RA Beattie
Director, DP, Producer
EXPERIENCE: +25 Years
RA Beattie is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, creative director, producer, and founder of Off the Grid Studios—an award-winning premium media company specializing in cinematic storytelling across film, television, documentary, commercial media, travel, conservation, and outdoor culture.
Raised in Aspen, Colorado, RA grew up immersed in the world of outdoor media and storytelling. His grandfather, Bob Beattie, was a legendary U.S. Ski Team coach, Olympic commentator, and longtime host of Ski World on ESPN, introducing generations of viewers to the world of skiing. From an early age, RA found himself backstage in production trailers at ski races, around camera crews, and inside the world of outdoor television—experiences that would quietly shape the trajectory of his life.
His upbringing was equally rooted in the outdoors. Growing up fishing the waters of Woody Creek—near the home of American icon Hunter S. Thompson—RA developed a deep connection to wild places and the stories they hold. He was later mentored in business by his stepfather, Tom Bedell, founder of Pure Fishing, the world’s largest fishing company, helping shape an early understanding of entrepreneurship, product, and brand building.
By age 14, RA began working as a guide apprentice, eventually spending more than a decade guiding and hosting clients across the American West and abroad. At 18, he was running a guide program at a fly shop in Aspen and later founded the first U.S. fly-fishing guide service in Slovenia, helping introduce American anglers to one of Europe’s emerging trout destinations.
After studying creative writing and film at the University of Puget Sound and film & TV production at Full Sail University, RA went on to help pioneer the modern fly-fishing film movement—playing a foundational role in elevating the sport through cinematic storytelling over the past two decades.
Today, RA and his Emmy-nominated team at Off the Grid Studios create award-winning films, television series, branded campaigns, and commercial media around the globe. His work includes three seasons of MeatEater’s acclaimed Das Boat series, festival-winning documentary films, major commercial campaigns, and some of the most recognized storytelling in fly fishing and outdoor media.
In parallel with filmmaking, RA spent more than 16 years in the music industry helping lead marketing, artist relations, ecommerce, product launches, and brand strategy for one of the world’s leading sustainable guitar companies. That rare combination of storytelling, business strategy, product marketing, and hands-on production continues to shape Off the Grid’s unique approach to creating meaningful, high-impact media.
At the core of RA’s work is a commitment to conservation, authentic storytelling, and helping brands, destinations, and audiences connect more deeply to the people, places, and ideas that matter.
