IEC
#1: "Conjurer" [2007]
#2: "CyberTracker" [1993]
#3: "The Prof" [1968] [Photos courtesy of Ken Blakey]
Born: 17 July 1947, Jackson, Mississippi, USA, as Kenneth T. Blakey.
Education: University of Southern Mississippi [USM] [Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications (major: Radio/TV/Film; minor: Journalism)].
Career: 'I have been a Director of Photography in Los Angeles since 1989 working almost exclusively in the independent feature world. I started my career in San Francisco shooting documentaries and commercials and then moved into fashion and glamour as both still photographer and cinematographer. I relocated to Los Angeles specifically to pursue a career in feature films. I have shot over sixty features and my greatest love continues to be working with people who recognize and respect artistry and have the same passion for movies and the process of making them that I do.'
Shot his first short feature 'The Prof' [1968] during his stay at USM.
Also active as still ph & composer/musician.
Awards: as photographer: Blue Ribbon honors, Ansel Adams Gallery, Monterey, Calif., for his large format fine art photography.
Website: Ken Blakey
Charles Fleischer & Rodney Dangerfield - "The 4th Tenor" [2001]
'The
4th Tenor' [2001]: At the Serenade Café, Ken Blakey lit the stage with a follow
spot gelled to warm up skin tones slightly. By contrast, the street exteriors,
also filmed on the Universal back lot, were kept slightly cooler in color
temperature.
"In the café, I wanted a warm and inviting, natural look with true skin tones," says Blakey. "When we're out on the New York streets, I wanted the look a little cooler because you're down in the canyons between buildings and there's a lot of ultra-violet light. I shot the Italian scenes with a Tiffen #1 chocolate filter on the lens and timed it warm, so that it looks a little bit old world - very warm and inviting. There's a definite difference to the feel and the look."
Blakey photographed [Rodney] Dangerfield with wide lenses to accentuate his trademark bug-eyed look. He generally prefers wider lenses because they help to place the character in the environment. Blakey also chooses to create looks in the camera, using filtration and lighting.
His filter package usually included a #1 Ultracon and a 1/8 white Pro-Mist from Tiffen. Blakey shot the entire film on Kodak Vision 500T 5279 film. "I started using one film stock after seeing Dante Spinotti's work on 'Heat'," he says. "I read that he shot the whole movie on [Eastman EXR 500T] 5298 film. It's not something I do every time; different shows call for different approaches. But when you're shooting multiple cameras and multiple units in changing light, it solves a lot of problems."
Blakey generally overexposed the negative, shooting the 500 speed film at an E.I. of 320 and sometimes 250. "You want a bullet-proof negative," he says. "There's no reason for underexposure, which can bring graininess and lose contrast. Pushed a stop, the 5279 looks gorgeous." [From the KODAK OnFilm website, 2002.]
FILMS | |
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1974 |
A Day in the Life of Bonnie Consolo [Barry Spinello] 16mm/c; doc/17m |
1974 |
Massage Parlor Wife [Barry Spinello] c |
1975 |
House of Kinky Pleasures/Kinky Perversion [Artaur Ego] c; 58m |
1975 |
The Erotic Fortune Cookies/Chinatown Blue [Artaur Ego] c; 59m |
1983 |
Not in Vain: A Portrait of Erika [Barry Spinello] c; doc/44m; prod for the Erika Lohse Foundation |
1990 |
