Kent L. Wakeford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kent L. Wakeford
Born	Kent Lon Wakeford (1928-01-23)January 23, 1928 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	October 10, 2020(2020-10-10) (aged 92) Calabasas, California, U.S.
Occupation	Cinematographer, television commercial producer
Years active	1965–1998

Kent Lon Wakeford (January 23, 1928 – October 10, 2020) was an American cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of how a movie or TV show is filmed. They decide on the lighting, camera angles, and camera movements.

Kent Wakeford also helped start two companies that made commercials. These companies were called Wakeford / Orloff Productions and Kent Wakeford and Associates. He was well-known for his work on films like Mean Streets and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Both of these movies were directed by Martin Scorsese. He also worked on China O'Brien and Wedding Bell Blues.

Early Life and First Jobs

Kent Wakeford was born in 1928 and grew up in Los Angeles, California. While he was still in high school, he learned from a fashion photographer named Earl Scott. After this, Kent got a job as a cameraman at The Douglas Aircraft Company.

At Douglas Aircraft, he filmed new missiles, planes, and secret weapon tests. He worked at places like White Sands, New Mexico, and Edwards Air Force Base. He became an expert in filming things at very high speeds. This meant he could film up to 8,000 frames per second! His work there led him to join the United States Army. He spent two years as a motion picture cameraman in New York City and Germany.

After his time in the Army, Kent started filming documentary movies. One of his first documentaries was about Wernher von Braun, a rocket scientist he had met at Douglas Aircraft. He also worked with Willard Van Dyke, a famous documentary filmmaker.

Making Commercials and Art Films

To earn more money, Kent Wakeford began working on commercial projects. These were short films made to advertise products. One of his first jobs was filming for a reality TV show called Danger is My Business. This show filmed people with dangerous jobs around California.

During this time, he also made art films. One of his art films was called Fish. It showed how colors moved with music. This film even won an award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Later, Kent started filming live-action scenes for animated cartoons. He worked with famous animators like Jose Cuauhtemoc "Bill" Malendez, who created Peanuts, and Hanna-Barbera, known for The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo. Because of his success, Kent started a company with John Orloff. It was called Wakeford / Orloff Productions. This company made national commercials for many big brands. Some of these brands included Budweiser, Mattel (who make Hot Wheels and Barbie), Boeing, Purina, Post Cereal, Chevrolet, United Airlines, Maybelline, Max Factor, Procter & Gamble, Rice-A-Roni, Gallo wine, Kellogg's, and McDonald's.

Filming Movies for the Big Screen

Kent Wakeford's first big movie was Mean Streets (1973). It was directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. Kent filmed Mean Streets using special handheld camera techniques. This helped capture the raw, real feeling of the characters' lives in Little Italy, New York.

Wakeford (right) on set with director Joel Hershman on Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me in 1992.

The Huffington Post said that Kent Wakeford's camera work was "arguably the most original" for its time. They noted that his bold camera movements have been copied in many other movies. His new ways of holding the camera and lighting scenes are now common in American movies. In 1997, Mean Streets was chosen to be saved in the United States National Film Registry. This means it was seen as very important for its culture, history, or art.

Kent then filmed Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974). This movie was also directed by Martin Scorsese. It starred Ellen Burstyn and Kris Kristofferson. The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures called Kent's cinematography "inventive." Ellen Burstyn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film.

After these movies, Kent went back to making commercials. He started his own company called Kent Wakeford & Associates. He also worked on the TV show L.A. Law for a season. Later, he focused on small independent films. He filmed over a dozen of these movies, often using his gritty, realistic style from Mean Streets.

Death

Kent L. Wakeford passed away on October 10, 2020. He was 92 years old. He died at the Wasserman Campus of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Filmography

• Mean Streets (1973)
• Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls (1973)
• Black Belt Jones (1973)
• Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
• The Princess Academy (1987)
• The Women's Club (1987)
• L.A. Law (1987–1988)
• This Ain't Bebop (1989)
• China O'Brien (1990)
• China O'Brien II (1990)
• The Last Hour (1991)
• Total Exposure (1991)
• Night Eyes II (1991)
• Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me (1992)
• Ironheart (1992)
• Grey Knight (1992)
• Love, Cheat & Steal (1993)
• Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade (1994)
• Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up (1994)
• Loser (1994)
• Boy Crazy, Girl Crazier (1996)
• Power 98 (1996)
• Wedding Bell Blues (1996)
• Last Lives (1996)
• Waking Up Horton (1997)
• Halfway Home (1998)