KEN BLAKEY

#1: "Conjurer" [2007]

#2: "CyberTracker" [1993]

#3: "The Prof" [1968] [Photos courtesy of Ken Blakey]

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
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
1975	1983	1990	The Last Riders [Joseph Merhi] c;
1990	The Art of Dying [Wings Hauser] c;
1991	Ring of Fire [Richard W. Munchkin]
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]
1992	Bikini Summer 2 [Jeff Conaway] 16mm-35bu/c
1992	C.I.A. Code Name: Alexa [Joseph Merhi] c;
1992	Eye of the Stranger [David Heavener] c;
1992	Ring of Fire II: Blood [Richard W. Munchkin]
1992	Fist of Honor [Richard Pepin] c;
1992	1992	To Be the Best [Joseph Merhi] c/V;
1992	Alien Intruder [Ricardo Jacques Gale]
1993	Private Wars [John Weidner] c/V;
1993	Firepower [Richard Pepin] c;
1993	Magic Kid 2 [Stephen Furst] c;
1993	CIA II: Target Alexa [Lorenzo Lamas] c;
1993	Direct Hit [Joseph Merhi &
1993	Ice [Brook Yeaton] c;
1993	Guardian Angel/Beyond Justice [Richard W. Munchkin]
1993	1993	A Dangerous Place/No Surrender [Jerry P. Jacobs]
1993	Deadly Target/Fire Zone
1993	Zero Tolerance [Joseph Merhi] c;
1994	T-Force [Richard Pepin] c; Frank H. Isaacs
1994	1994	Lion Strike/Ring of Fire 3: Lion Strike [Rick Jacobson] c;
1994	Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter [Corey Michael Eubanks] c
1994	Steel Frontier [Jacobsen Hart &
1994	Last Man Standing [Joseph Merhi] c/V;
1994	Hologram Man [Richard Pepin] c
1994	The Power Within/Power Man [Art Camacho] c; 2uc:
1995	CyberTracker 2 [Richard Pepin] c; vfx superv: Frank Isaacs
1995	Rage [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic
1995	To the Limit [Raymond Martino]
1995	Midnight Temptations 2/Devotion [Rob Spera] 16mm/c;
1995	Tiger Heart [Georges Chamchoum]
1995	The Silencers [Richard Pepin] c;
1995	The Misery Brothers [Lorenzo Doumani]
1995	The Sweeper [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic
1995	Pure Danger [C. Thomas Howell]
1995	Little Bigfoot [Art Camacho] c
1995	Dark Breed [Richard Pepin] c;
1996	One Clean Move [D.W.
1996	Riot [Joseph Merhi] c; 2uc: Igor Meglic
1996	The Assault [Jim Wynorski] c;
1996	Black Sea Raid/Special Forces
1996	Freedom Strike [Jerry P. Jacobs] seq: Gary Graver & Mark Putnam
1996	Executive Target [Joseph Merhi] c;
1996	The Underground [Cole S. McKay] c
1997	Whatever It Takes [Brady MacKenzie]
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]
1997	The Cutoff [Art Camacho] c; 2uc: Brett Allen
1997	Love and War II [Sartaj
1998	Dirt Merchant [: Alternative
1998	Unconditional Love [Steven Rush] c
1998	Can't Stop Dancing [Steven Falick &
1998	Running Red [Jerry P. Jacobs]
1998	Psycho Too [Andrew Levy] b&w; short/5m
1998	Final Voyage [Jay Andrews (= McGuire
1998	No Tomorrow [Master P (= Percy
1999	Epicenter [Richard Pepin] c;
1999	1999	The Stray [Kevin Mock] c/V;
1999	Rangers [Jay Andrews (=
1999	Terror Tract/House on Terror Tract [Lance W. Dreesen (seg 'Nightmare'
1999	Running from the Shadows [Steven Rush] s16/c
1999	Agent Red [Damian Lee] c; 2uc 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 2uc: Maurice McGuire

Perversion [Artaur Ego] c; 58m 0">The Erotic Fortune Cookies/Chinatown Blue [Artaur Ego] c; 59m 0">Not in Vain: A Portrait of Erika [Barry Spinello] c; doc/44m; Lohse Foundation 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin 2uc (+ gaffer); ph: Richard Pepin c; 2uc (+ gaffer); ph: Richard Pepin c; 2uc: Richard Pepin 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin co-2uc; ph: Paul A. Edwards and Steel/Rage: Ring of Fire II c; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin 2uc: Garett (as Garret) Griffin 0">Magic Kid/Ninja Dragons/Tiger Kid + ph Michigan crew (dir by Jerry Jacobs); 2uc: Garett 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin c/V; 2uc; ph: Michael Pinkey 2uc; ph: Garett Griffin 2uc: Garett Griffin; spec vfx: Frank Isaacs 2uc: Garett Griffin 2uc (+ gaffer); ph: Richard Pepin (add dir) Paul G. Volk] c; 2uc: Richard Pepin 2uc: Garett Griffin c/V; co-2uc; ph: Garett Griffin 0">CyberTracker 2uc: Garett Griffin; spec vfx: Frank Isaacs; optical c; 2uc: Garett Griffin [Charla Driver] c; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin 2uc: Garett Griffin 2uc: Maurice McGuire & Joe Backes; spec vfx: 0">Storybook/Adventure c; co-2uc; ph: Hanania Baer co-2uc; ph: Garett Griffin Paul G. Volk] c/V; 2uc; ph: Richard Pepin 2uc: Jacques Haitkin & Maurice K. McGuire Maurice K. McGuire 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire & William Tunnicliffe; c; ph Los Angeles; ph: Henryk Cymerman 2u c.op: Jeffrey Orsa c; co-2uc; ph: Maurice K. McGuire 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire c; 2uc; ph: Hanania Baer c; 2uc: Igor Meglic & Maurice K. McGuire 2uc: Maurice K. McGuire Brown] 16mm/c; short/15m 2uc; ph: Zoran Hochstätter [Jenö Hodi] c; cph: Valery Roko c; 2uc: Bill Tunnicliffe & David Kiang; c.op naval 2uc: Jürgen Baum c; 2uc; ph: Andrea V. Rossotto c; ph miniature efx: Chuy Elizondo Kahn (= James Tyler)] c Investigator] [B.J. Nelson] c Ben Zook] c; addph; ph: Mac Ahlberg c/V; 2uc: Howard Wexler Jim Wynorski)] c/V; + addph; 2u c.op: Maurice Miller)] c/V; 2uc (+ 2ud): Igor Meglic co-2uc; ph: Richard Leiterman 0">Hot Boyz/Gang Law Miller) & (action dir) Spiro Razatos] Haitkin; 3uc: Paul Janossy 2uc: Maurice McGuire Jim Wynorski)] c/V (seg 'Make Me An Offer' & 'Bobo') & Clint Hutchison & 'Come to Granny')] c; 4 seg (+ re-shoots ph dir by Jim Wynorski): Robin Melhuish; Defence 2 [Steven Rush] c/V;

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
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
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
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