David Baker is an award winning media producer, animator and educator. His extensive background in media production and animation has led him to produce projects ranging from instructional videos to children’s CD-ROM games. Working in a variety of styles designed to both entertain and help people learn, his enthusiasm for art and animation create unique and unforgettable productions.
Growing up in the shadow of the New York City skyline, he attended school in the sleepy suburban town of Glen Rock, NJ. He attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan where he earned a BA in Art and Psychology. Willing to do anything in art that paid, he secured a job with Industrial Media in Grand Rapids Michigan painting animation cells. As a bit of luck and a booming economy would have it, he became art director working with corporate, government and advertising clients producing educational and training films that extensively incorporated animation.
The turn in the economy in the early eighties drove him to the oil fields of Saudi Arabia where he developed media and training projects. His stint in Arabia gave him an appreciation for freedom and he returned to the United States in 1984.
To pursue animation further, he opened Classic Animation in 1985 and worked with clients such as Herman Miller, Children’s Television Workshop, MTV and Amway garnering Gold Addy Awards and others industry wide. He merged his business with Lawrence Productions in 1994 to produce and direct animated videos and children’s CD-Rom games.
He created and directed the Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (http://kafi.kvcc.edu) from 2001 – 2005 and was a tenured instructor at KVCC’s Center for New Media. In fall of 2005 he was brought on board as faculty at Ferris State University in Grand Rapids MI to help further develop the Digital Animation and Game Design program that was started in 2003. David Baker’s skills include writing and producing films and videos, traditional animation production and high end 3D graphic applications.
“Education is a new direction for this artist” Baker notes “After 25 years in the field, I wanted to give back to an art form that has fed, housed and inspired me. My effort within the field of education helps further my mission of ‘Bringing Art to Life’.
(circa 2007)
David Baker Hi Rez Photo |
