001-10-12. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  22. ^ "2 Fast 2 Furious". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  23. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (2017-01-12). "France's TF1 and Italy's Mediaset Join Collective Digital Platform Studio71". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  24. ^ wa.dealroom.co https://wa.dealroom.co/companies/collective_studio71. Retrieved 2023-06-08. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ "YouTube Millionaires: A Chat With Fred, The First YouTube Millionaire". Tubefilter. 2014-09-25. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  26. ^ Shields, Mike. "The Collective Scores With Video Game High". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  27. ^ Fleming, Michael (2008-08-05). "Time Inc. to produce in-house films". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  28. ^ Press, The Associated (2009-09-10). "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt — Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  29. ^ Press, Gregg Goldstein,The Associated; Goldstein, Gregg; Press, The Associated (2008-04-16). "'Beer in Hell' gets big-screen treatment". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ "Singleton puts his muscle behind Latino film". Chicago Tribune. 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  31. ^ Press, Borys Kit,The Associated; Kit, Borys; Press, The Associated (2007-01-26). "Keitel flashing NYPD badge for 'Ministers'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ Press, Borys Kit,The Associated; Kit, Borys; Press, The Associated (2008-11-19). "RKO lays down a new 'Bet'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  33. ^ "Interview: Aaron Ray, Partner At The Collective Pt. 2". Hypebot. 2010-07-30. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  34. ^ Src='https://Secure.gravatar.com/Avatar/Ab3080cf74b3860da51ec2309b77f042?s=32, <img Alt; #038;d=mm; Srcset='https://Secure.gravatar.com/Avatar/Ab3080cf74b3860da51ec2309b77f042?s=64, #038;r=g'; #038;d=mm; says, #038;r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height=32 width=32> Don Schlonzo (2010-07-29). "Interview: Aaron Ray, Partner At The Collective Pt. 1". Hypebot. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ "The Collective Uses Metacafe As YouTube Alternative For Creators". Tubefilter. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  36. ^ Press, Jay A. Fernandez,The Associated; Fernandez, Jay A.; Press, The Associated (2009-05-13). "Collective lines up talent". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ "Metacafe Picked Up by The Collective | PitchBook". pitchbook.com. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  38. ^ "YouTube Star Managers The Collective Buy Web Video Pioneer Metacafe". AllThingsD. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  39. ^ Spangler, Todd (2016-01-27). "Collective Digital Studio Changes Name to Studio71". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  40. ^ Spangler, Todd (2014-03-27). "After Disney-Maker, YouTube MCN Collective Digital Studio Lands ProSieben Investment". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  41. ^ Csathy, Peter (2015-08-19). "It's OK to Stay Bullish on MCNs (Guest Column)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  42. ^ Spangler, Todd (2015-05-05). "NewFronts 2015: Collective Digital Studio Goes Deeper on EDM with Insomniac Deal, Powers Up Original Series". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  43. ^ Holiday, Ryan (2014-11-21). "Productivity Advice I Learned From People Smarter Than Me". TNW | Lifehacks. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  44. ^ Src='https://Secure.gravatar.com/Avatar/5c1d993470e2c2c3e94610530b599369?s=32, <img Alt; #038;d=mm; Srcset='https://Secure.gravatar.com/Avatar/5c1d993470e2c2c3e94610530b599369?s=64, #038;r=g'; #038;d=mm; says, #038;r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height=32 width=32> Mark Flagg (2012-08-31). "Linkin Park Uses Fan Facebook Photos For Unique Interactive Music Video". Hypebot. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  45. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (2016-07-15). "Why Bethany Mota and Kandee Johnson Hang Out at Beautycon's Offices". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  46. ^ Jarvey, Natalie (2015-09-14). "Michelle Phan's Ipsy Raises $100 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  47. ^ Kit, Borys (2014-07-10). "'Saw' Director to Helm Sci-Fi Action Project 'Apex' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  48. ^ Press, Gregg Goldstein,The Associated (2008-09-24). "Killer tunes: 'Psycho' has B'way hopes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  49. ^ Portwood, Jerry (2016-04-27). "'American Psycho': Duncan Sheik on Broadway Musical". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  50. ^ "Leadership". Code.org. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  51. ^ Gonzalez, Cristina A. (2013-02-14). "'Video Game High School' Breaks Kickstarter Film Fundraising Records". IndieWire. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  52. ^ Pettijohn, Nathan. "The Event Horizon Of Truth". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  53. ^ Rommelmann, Nancy (2003-11-16). "The Gen Nexters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  54. ^ staff-author (2001-09-09). "WHO'S WHO-The New Generation". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-06-08. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  55. ^ Rommelmann, Nancy (2003-11-16). "The Gen Nexters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  56. ^ Bruno, Antony (2011-01-23). "A Glimpse At Future Livestreaming Services @MIDEM 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  57. ^ "SF MusicTech Summit XIII". SF MusicTech Summit. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
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