WHO HE IS: Bronx native Fred Keller was hired by Filmworkers’ Reid Brody in April of last year as fresh new talent to match a new facility upgrade.
WHAT HE DOES: Operates one of its three $1 million Spirit telecines, including a new 2K DataCine, and one of three DaVinci upgrades to 2K-Plus.
He color corrected Oprah Winfrey’s 2007 Oscar special and spots for McDonald’s, Hallmark, Capital One, Allstate and Blue Cross Blue Shield and KFC.
PROS: “Being part of the creative process everyday and wearing jeans to work.”
CONS: “Walking to work in Chicago winters.” (He lives very near work.)
CURRENTLY WORKING ON: A Major League Baseball reality show, called simply “The Show,” for cable’s new HD Mojo network. “It follows Triple-A Arizona Diamondbacks to see who makes it to the big leagues.”
MOST MEMORABLE PROJECT: For Digital Kitchen, he color corrected last season’s opening sequence for Showtime’s “Dexter.” “We wanted it to look a little creepy.”
BIG BREAK: “Not one big break, but a series of steps forward?with the occasional step back. Filmworkers Club and Company 3 have been great, big steps, though.”
KEY TO SUCCESS: “Enjoying my work, listening to my clients, not taking myself too seriously and offering my clients my expertise and experience.”
BACKSTORY: Started as a colorist at New York post house Prinzco Productions in 1993 after getting his BA in communications from Fordham.
He moved to DuArt Film & Video in 1997 and left three years later for Company 3 (formerly Manhattan Transfer) where his clients included GMC, Budweiser, Adidas, Samuel Adams and MTV.
Keller has no idea how Brody heard about him, “although he might’ve been from another colorist he was trying to woo.” Keller says he loves Chicago. “It’s a great city, clean, easy to get around, affordable.”
ON THE SIDE: Traveling, snow skiing, water skiing and beach bumming.
WHAT CHICAGO COULD USE: “Pizza sold by the slice!”
ULTIMATE GOAL: “To do great work and travel with my wife as much as possible.”
WORDS OF ADVICE: “Be proactive. No one is going to come along and hand you success.”
Filmworkers Club’s phone: 312/664-9333; E-mail, fredk@filmworkersclub.com.
