Jared Raab

Jared Raab
Born
Millbrook, Ontario
EducationYork University
OccupationCinematographer
Years active2007–present
Known forNirvanna the Band the Show
BlackBerry
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

Jared Raab is a Canadian writer and cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with Matt Johnson on the television series Nirvanna the Band the Show and the films BlackBerry, Operation Avalanche, The Dirties, and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.

Early life and education

Originally from Millbrook, Ontario, Raab studied film at York University.

Career

Raab made a number of short films before breaking through to wider attention with his 2011 short The Revenge Plot, which won the Fan Favorite award at the 2011 RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition. For a number of years thereafter he was a director of music videos for artists such as Born Ruffians, Arkells, Ohbijou, Diamond Rings, PS I Love You, Snailhouse, Young Rival and Fast Romantics. He received two Prism Prize nominations as a director of music videos, in 2017 for July Talk's "Picturing Love" and in 2021 for Andy Shauf's "Clove Cigarette".

He was cinematographer on Matt Johnson's films The Dirties and Operation Avalanche prior to Johnson and Jay McCarrol creating Nirvanna the Band the Show, for which Raab was both a cinematographer and one of the writers.

He is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Writing in a Comedy Series for Nirvanna the Band the Show, receiving nods at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018 for "The Bean" and at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019 for "The Book", and a nominee for Best Direction in a Documentary Series at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022 for This Is Pop.

He won the award for Best Cinematography at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024, for BlackBerry.

In 2025, Raab was credited as cinematographer for Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. The film began principal photography in 2023 and premiered in 2025 at SXSW.

Filmography

Acting

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Spyware Boy #2
2016 Operation Avalanche Himself
2017–2018 Nirvanna the Band the Show 8 episodes
2025 Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Jared

Behind-the-scenes

Year Title Cinematographer Director Writer Producer Notes
2007–2010 Nirvana the Band the Show No No No Yes 11 episodes; also camera operator (1 episode)
2013 The Dirties Yes No No Yes
2016 Operation Avalanche Yes No No Co-producer
2017–2018 Nirvanna the Band the Show Yes No Yes Co-executive producer
2020–2022 Cursed Films Yes No No No
2021 For Heaven's Sake Yes No No No
This Is Pop No Yes No No 2 episodes; also visual effects artist
V/H/S/94 Yes No No No Segment: "Storm Drain"
2022 We're All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel) Yes No No No 6 episodes
2023 BlackBerry Yes No No Associate Also camera operator
2024 Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story No Animation co-director No No
2025 Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Yes No Story Executive
Middle Life Yes No No Yes Also visual effects
2026 The Betrayers Yes No No No

Music videos

Year Title Song Artist
2010 "What To Say" Born Ruffians Director
"Nova-Leigh"
2011 "Whistleblower" Arkells
"Niagara" Ohbijou
"Sudden Dark Truths" Marine Dreams Director and producer
2012 "I'm Just Me" Diamond Rings Director
"Saskatoon" PS I Love You Director and cinematographer
2013 "I Never Woke Up" Snailhouse
"For from Me" Decades Director
2014 "Hot Tonight" Tokyo Police Club Director and cinematographer
"Come to Light" Arkells Director
2015 "Death of Gold" Spencer Burton Cinematographer
"Things You Want" Find the Others Director and cinematographer
"Don't Live Up" Born Ruffians Director
2016 "Beck + Call" July Talk
"Picturing Love"
2017 "Dreams Tonite" Alvvays Cinematographer
2021 "C-Thru" Suuns Director
2022 "I Am Water" July Talk Director and cinematographer

References

  1. ↑ Sandwell, Ian (29 July 2013). "The Dirties: Evan Morgan, Jared Raab". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on September 18, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  2. ↑ Douglas, Nick (February 8, 2017). "How to Make a TV Show Backwards with 'Nirvanna the Band'". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ "University film project shown at Cinema 379". Peterborough Examiner, June 22, 2005.
  4. ↑ Melissa Leong, "'I thought our cinema was insular.Boy was I wrong'; RBC prize announces top emerging talent". National Post, September 8, 2011.
  5. ↑ Ben Rayner, "Colin Medley, Jared Raab - Music Video Directors". Toronto Star, January 2, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Prism Prize Reveals 2017's Top 10 Finalists". Exclaim!, April 4, 2017.
  7. ↑ Alex Nino Gheciu, "These Are the Top 20 Canadian Music Videos Nominated for the 2021 Prism Prize". Complex, April 29, 2021.
  8. ↑ James Adams, "A bravura debut for an up-and-coming Canadian". The Globe and Mail, October 4, 2013.
  9. ↑ Calum Marsh, "Matt Johnson's space odyssey: How the Toronto director tricked NASA into helping him film his Sundance-bound epic". The Globe and Mail, January 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ Brent Furdyk, "2019 Canadian Screen Awards: Complete List Of Winners From Televised Gala". ET Canada, March 31, 2019.
  11. ↑ Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
  12. ↑ Connie Thiessen, "Canadian Screen Awards winners: Cinematic Arts". Broadcast Dialogue, May 30, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie". Sxsw.