Kelley Baker
Encyclopedia
Kelley Baker was born July 20, 1957. He is an independent filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon
, United States
and the writer and director of three indie
feature films: Birddog (1999), The Gas Cafe (2001), and Kicking Bird (2005). He specializes in creating extreme low-budget narrrative films, usually bending a few laws in his favor to perfect his piece that typically spotlights his distaste for corporate greed. His characters tend to be average with some character flaw that draws the viewer in.
He started making short films in the late 1980s http://www.opb.org/programs/artbeat/segments/view/258. Some of them have aired on PBS, The Learning Channel, and Canadian and Australian television. His films and style have been recognized in publications ranging from Runners World to Filmmaker magazine.
Baker has spent the last six years touring the US teaching his unique and scrupulous brand of filmmaking at workshops and showing his films to audiences at art house theaters, colleges, universities and media art centers. His methods might be considered guerrilla film making. For example, on the set of the Gas Cafe, Baker received permission to shoot in a local bar after closing, eliminating the need for a costly studio or constructed set. He set up all his lights on the rigging in the ceiling of the bar. Therefore, as soon as the place closed for the day, all Baker needed to do was turn on his own set of lights and shooting could commence.
The Gas Cafe (2001) has been called "an old Twilight Zone episode, that has collided with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot". Five people collide in a bar one night. The twist? One is dead, one never lived and the other three are lying. Shot in digital video in just 8 nights and made for $4000, the movie was said to have been funded entirely on unemployment checks.
Kicking Bird (2005) is about a 17-year-old high school student, Martin "Bird" Johnson. Considered nothing but white trash, Johnson's mother is in jail, his father gone, one brother in a work camp, and a bitter grandfather who beats him. When the greedy high school track coach sees Martin outrun his whole team, he realizes the boy may be his ticket to a college coaching position. The film was shot with digital video in 18 days with a budget of $5000. The Runner’s Gazette says, "Kicking Bird Kicks Butt!"
(1993), Pioneer Fund Emerging Documentary Filmmaker grant for his film Criminal Justice(1985), Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust (1984), The Maurie Clark Foundation (1984), and a technical assistance grant from RACC (2004). Baker has completed two documentaries for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Juvenile Justice Office of the Department of Justice (1999).
The Stirling Art Centre at Macrobert University in Stirling, Scotland, ran a retrospective of Kelley's work in 2006. The Pacific Film Archives and The Northwest Film Center have hosted a retrospective of Baker's short films.
, including My Own Private Idaho
, Good Will Hunting
, and Finding Forrester
. He designed the sound on Todd Haynes
feature film, Far from Heaven
, with Dennis Quaid
and Julianne Moore
. He was the picture editor and sound designer on Will Vinton's The Adventures of Mark Twain
, Meet the Raisins, and four Claymation Specials for CBS
. He has also worked with Roger Corman as Assistant ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) Mixer on Humanoids from the Deep in 1996.
teaching about indie filmmaking at workshops and showing his films to audiences at art house theaters, colleges, universities and media art centers. Baker has appeared in over 200 cities and 350 venues.
In the last six years, some of the locations Kelley has spoken at include: USC Cinema, Macrobert University in Stirling, Scotland, University College, the Dublin Institute of Technology both in Dublin, Ireland, Rochester Institute of Technology, Columbia College, Depaul both in Chicago, Illinois, 911 Media Arts Center
in Seattle, Washington, Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, Blinding Light Cinema in Vancouver, British Columbia, Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, Reel Women, University of Texas both in Austin, Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Desert Reel Film Festival in Midland, Texas, Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee, Indie Memphis in Tennessee, Zeitgeist Multidisciplinary Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Capri Theatre in Montgomery, Alabama, the Artsfest Film Festival (as keynote speaker) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association both in Pennsylvania, Proxy Theatre in Northampton, Pennsylvania, the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild in West Virginia, Madlab Theatre in Columbus, Ohia, Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, Nightengale Theatre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Wichita State University in Kansas.
Baker is also directing The American Dream: A Work in Progress 2006-07. He has spent two years, interviewing people across the country about the American Dream. It is scheduled to be released in the late 2008.
. He received a BA
(1980) and an MFA
(1982) in Film Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts
and did post graduate work at the American Film Institute
(1989).
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the writer and director of three indie
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
feature films: Birddog (1999), The Gas Cafe (2001), and Kicking Bird (2005). He specializes in creating extreme low-budget narrrative films, usually bending a few laws in his favor to perfect his piece that typically spotlights his distaste for corporate greed. His characters tend to be average with some character flaw that draws the viewer in.
He started making short films in the late 1980s http://www.opb.org/programs/artbeat/segments/view/258. Some of them have aired on PBS, The Learning Channel, and Canadian and Australian television. His films and style have been recognized in publications ranging from Runners World to Filmmaker magazine.
Baker has spent the last six years touring the US teaching his unique and scrupulous brand of filmmaking at workshops and showing his films to audiences at art house theaters, colleges, universities and media art centers. His methods might be considered guerrilla film making. For example, on the set of the Gas Cafe, Baker received permission to shoot in a local bar after closing, eliminating the need for a costly studio or constructed set. He set up all his lights on the rigging in the ceiling of the bar. Therefore, as soon as the place closed for the day, all Baker needed to do was turn on his own set of lights and shooting could commence.
