DOUG PRAY, DIRECTOR

My documentaries have often told the stories of maverick individuals and misunderstood subcultures, underdogs who were fiercely independent; from graffiti writers to truck drivers, surfers to DJs, and some famous and demanding artists, and they have a lot in common beyond their great stories.

I was born in Denver, and grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where my dad was a professor of geology at the UW and my mom was a choir director, piano teacher and painter. That mix of science and art led me towards filmmaking, via Colorado College (where I majored in sociology), and eventually UCLA graduate film school, where I got my MFA in producing and directing. At UCLA I studied with (and was a T.A. for) Professor Howard Suber, the host of my latest project: "The Power of Film" a 6-part television series I executive produced, now streaming on Max (TCM Hub).

Back in the early '90s, after directing music videos for Seattle bands The Young Fresh Fellows, Flop, and others, I was encouraged by producer Steve Helvey to direct my first feature documentary, “Hype!” about the emergence and global explosion of the Seattle music scene. That led to “Scratch,” which was a celebration of hip-hop DJs and turntablism. "Hype!" and "Scratch" both premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (1996 and 2001), and are often ranked among the best music docs of all time.

From there, I delved into the underground world of graffiti writing with “Infamy,” and a 21,000-mile road film about independent truck drivers called “Big Rig,” which premiered at SXSW. Next came “Surfwise” about the legendary Paskowitz surfing family, which premiered at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival in 2007. Then I made two art-related films, the Emmy-winning "Art & Copy," a film about creativity and advertising (Sundance 2009), and “Levitated Mass,” the story of land artist Michael Heizer and the public spectacle surrounding the transport and installation of America's heaviest sculpture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

In 2022, HBO Max released “Love, Lizzo”, which tells the story of Lizzo’s rise to fame and her journey towards self-acceptance. Prior to that, I was executive producer, editor, and writer on HBO's “The Defiant Ones,” (directed by Allen Hughes) about the dynamic relationship between Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, and the music stars, top hits, and controversy they inspired. That series was nominated for five Emmys and won a Grammy for Best Music Film. My work with Allen Hughes also led to "Arnold" a 3-part series I helped executive produce for Netflix, about Arnold Schwarzenegger, which debuted in 2023. Other television work includes the first season of the AppleTV+ series "Home" and the Dave Grohl series “From Cradle to Stage” (Paramount+).

Although I've never participated in social media of any kind, and I don't maintain an active internet presence (besides this website), your interest in my work is appreciated. Thanks for visiting!