Ross Wood Bio

December 2009 saw Ross direct and shoot his 250th country music video.

Ross has won three CMAA (Golden Guitar) Awards, CMAA Video Director of the Year, CMT International’s award for Best Australian Video and Director Of The Year and the Australian Independent Music Video Award for Production Unit Of The Year for 2009.

Amongst many other country artists, Ross has made videos for Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, Troy Cassar-Daley, Melinda Schneider, Adam Brand, Dianna Corcoran, James Blundell, Beccy Cole, Jetty Road, The Sunny Cowgirls, Felicity Urquhart, The McClymonts, Adam Harvey, Catherine Britt, Sara Storer and The Flood.

Ross has been nominated for a CMAA award every year since 1997 but for the awards of 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Ross received two nominations for Video Clip Of The Year. Ross also produced the Golden Guitar Awards of 2004.

Ross’ career started as an audio assistant at Channel Ten in Sydney in 1979 before he became a cameraman in 1980. Ross moved to GTV Nine in Melbourne in 1984 where he attained his senior ranking. In 1986, Ross was appointed as a staff producer.

Late 1987 saw Ross move back to Sydney and take up the full time role of producing and directing all of Network Ten’s special projects in programme openers and promotions. Whilst at Channel Ten Ross also directed TV videos for Genesis, INXS and Midnight Oil.

Ross directed his first music video clip in 1989, kicking off a career that would see him produce and direct clips for some of the biggest names in Australian pop music including Tina Arena (producing all but one of her clips from her multi-platinum ‘Don’t Ask’ album) and Human Nature (produce and direct 6 clips), including the one for ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’, which was nominated as Best Australian Video at the MTV awards in the USA.

During the next few years, Ross would also produce and direct videos for Girlfriend (8), CDB (3), Rick Price (5), Tommy Emmanuel (3), Kate Ceberano (2) and many other artists. He would also produce countless EPK (electronic press kit) and mini documentaries for artists such as Tina Arena, Daryl Braithwaite, Noiseworks, Human Nature and Midnight Oil.

Whilst building a successful music video career; Ross also co-created and was the creative director for the early nineties Australian pop sensation GIRLFRIEND. Apart from producing and directing their videos and helping to create their look, Ross was responsible for the day to day management of the group and toured with the girls extensively throughout the world including a ground breaking trip to Beijing for two concerts.

In 1994, Ross produced and directed a series of commercials for the Broadway Musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’, which were also used as the U.S. campaign.

In September 2000, Ross worked on a full time freelance basis producing, directing and co-writing most of music cable network Music Country’s local product on Foxtel.

In Mid 2004, Ross delivered the third series of ABC TV's ‘Live at The Basement’ which he co-created, co-produced and directed. Whilst also making a series of DVDs for The Basement, Ross also produced EPK and documentary material for george, The Superjesus and Hugh Jackman.

Between 2004 and 2008 Ross devoted most of his energy to country music videos as well as music documentary and album cover and promotional photography. It’s during these years that Ross made many trips to the United States and directed and shot over thirty clips across states such as Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, California and Indiana.

In 2008, Ross was awarded his third CMAA (Golden Guitar) Award and reach an historic milestone of having made over two hundred country music videos, countless of which went to number one on the Country Music Channel (CMC) chart. Along with the nearly one hundred rock and pop videos Ross has directed, according to the Rock Historian, Glenn A Baker, Ross has made more music videos than any other Australian Director.