Barbara McCullough facts for kids

Barbara McCullough (born 1945) is a talented director, production manager, and visual effects artist. She is known for her experimental films and videos. Her work is often linked to the Los Angeles School of Black independent filmmaking. This group of filmmakers created movies outside of the big Hollywood studios.

Barbara McCullough is especially famous for films like Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification (1979). Other important works include Shopping Bag Spirits and Freeway ...: Reflections on Ritual Space (1980), Fragments (1980), and World Saxophone Quartet (1980).

Early Life and Learning

Barbara McCullough was born in New Orleans. When she was 11, her family moved to Los Angeles. Her father was a musician. Because he was a blind veteran, Barbara had chances to get scholarships. These helped her attend private school.

She went to Bishop Conaty Memorial High School. Later, she took classes at Cal State L.A. and L.A. Community College. She then got into UCLA through a special program.

Joining the L.A. Rebellion

At UCLA, Barbara became part of the "L.A. Rebellion" filmmakers. This was a group of Black filmmakers, many of whom were women of color. They included Alile Sharon Larkin, Julie Dash, and Jacqueline Frazier.

As a UCLA student, Barbara took part in "Project One." This was a challenge for new film students. They had to write, direct, and edit a movie in their first three months. This project was the start for many L.A. Rebellion filmmakers. From Project One, Barbara made her first film, Chephren-Khafra: Two Years of a Dynasty.

Creative Passions

Barbara loved dance, but she found other ways to be creative while studying at UCLA. She was also a mother of two children. She was interested in history, psychology, and literature. She especially liked the writer Zora Neale Hurston.

Her love for photography led her to experimental film and video. She wanted to be like the "Hurston of video." She aimed to show the "magic" and "richness" of her community. She wanted to tell untold stories of African American life.

Barbara earned her degrees in Communications Studies and Film and Television Production from UCLA. Her work made her an important part of the Los Angeles School. The women filmmakers in this group wanted to share ideas about Black history and experiences. They also often focused on women's stories. Barbara's films often explored themes of creativity and ritual.

She remembered that at UCLA, students supported each other. They saw themselves as independent filmmakers. She said, "Most of the time, no one had any real financial support, and it took some of us years to complete our projects." She also said it was a "highly politically charged environment," meaning people discussed many important social and political ideas.

Filmmaking Career

Independent Films

Barbara McCullough's first film, Chephren-Khafra: Two Years of a Dynasty, was her Project One film at UCLA. It shows her two-year-old son. The film mixes moving pictures and still photos. It explores themes like Egyptian history and the connection between Black people in different parts of the world and Africa. It also looks at Black women's imagination and family life.

Her film Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification was inspired by a friend going through a difficult time. It also draws from African spiritual ideas. The film shows a woman stirring a mixture of soil and other things. Then she blows it away. This 16mm black and white film was shot in Watts, L.A.

Shopping Bag Spirits and Freeway ...: Reflections on Ritual Space shows different Los Angeles artists. They create art on the spot. Barbara interviews them about their creative processes. The artists include painter Kinshasha Conwill and sculptor David Hammons. Barbara explained that "ritual is a symbolic action." It can help someone move from one place or feeling to another.

Like other L.A. Rebellion filmmakers, Barbara believed it was important for a community to define itself. She lets the artists speak for themselves in her film. But she also uses the camera to share her own perspective. This makes the film deeper for the audience.

Her short film Fragments (1980) continues to explore the idea of ritual.

Her 1980 short film World Saxophone Quartet is a conversation with the World Saxophone Quartet. Its members talk about their music and what inspires them. This film was shown on PBS and at international film festivals.

Barbara McCullough has also worked on a documentary about Black jazz pianist Horace Tapscott. The film, Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot, shows how Tapscott helped the Watts community. He stayed in Los Angeles even after becoming famous. The film highlights his music education and career. It includes interviews, performances, and old photos.

Working in Hollywood

Barbara McCullough has also had a successful career in the film industry. She worked as a production coordinator for KCET-TV in Los Angeles. She was a production manager for Pacific Data Images and worked at Cine Motion Pictures and Digital Domain. She also managed recruitment at Rhythm and Hues Studios.

She has worked on big studio movies. These include The Prince of Egypt (1998), Toys (1992), and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). Today, Barbara McCullough is the Chair of the Visual Effects Department at Savannah College of Art and Design.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Barbara McCullough's films have been shown in many places. These include universities, galleries, and museums in the United States and other countries. Some famous places include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), the Hammer Museum, and the Tate Modern. Her work has also been featured at film festivals like the New Orleans Film Festival.

Film Style and Themes

Barbara McCullough's films often explore themes like the African diaspora (Black people living outside Africa), Black feminism (focusing on the experiences of Black women), and improvisation (creating art on the spot).

She aims to show the "universality of the Black experience." This means she tries to show how Black experiences connect to everyone's experiences. She likes things that are "offbeat" and "unusual." She wants her films to show the many different influences that shape her as a Black person.

Who Inspired Her

Barbara McCullough has said that filmmakers like Maya Deren and Jonas Mekas have influenced her. She also mentioned artist Senga Nengundi.

Filmography

Visual Effects Work

• 1996 The Nutty Professor (production manager)
• 1995 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (production manager)
• 1994 Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (digital production manager)
• 1994 Color of Night (visual effects production manager)
• 1993 Heart and Souls (production manager)
• 1992 Toys (production manager)
• 1987 Made in Heaven (visual effects production coordinator)

Director

• 2017 Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot (Documentary)
• 1981 Shopping Bag Spirits and Freeway ...: Reflections on Ritual Space (Video)
• 1980 World Saxophone Quartet
• 1980 Fragments (Short)
• 1979 Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification (Short)
• 1977 Chephren-Khafra: Two Years of a Dynasty

Production Manager

• 1998 The Prince of Egypt (digital operations manager)
• 1993 Freaked (production manager)

Producer

• 2017 Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot (Documentary) (executive producer)

Other Film Roles

• 1982 A Different Image (Sound Assistant)

Awards and Recognitions

For Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot (2017)

• Nominated for AMAA 2017 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
• Selected for the 2017 New Orleans Film Festival Documentary
• Won the Audience Award at the 2017 Pan African Film Festival
• Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2017 BlackStar Festival

Grants and Support Barbara McCullough has received several grants for her work. These include an Avant-Garde Masters Grant from the National Film Preservation Film Foundation. This grant helped restore her film Water Ritual #1: An Urban Rite of Purification by the UCLA Film and Television Archives. Other grants came from organizations like the Brody Arts Fund and the National Endowments for the Arts.