Bob Ray is an American independent filmmaker based in Austin, Texas.
In 1994 Ray founded the production company CrashCam Films. His first productions were narrative Super 8 mm films and music videos. Ray's in-camera-edited Super 8 short film, Sweet Sweetroll's BaadAsssss Spin, appeared in indie producer John Pierson's Split/Screen, on the Independent Film Channel and Bravo.
Ray made his feature film debut with the rock 'n' roll stoner film Rock Opera (1999). The film was nominated, in 2003, for High Times magazine's Stony Film Award.
Ray has produced and directed several music videos, including a video for the song "Fried Chicken and Coffee" (1998) by Nashville Pussy, nominated at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards for Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. Other bands he has created music videos for include The Riverboat Gamblers, The Polyphonic Spree, The Black Eyed Peas, Eels, Jerry Cantrell, Blur, Modest Mouse and Hank Williams III.
In 2007, Ray completed work on Hell on Wheels, a documentary film about the resurgence of all-girl roller derby in Texas.[1] That year, Ray launched CrashToons, the animation arm of CrashCam Films, producing animated short films. CrashToons titles include APESH!T, Platypus Rex, Rooster Lollipop and others. His animated shorts have been shown at film festivals, on SuperDeluxe.com and on Playboy.com.
In 2010, Ray premiered Total Badass, his documentary film about Austin-based Chad Holt's struggles to remain clean and sober while on probation.[1]