Ben Burke
Ben Burke is a Producer, Cinematographer, Gaffer, and Director from Lexington, Kentucky. He is a lifelong student and practitioner of the motion picture who has been immersed in the craft, history, and business of the art form for nearly twenty years.
He was making his first movies by age 12 after borrowing the family camcorder to record himself practicing sleight of hand/close-up magic. Ben founded a film society at 19 and within a few years had produced and/or directed dozens of short form projects. He has continued developing his craft ever since, working on a wide variety of projects from Hollywood and Bollywood to music videos, commercials, and countless independent productions.
In 2009, Ben directed the 70 minute crime-thriller "Nobody In Particular". The improvised film has received critical praise, describing the film as "an intelligent, thought proving crime drama that nobody has seen before." Todd Rigney - Beyond Hollywood
Ben has produced numerous feature films ever since, including "Fason Nou: Our Way", a ghost story/psychological thriller and "Red River Moon", a survival story of two young girls stranded in the Appalachian wilderness after their mother is accidentally killed during a family camping trip.
Ben is a creative force who has years of experience in the trenches, working nearly every crew position on set through post production believing this provides a Producer/Director a unique and seasoned perspective navigating the path of taking an idea from inception to completion. As an accomplished Cinematographer, his list of commercial clients includes L'Oreal, Armani, Yves St. Laurent, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, E-how, numerous small business' and more. As a Gaffer, Ben has done lighting work on films released internationally and theatrically through distributors such as LionsGate and IFC Midnight.
Ben also specializes in multi-media theater, or "Live Movies", in which actors on stage interact with projected images. He's also worked on dozens of stage productions, as well as six years of professional videography for live events, and four years managing performance theaters and galleries for the Arts Council.
Recently, Ben partnered with former marketing executive Sean McCarthy to reinvent Torn & Restored Pictures with an experienced eye on the international market for feature films and broadcast content.
His next two features films as writer/director/producer "Let It Bleed" and "Better Criminal" will be released in 2016.
Ben resides in Lexington and Los Angeles, California.