Ryan Parrott was born in Bakersfield, California, but spent the majority of his youth growing up in Las Vegas. Unlike many modern filmmakers, Ryan didn't immediately gravitate towards the medium, enrolling instead in the art program at the University of Nevada, Reno. But after being exposed to an abundance of new digital formats, he soon discovered that all his art projects shared a similar theme: Film. Transferring to Chapman University in the fall of 2000, Ryan hoped to make an immediate impact within the intimate film studies program. His first project, Ride, was the recipient of numerous awards and screened in over a dozen film festivals around the world, including the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival. His success didn't diminish as he wrote and collaborated on How to Cover-up the Death of your Best Friend, which received the award for best undergraduate film and culminated in producing and co-writing the short horror film, Husk, an official selection of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Upon graduation, Ryan directed his first feature film, Loaded, a low-budget independent action drama for Bulletproof Productions. After a short theatrical release, the film was distributed worldwide by Westlake Entertainment.