Feature films
Using the money he made from Good Will Hunting, Kelley financed his first feature film, Birddog (1999), the story of used car salesman, Harv Beckman, operating in a trashy part of town. Beckman accidentally comes into possession of a rare 1948 Kaiser automobile, stirring up disturbing revelations about the facts behind the 1948 Vanport, Oregon, flood that destroyed an entire community. The film explores racism, greed, and class in a very corrupt city. It opened the 2000 São Paulo Film Festival in Brazil, and one critic referred to Kelley’s style as "Bruce Springsteen meets David Lynch".The Gas Cafe (2001) has been called "an old Twilight Zone episode, that has collided with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot". Five people collide in a bar one night. The twist? One is dead, one never lived and the other three are lying. Shot in digital video in just 8 nights and made for $4000, the movie was said to have been funded entirely on unemployment checks.
Kicking Bird (2005) is about a 17-year-old high school student, Martin "Bird" Johnson. Considered nothing but white trash, Johnson's mother is in jail, his father gone, one brother in a work camp, and a bitter grandfather who beats him. When the greedy high school track coach sees Martin outrun his whole team, he realizes the boy may be his ticket to a college coaching position. The film was shot with digital video in 18 days with a budget of $5000. The Runner’s Gazette says, "Kicking Bird Kicks Butt!"
Recognition
Baker is the recipient of a Western States Media Arts Fellowship (1997) as well as grants from the SOROS Fund (2000), The Collins Foundation (2000), the Oregon Arts CommissionOregon Arts Commission
The Oregon Arts Commission is a governor-appointed body of nine commissioners who allocate grants for artists based in the U.S. state of Oregon. It receives the bulk of its funding through the National Endowment for the Arts, the state, and the Oregon Cultural Trust.-History:Established in 1967,...
(1993), Pioneer Fund Emerging Documentary Filmmaker grant for his film Criminal Justice(1985), Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust (1984), The Maurie Clark Foundation (1984), and a technical assistance grant from RACC (2004). Baker has completed two documentaries for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Juvenile Justice Office of the Department of Justice (1999).
The Stirling Art Centre at Macrobert University in Stirling, Scotland, ran a retrospective of Kelley's work in 2006. The Pacific Film Archives and The Northwest Film Center have hosted a retrospective of Baker's short films.
Projects with other filmmakers
Baker was the sound designer on six feature films directed by Gus Van SantGus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
, including My Own Private Idaho
My Own Private Idaho
My Own Private Idaho is a 1991 independent drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V, and starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves...
, Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård...
, and Finding Forrester
Finding Forrester
EnglishFinding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace , is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester , through whom he refines his...
. He designed the sound on Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes is an American independent film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his feature films Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Poison, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, and the Academy Award-nominated Far from Heaven and I'm Not There.- Style and themes :The writes that "Haynes is...
feature film, Far from Heaven
Far from Heaven
Far from Heaven is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, and Patricia Clarkson....
, with Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
and Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
. He was the picture editor and sound designer on Will Vinton's The Adventures of Mark Twain
The Adventures of Mark Twain
The Adventures of Mark Twain is a 1944 biographical film starring Fredric March as Samuel Clemens and Alexis Smith as his wife, Olivia...
, Meet the Raisins, and four Claymation Specials for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. He has also worked with Roger Corman as Assistant ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) Mixer on Humanoids from the Deep in 1996.
Projects in film education
As proprietor of Angry Filmmaker, Baker tours the United States and United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
teaching about indie filmmaking at workshops and showing his films to audiences at art house theaters, colleges, universities and media art centers. Baker has appeared in over 200 cities and 350 venues.
In the last six years, some of the locations Kelley has spoken at include: USC Cinema, Macrobert University in Stirling, Scotland, University College, the Dublin Institute of Technology both in Dublin, Ireland, Rochester Institute of Technology, Columbia College, Depaul both in Chicago, Illinois, 911 Media Arts Center
911 Media Arts Center
911 Media Arts Center is a non-profit media arts and access center located in Seattle, Washington. 911 Media Arts Center was incorporated on August 14, 1984 to support the expressive use of media tools through training, equipment and access grants. The organization also provides a forum and venue...
in Seattle, Washington, Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, Blinding Light Cinema in Vancouver, British Columbia, Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, Reel Women, University of Texas both in Austin, Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Desert Reel Film Festival in Midland, Texas, Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee, Indie Memphis in Tennessee, Zeitgeist Multidisciplinary Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Capri Theatre in Montgomery, Alabama, the Artsfest Film Festival (as keynote speaker) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association both in Pennsylvania, Proxy Theatre in Northampton, Pennsylvania, the West Virginia Filmmakers Guild in West Virginia, Madlab Theatre in Columbus, Ohia, Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, Nightengale Theatre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Wichita State University in Kansas.
Books
Baker is also the author of The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide: Making the Extreme No Budget Film released in 2008. His second book, Sound Conversations with (UN)Sound People is due for release in 2011.Future projects
Baker is producing and directing Dangerous: Kay Boyle, a feature documentary chronicling the life of the woman called "the most dangerous woman in America" by S.I. Hiyakawa in 1967. This work in progress was featured at the Independent Feature Film Market in New York.Baker is also directing The American Dream: A Work in Progress 2006-07. He has spent two years, interviewing people across the country about the American Dream. It is scheduled to be released in the late 2008.
Education
Baker attended the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He received a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(1980) and an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
(1982) in Film Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
and did post graduate work at the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
(1989).
External links
- Filmmaker Kelley Baker 21 Nov 2009. Introduction to Video Production. George Fox University.