Stuart Baird (born 14 January 1947)
is an English film editor, producer, and director who is mainly associated with
action films. He has edited over thirty major motion pictures.
Life and career
Baird has had an
extended collaboration with director
Richard Donner
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker whose notable works included some of the most financially-successful films during the New Hollywood era. According to film historian ...
. For Baird's work on ''
Superman'' in 1978, he was nominated for the
Academy Award for Film Editing. He received another nomination for editing ''
Gorillas in the Mist
''Gorillas in the Mist'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Michael Apted and starring Sigourney Weaver as the naturalist Dian Fossey. It tells the story of her work in Rwanda with mountain gorillas and was nominated for five Academy A ...
'' (1988). Prior to his working relationship with
Richard Donner
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker whose notable works included some of the most financially-successful films during the New Hollywood era. According to film historian ...
, Baird worked as
assistant director
The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have t ...
and assistant editor on different projects before editing
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...
's ''
Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
''. Baird worked with Russell on five major motion pictures. He edited ''
Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
'', ''
Lisztomania'', and
''Valentino'' and served as associate producer on
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...
's ''
Altered States
''Altered States'' is a 1980 American science fiction body horror film directed by Ken Russell and based on the novel of the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. The film was adapted from Chayefsky's 1978 novel and is his ...
''. He also worked as assistant editor on Russell's ''
The Devils'', (1971).
After his
Oscar-nominated work on ''
Gorillas in the Mist
''Gorillas in the Mist'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Michael Apted and starring Sigourney Weaver as the naturalist Dian Fossey. It tells the story of her work in Rwanda with mountain gorillas and was nominated for five Academy A ...
'' in 1988 and his work with
Richard Donner
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker whose notable works included some of the most financially-successful films during the New Hollywood era. According to film historian ...
on ''
Lethal Weapon 2
''Lethal Weapon 2'' is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor and Patsy Kensit. It is a sequel to the 1987 film '' Lethal Weapon ...
'', he accepted a position as full-time staff editor at
Warner Bros. in 1989. With
Warner Bros., he supervised the editing on such films as ''
Die Hard 2
''Die Hard 2'' (also known by its tagline ''Die Harder'')The film's onscreen title is ''Die Hard 2'', as also given at the initial home-video release'official website The film's original advertising used "Die Harder" as a tagline, and many rele ...
'' (1990) and ''
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' (1991).
The first two movies Baird directed were studio pictures produced and distributed by
Warner Bros.; where he had served as Editor Supervisor. He has directed three films: ''
Executive Decision
''Executive Decision'' is a 1996 American action film directed by Stuart Baird in his directorial debut. The film stars Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, David Suchet, and B.D. Wong. It depic ...
'' (1996), ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998), and ''
Star Trek: Nemesis'' (2002). He was the editor and executive producer of ''
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' (2001). Baird edited the
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...
thriller ''
Vantage Point
Vantage Point (formerly Archway Tower) is a 195-foot (59m) 17-storey residential apartment building above Archway Underground station, designed by Grid Architects, and owned and operated by Essential Living.
History
Archway Tower was built ...
''.
In the film ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', Baird also voiced the ''Scimitar'' computer. To get the job directing ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', Baird performed re-cuts on ''
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' and ''
Mission: Impossible 2'' for
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
.
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer and conductor known for his work in film and television scoring. He composed scores for five films in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and three in the ''Rambo'' franch ...
was the composer for all of the Baird directed films.
Works
Editing credits
*''
The Devils'' (1971) (as assistant Film editor)
*''
Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
'' (1975)
*''
Lisztomania
Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on ...
'' (1975)
*''
The Omen
''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer ...
'' (1976)
*''
Superman'' (1978)
*''
Valentino'' (1977)
*''
Outland'' (1981)
*''
Five Days One Summer
''Five Days One Summer'' is a 1982 American romantic drama film directed and produced by Fred Zinnemann from a screenplay by Michael Austin, based on the 1929 short story ''Maiden, Maiden'' by Kay Boyle. Set primarily in the Alps, the story fo ...
'' (1982)
*''
The Honorary Consul'' (1983)
*''
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
'' (1985)
*''
Ladyhawke'' (1985) (also second unit director)
*''
Lethal Weapon
''Lethal Weapon'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and co-produced by Joel Silver. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, ...
