Gary Baum

It seems like Gary always had a camera in his hand. Growing up in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, he was taking pictures of his neighborhood, family and friends. He made a few 8mm films using his father's Bell & Howell 3 lens turret camera. Noir films of the 1940's and 1950's held a fascination to the young teenager; Sunset Boulevard, Raw Deal, and They Drive By Night were particular favorites, making an indelible impression with their use of light and shadows. One early morning exiting the Bay 50th Street subway station in Coney Island by his John Dewey H.S, he was amazed to see a film crew already hard at work. They were shooting The French Connection. Immediately fascinated by the huge 35mm Panavision PSR camera, he observed for three days, in between classes. The famous Friedkin chase scene under the Subway "EL", and the the atmosphere of making a film, was all the impetus he needed to decide then and there that he wanted to be a Cinematographer. Moving to Los Angeles, he finis