The Last Riders [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin |
1990 |
The Art of Dying [Wings Hauser] c; 2uc (+ gaffer); ph: Richard Pepin |
1991 |
Ring of Fire [Richard W. Munchkin] c; 2uc (+ gaffer); ph: Richard Pepin |
1991 |
A Time to Die [Charles T. Kanganis] c |
1991 |
Bikini Summer [Robert Veze] 16mm-35bu/c |
1991 |
Sunset Strip [Paul G. Volk] 16mm-35bu/c |
1991 |
Maximum Force [Joseph Merhi] c |
1992 |
Intent to Kill [Charles T. Kanganis] c; 2uc: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Bikini Summer 2 [Jeff Conaway] 16mm-35bu/c |
1992 |
C.I.A. Code Name: Alexa [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Eye of the Stranger [David Heavener] c; co-2uc; ph: Paul A. Edwards |
1992 |
Ring of Fire II: Blood and Steel/Rage: Ring of Fire II [Richard W. Munchkin] c; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Fist of Honor [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Garett (as Garret) Griffin |
1992 |
Magic Kid/Ninja Dragons/Tiger Kid [Joseph Merhi] c/V; + ph Michigan crew (dir by Jerry Jacobs); 2uc: Garett (as Garret) Griffin |
1992 |
To Be the Best [Joseph Merhi] c/V; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Alien Intruder [Ricardo Jacques Gale] c/V; 2uc; ph: Michael Pinkey |
1993 |
Private Wars [John Weidner] c/V; 2uc; ph: Garett Griffin |
1993 |
Firepower [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Garett Griffin; spec vfx: Frank Isaacs |
1993 |
Magic Kid 2 [Stephen Furst] c; 2uc: Garett Griffin |
1993 |
CIA II: Target Alexa [Lorenzo Lamas] c; 2uc (+ gaffer); ph: Richard Pepin |
1993 |
Direct Hit [Joseph Merhi & (add dir) Paul G. Volk] c; 2uc: Richard Pepin |
1993 |
Ice [Brook Yeaton] c; 2uc: Garett Griffin |
1993 |
Guardian Angel/Beyond Justice [Richard W. Munchkin] c/V; co-2uc; ph: Garett Griffin |
1993 |
CyberTracker [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Garett Griffin; spec vfx: Frank Isaacs; optical ph: Mark Corzine |
1993 |
A Dangerous Place/No Surrender [Jerry P. Jacobs] c; 2uc: Garett Griffin |
1993 |
Deadly Target/Fire Zone [Charla Driver] c; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin |
1993 |
Zero Tolerance [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Garett Griffin |
1994 |
T-Force [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Maurice McGuire & Joe Backes; spec vfx: Frank H. Isaacs |
1994 |
Storybook/Adventure Land [Lorenzo Doumani] c; co-2uc; ph: Hanania Baer |
1994 |
Lion Strike/Ring of Fire 3: Lion Strike [Rick Jacobson] c; co-2uc; ph: Garett Griffin |
1994 |
Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter [Corey Michael Eubanks] c |
1994 |
Steel Frontier [Jacobsen Hart & Paul G. Volk] c/V; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin |
1994 |
Last Man Standing [Joseph Merhi] c/V; 2uc: Jacques Haitkin & Maurice K. McGuire |
1994 |
Hologram Man [Richard Pepin] c |
1994 |
The Power Within/Power Man [Art Camacho] c; 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire |
1995 |
CyberTracker 2 [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire & William Tunnicliffe; vfx superv: Frank Isaacs |
1995 |
Rage [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic |
1995 |
To the Limit [Raymond Martino] c; ph Los Angeles; ph: Henryk Cymerman |
1995 |
Midnight Temptations 2/Devotion [Rob Spera] 16mm/c; 2u c.op: Jeffrey Orsa |
1995 |
Tiger Heart [Georges Chamchoum] c; co-2uc; ph: Maurice K. McGuire |
1995 |
The Silencers [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire |
1995 |
The Misery Brothers [Lorenzo Doumani] c; 2uc; ph: Hanania Baer |
