Ariel Schulman Biography: Net Worth, Age, Height, Ethnicity, Awards, Movies, Parents
Marek Ariel Schulman, also called Ariel Schulman and Rel Schulman, is an American filmmaker, director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and actor born on October 2, 1981, in New York City.
He became prominent as the co-director, producer, cinematographer and participant in the 2010 documentary Catfish, a film centered on his younger brother Nev Schulman and an unusual online relationship.
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Ariel later formed the directing partnership Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, producing films such as Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, Nerve, Viral, Project Power, and Secret Headquarters.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Marek Ariel Schulman |
| Stage Name: | Ariel Schulman |
| Born: | October 2, 1981 (age 45 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | New York City, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | Jewish-American |
| Height: | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Religion: | Judaism |
| Parents: | Robert Schulman and Claudia Barasch |
| Siblings: | Nev Schulman, Jessica Hirshon |
| Occupation: | Filmmaker, Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Actor |
| Net Worth: | $7 million |
Early Life and Education
Ariel Schulman was born Marek Ariel Schulman on October 2, 1981, in New York City.
He was raised by his parents, Robert Schulman and Claudia Barasch, in a Jewish family.
His father, Robert, later built a long career in New York real estate, while his mother, Claudia Barasch, pursued work in the arts, education and nonprofit activity.
Family records also identify Ariel’s younger brother as Yaniv “Nev” Schulman, while Jessica Hirshon is another sibling.
Growing up in New York exposed Ariel to the city’s artistic and cultural environment from an early age.
His family had connections to both the arts and creative communities, and his brother Nev eventually developed an interest in photography, dance and filmmaking.
Ariel and Nev later became professionally connected, particularly after establishing a production company together during their younger years.
Ariel’s Jewish heritage is an important part of his family background. Public biographical sources describe the Schulman brothers as coming from a German-Jewish, Russian-Jewish, Polish-Jewish and Romanian-Jewish heritage.
His upbringing in New York also placed him close to the city’s independent film, photography and artistic communities.
His interest in filmmaking developed alongside his broader attraction to visual storytelling.
He became interested in creating short-form visual material, commercials and independent projects rather than following a conventional Hollywood route.
His friendship and creative relationship with Henry Joost, whom he met during high school, later became one of the defining professional partnerships of his career.
Schulman attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, studying film. He graduated from the Tisch film program in 2004, giving him formal training in filmmaking before he moved more deeply into commercial production, documentaries and independent cinema.
Career
Ariel Schulman began building his filmmaking career in the 2000s, initially working across several areas of production, including art direction, cinematography, editing and short-form filmmaking.
His early screen credits included the short film Jerry Ruis, Shall We Do This?, while his production work gradually expanded into commercials and independent projects.
In 2006, Schulman and Henry Joost established the New York production company Supermarché. The company became the base for their work in commercials, music-related projects, short films and eventually feature filmmaking.
Their creative partnership allowed them to combine documentary techniques, visual experimentation and commercial filmmaking.
The major turning point came in 2010 when Schulman, Joost and Nev Schulman became involved in Catfish.
Ariel directed, produced and photographed the documentary, which followed Nev as he investigated an online relationship that gradually became more complicated.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received substantial attention before reaching theaters. Its subject matter helped establish the term “catfishing” in popular culture.
After Catfish, Schulman and Joost moved into larger commercial productions. They directed Paranormal Activity 3 in 2011 and Paranormal Activity 4 in 2012, giving the filmmaking pair major exposure inside the horror genre.
They later directed Nerve in 2016, a thriller centered on an online game, followed by Viral, another technology-focused thriller released the same year.
Schulman continued combining mainstream filmmaking and shorter creative projects.
He worked on documentary projects such as A Brief History of John Baldessari, commercial campaigns and fashion-related films, including projects created for Vogue.
He also remained involved in Catfish: The TV Show as an executive producer and writer, extending the documentary’s concept into television.
In 2020, Schulman and Joost directed the Netflix science-fiction action film Project Power, starring Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dominique Fishback.
Their later feature work included the 2022 family superhero film Secret Headquarters, which they directed and co-wrote. Schulman has also continued working in short films, commercials and documentary projects under the Supermarché banner.
As an actor, Schulman has appeared in smaller roles, including Tom Weston in Queer.
His career therefore spans directing, producing, writing, cinematography and acting rather than remaining limited to one filmmaking discipline.
Awards and Nominations
- MTV Movie & TV Award — Winner, 2022: Best Real-Life Mystery or Crime Series for Catfish: The TV Show, shared among the show’s principal producers and creative team.
- SXSW Film Festival — Audience Award: Recognition associated with NY Export: Opus Jazz.
- Cinema Eye Honors — Nominee, 2011: Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film for Catfish.
- Cinema Eye Audience Choice Prize — Nominee, 2011: Catfish.
- Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards — Nominee, 2011: Best Film for Paranormal Activity 3.
- Webby Awards — Nominee: Recognition connected to the web short What’s the Big Idea.
Social Media
- Instagram: @relson__
Personal Life
Ariel Schulman is 44 years old. He is currently single and not married. There is no reliable public record confirming a current wife, long-term partner or children.
His family remains an important part of his personal and professional story. His younger brother Nev Schulman became the central figure in Catfish and later hosted Catfish: The TV Show.
Ariel’s filmmaking career therefore became closely connected to his brother’s public career, particularly during the development of the original documentary and its television continuation.
Ariel has also maintained a close professional relationship with Henry Joost. The two met during high school and eventually became creative partners, establishing Supermarché and directing several major films together.
Their partnership has covered documentaries, horror, thrillers, science fiction, commercials, fashion films and short-form projects.
His personal interests appear closely connected to visual arts, cinema, photography and creative production.
His public work demonstrates an interest in documentary storytelling, contemporary culture, digital identity, advertising, dance and experimental short filmmaking.
A 2021 dance film, Another Dance Film, listed Schulman as director and editor, illustrating his continued involvement in experimental visual projects outside conventional feature cinema.
Net Worth
Ariel Schulman has a net worth of $7 million. His income has been generated primarily by his work as a film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and actor, alongside commercial filmmaking and production-company activity.
Filmography
- Catfish
- Paranormal Activity 3
- Paranormal Activity 4
- Nerve
- Viral
- Project Power
- Secret Headquarters
- A Brief History of John Baldessari
- NY Export: Opus Jazz
- Queer
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