Resume

Ryan Koo co-wrote, directed, shot, and edited the “urban western” web series The West Side, which won the Webby Award for Best Drama Series. Filmmaker Magazine heralded the series as “ingenious low-budget independent filmmaking that just happens to be viewable only on the Web,” and named him one of their 25 New Faces of Film. Koo has shot for Focus Features, The Workbook Project, and Ralph Lauren; he has written for Filmmaker Magazine and Weblogs, Inc.; and he has served as Senior Designer for Rhapsody and MTV. His films have been official selections at several film festivals nationwide, he was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and he raised a record-breaking (at the time) $125,000 on Kickstarter to make his first feature film, Manchild.

Awards + Recognitions:

• Tribeca All Access grantee // Tribeca Film Institute (2012)
• Emerging Narrative selection // IFP (2011)
• Emerging Visions selection // Film Society of Lincoln Center + IFP (2011)
• Best Creative Blog // Total Film (2011)
• No Borders selection // IFP (2010)
• Pixel Pitch Finalist // Power to the Pixel (2009)
• Best Drama Series // Webby Awards (2008)
• 25 New Faces of Film // Filmmaker Magazine (2008)
• Fellowship Finalist // New York Foundation for the Arts Urban Artist Initiative (2008)
• Emerging Artist Grant // National Endowment for the Arts + Durham Arts Council (2006)
• Official Selection // New England Film Festival, New York International Independent Film Festival, Carolina Film Festival (2004)
• Grand Prize // Firsteye Contest for Content (2001)

Work + Education:

• Founder // NoFilmSchool (2010-present)
• Director of Photography + Editor // Africa First / FilmInFocus (2009)
• Director + Director of Photography // RADAR Episodes 13 + 18 (2009)
• Writer + Director+ Producer + Director of Photography + Editor // The West Side (2006-2008)
• Senior Designer // Rhapsody (2007-2008)
• Senior Designer // MTV (2006-2007)
• Blogger + Features Writer // DVguru / Weblogs, Inc (2006)
• Producer + Videographer + Editor + Animator // RTI International (2003-2005)
• Bachelor of the Arts // Middlebury College (2003)
• Student Symposium Participant // Telluride Film Festival (2002)