'' (1987)
*''
Gorillas in the Mist
''Gorillas in the Mist'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Michael Apted and starring Sigourney Weaver as the naturalist Dian Fossey. It tells the story of her work in Rwanda with mountain gorillas and was nominated for five Academy A ...
'' (1988)
*''
Tango & Cash'' (1989) (supervising)
*''
Lethal Weapon 2
''Lethal Weapon 2'' is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor and Patsy Kensit. It is a sequel to the 1987 film '' Lethal Weapon ...
'' (1989)
*''
Die Hard 2
''Die Hard 2'' (also known by its tagline ''Die Harder'')The film's onscreen title is ''Die Hard 2'', as also given at the initial home-video release'official website The film's original advertising used "Die Harder" as a tagline, and many rele ...
'' (1990)
*''
The Last Boy Scout'' (1991)
*''
Radio Flyer'' (1992)
*''
Demolition Man'' (1993)
*''
Maverick'' (1994)
*''
Executive Decision
''Executive Decision'' is a 1996 American action film directed by Stuart Baird in his directorial debut. The film stars Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, David Suchet, and B.D. Wong. It depic ...
'' (1996) (co-edited, also director)
*''
Star Trek: Nemesis'' (2002) (co-edited, also director)
*''
The Legend of Zorro'' (2005)
*''
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut'' (2006)
*''
Casino Royale'' (2006)
*''
Vantage Point
Vantage Point (formerly Archway Tower) is a 195-foot (59m) 17-storey residential apartment building above Archway Underground station, designed by Grid Architects, and owned and operated by Essential Living.
History
Archway Tower was built ...
'' (2008)
*''
Whiteout'' (2009)
*''
Edge of Darkness'' (2010)
*''
Salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
'' (2010)
*''
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness ...
'' (2011)
*''
Skyfall
''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the vill ...
'' (2012)
*''
Bitter Harvest'' (2017)
*''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, th ...
'' (2018)
*''
Across the River and into the Trees'' (2021)
Directing credits
*''
Executive Decision
''Executive Decision'' is a 1996 American action film directed by Stuart Baird in his directorial debut. The film stars Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, David Suchet, and B.D. Wong. It depic ...
'' (1996)
*''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998)
*''
Star Trek: Nemesis'' (2002)
Production credits
*''
If....'' (1968) as Assistant to the director
*''
Altered States
''Altered States'' is a 1980 American science fiction body horror film directed by Ken Russell and based on the novel of the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. The film was adapted from Chayefsky's 1978 novel and is his ...
'' (1980) as
Associate Producer
*''
Ladyhawke'' (1985) as
2nd unit director
Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...
*''
Scrooged'' (1988) as
Post-production
Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.
Th ...
consultant
*''
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' (1991) as project consultant
*''
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' (2001) as executive producer
*''
Bitter Harvest'' (2017) as producer
Television work
*''
Split Personality
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
'' (1992), a
Joel Silver
Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is an American film producer.
Life and career
Silver was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, the son of a writer and a public relations executive. His family is Jewish. He attended Columbia High Schoo ...
directed episode of the
HBO horror anthology, ''
Tales from the Crypt''.
Accolades
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
* 1978:
Academy Award for Best Film Editing
The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive years, ...
— ''
Superman'' (nominated)
* 1988:
Academy Award for Best Film Editing
The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive years, ...
— ''
Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey'' (nominated)
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...
* Baird has been elected to membership in the
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...
.
* 1978:
Eddie Award
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...
for Best Edited Feature Film — ''
Superman'' (nominated)
* 2006:
Eddie Award
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...
for
Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic — ''
Casino Royale'' (nominated)
* 2012:
Eddie Award
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...
for
Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic — ''
Skyfall
''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the vill ...
'' (nominated)
British Academy Film Awards
* 2006:
BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
for
Film Award Best Editing — ''
Casino Royale'' (nominated)
* 2012:
BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
for
Film Award Best Editing — ''
Skyfall
''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the vill ...
'' (nominated)
See also
*
List of film director and editor collaborations
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, Stuart
1947 births
Action film directors
British film editors
English film directors
English film editors
English film producers
Living people
Science fiction film directors