1995 |
The Sweeper [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic |
1995 |
Pure Danger [C. Thomas Howell] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic & Maurice K. McGuire |
1995 |
Little Bigfoot [Art Camacho] c |
1995 |
Dark Breed [Richard Pepin] c; 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire |
1996 |
One Clean Move [D.W. Brown] 16mm/c; short/15m |
1996 |
Riot [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic |
1996 |
The Assault [Jim Wynorski] c; 2uc; ph: Zoran Hochstätter |
1996 |
Black Sea Raid/Special Forces [Jenö Hodi] c; cph: Valery Roko |
1996 |
Freedom Strike [Jerry P. Jacobs] c; 2uc: Bill Tunnicliffe & David Kiang; c.op naval seq: Gary Graver & Mark Putnam |
1996 |
Executive Target [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Jürgen Baum |
1996 |
The Underground [Cole S. McKay] c |
1997 |
Whatever It Takes [Brady MacKenzie] c; 2uc; ph: Andrea V. Rossotto |
1997 |
Dog Pie [Andrew Levy] c; short/5m |
1997 |
Simple As a Dog [Andrew Levy] c; short/13m |
1997 |
Recoil [Art Camacho] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic |
1997 |
Land of the Free [Jerry Jameson] c |
1997 |
Evasive Action/Steel Train [Jerry P. Jacobs] c; ph miniature efx: Chuy Elizondo |
1997 |
The Cutoff [Art Camacho] c; 2uc: Brett Allen |
1997 |
Love and War II [Sartaj Kahn (= James Tyler)] c |
1998 |
Dirt Merchant [: Alternative Investigator] [B.J. Nelson] c |
1998 |
Unconditional Love [Steven Rush] c |
1998 |
Can't Stop Dancing [Steven Falick & Ben Zook] c; addph; ph: Mac Ahlberg |
1998 |
Running Red [Jerry P. Jacobs] c/V; 2uc: Howard Wexler |
1998 |
Psycho Too [Andrew Levy] b&w; short/5m |
1998 |
Final Voyage [Jay Andrews (= Jim Wynorski)] c/V; + addph; 2u c.op: Maurice McGuire |
1998 |
No Tomorrow [Master P (= Percy Miller)] c/V; 2uc (+ 2ud): Igor Meglic |
1999 |
Epicenter [Richard Pepin] c; co-2uc; ph: Richard Leiterman |
1999 |
Hot Boyz/Gang Law [Master P (= Percy Miller) & (action dir) Spiro Razatos] c/V; 2uc: Jacques Haitkin; 3uc: Paul Janossy |
1999 |
The Stray [Kevin Mock] c/V; 2uc: Maurice McGuire |
1999 |
Rangers [Jay Andrews (= Jim Wynorski)] c/V |
1999 |
Terror Tract/House on Terror Tract [Lance W. Dreesen (seg 'Make Me An Offer' & 'Bobo') & Clint Hutchison (seg 'Nightmare' & 'Come to Granny')] c; 4 seg |
1999 |
Running from the Shadows [Steven Rush] s16/c |
1999 |
Agent Red [Damian Lee] c; 2uc (+ re-shoots ph dir by Jim Wynorski): Robin Melhuish; optical ph: James R. Kerrigan |
2000 |
The Black Rose [Steven Rush] s16/c |
2000 |
Savage Season [Mike Tristano] DVcam-to-35mm/c |
2000 |
Extreme Honor/Last Line of Defence 2 [Steven Rush] c/V; 2uc: Maurice McGuire |
With dir Harry Basil [left] - "The 4th Tenor"
2001 |
The 4th Tenor [Harry Basil] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic; see above |
2002 |
Back by Midnight [Harry Basil] c |
2002 |
El Padrino [Damian Chapa] c; 2uc; ph: Pierre Chemaly |
2002 |
White Rush [Mark L. Lester] c |
2003 |
Hatchetman [Robert Tiffi] s16/c; 2uc: Roberto Schein |
2005 |
Back in Time [Ari Bass] HD/c |
2005 |
The Legend of William Tell [Fred Olen Ray] HD/c |
2006 |
Big Bad Wolf [Lance W. Dreesen] c; addph; ph: Stephen Crawford |
[Right] with dir Joseph Merhi - "Game of Life/Oranges"
2006 |
Game of Life/Oranges [Joseph Merhi] HD/c |
2006 |
Half Past Dead 2/Justified [Art Camacho] s16/c/V |
2007 |
Conjurer [Clint Hutchison] HD/c |
2008 |
Tommy and the Cool Mule/Jackie A. [Andrew Stevens] HD/c/V |
2008 |
The Way Home/Our Child Is Missing [Lance W. Dreesen] HD/c |
2008 |
Saint Seiya [Joseph Merhi] announced |
2009 |
Breaking the Press [Andrew Stevens] HD/c |
2012 |
Jessabelle [Kevin Greutert] HD (ARRI ALEXA)/c; 2uc; ph: Michael Fimognari |
2013 |
Demonic/House of the Dead/House of Horror [Will Canon] c; 2uc; ph: Michael Fimognari |
TELEVISION | |
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1995 |
Beverly Hills Bordello [ep #1 'Reunion' dir by Robert Angelo & #2 'Inspiration' dir by Robert Davis] 27-part series/16mm, 1996-98; 1st season; other ph: Carl Oakwood, Keith L. Smith, a.o. |
1996 |
L.A. Heat [ep #16 'Falcon' dir by Joseph Merhi] 48-part series/16mm, 1997 & 1999; 1st season (26 ep), 1997; 2uc (#16): Steve Jackman |
1997 |
L.A. Heat [ep #29 'Burning Sanctuary' dir by Bill Tunnicliffe, #30 'Strip Show' dir by Jerry Jacobs & #33 'John Doe' dir by Paul G. Volk] 2nd season (22 ep), 1999; 2uc: Mike Weaver (#29), Bill Tunnicliffe (#30) & Charles Schner (#33); see 1996 |
1997 |
L.A. Heat [ep #31 'Eyewitness' dir by Kevin Mock & #32 'Little Saigon' dir by Richard W. Munchkin] 2nd season (22 ep), 1999; 2uc; ph: Bill Tunnicliffe (#31) & Charles Schner (#32); see 1996 |
1999 |
Sacrifice [Mark L. Lester] tvm; co-2uc; ph: Robert Steadman |
2000 |
Role of a Lifetime [Antony Alda] tvm; 2uc; ph: Troy Smith |
2002 |
Recipe for Disaster [Harvey Frost] tvm; 2uc; ph: Christopher C. Pearson |
2005 |
A.I. Assault/Shockwave [Jay Andrews (= Jim Wynorski)] tvm |
2005 |
Women on Death Row [Angie Brown & Philip Reeder] doc/60m/BetaSP; cph: George Feucht, a.o. |
2006 |
Christmas Do-Over/Christmas Every Day [Catherine Cyran] tvm/HD; 2uc: Euripides Núñez |
2007 |
Sands of Oblivion [David Flores] tvm; co-2uc; ph: Keith Duggan; for Sci-Fi Channel |
2007 |
Fire from Below [J.R. Mandish (= Jim Wynorski)] tvm |
2009 |
Mongolian Death Worm [Steven R. Monroe] tvm; 2uc; ph: Neil Lisk; for Syfy Channel (2010) |
2009 |
Mandrake/Unearthed [Tripp Reed] tvm/35mm-to-HD; 2uc: David Blood; for Syfy Channel (2010) |
2011 |
The Jadagrace Show [Joseph Merhi] sitcom series, 2012 |
MISCELLANEOUS | |
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1971 |
The Brain Machine/Gray Matter/Mind Warp [- An Infinity of Terror] [Joy N. Houck, Jr.] uncred props; ph (+ ed): Robert A. Weaver |
1979 |
Board and Care [Ron Ellis; short] gaffer; ph: Frederic Goodich |
1979 |
Fear No Evil/Mark of the Beast/Lucifer [Frank LaLoggia] gaffer; ph: Fred Goodich |
1990 |
The Killer's Edge/Blood Money [Joseph Merhi] gaffer; ph: Richard Pepin |
1990 |
The Art of Dying [Wings Hauser] gaffer (+ 2uc); ph: Richard Pepin |
1991 |
Ring of Fire [Richard W. Munchkin] gaffer (+ 2uc); ph: Richard Pepin |
1991 |
Final Impact [Joseph Merhi & Steven Smoke] gaffer; ph: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Street Crimes/Dead Even [Steven Smoke] gaffer; ph: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Out for Blood [Richard W. Munchkin] gaffer; ph: Richard Pepin |
1992 |
Deadly Bet [Richard W. Munchkin] gaffer; ph: Richard Pepin |
2001 |
Earth vs. The Spider [Scott Ziehl; tvm] c.op 'b' cam; ph: Tom Callaway |
2007 |
Cheerleader Massacre 2 [Brad Rushing] co-c.op 1st unit; ph: B. Rushing |
2012 |
The Little Rascals Save the Day/The Little Rascals [Alex Zamm] c.op 2u; 2uc: Keith J. Duggan; ph: Levie Isaacks |
FILMS & TELEVISION AS DIRECTOR | |
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1996 |
L.A. Heat [ep #18 'Smash and Grab'] 1st season (26 ep), 1997; ph: Jürgen Baum; 2uc: Bill Tunnicliffe; see Television |
1997 |
Bikini Summer III: South Beach Heat [feature; + prod] ph: Scott Mumford |