In 1981 Ken Mandel produced and directed his first independent project, a short subject
film cut to original music titled ‘Working Class Girls’. With MTV starting up at the same
time, Ken used this short film as a calling card to become one of the first independent
music video directors in the US. Over the next five years he produced over fifty music
video’s including countless ones for MTV basement tapes. Then working with CMTV he
worked with many country western stars including Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and
Marshall Tucker.
In 1986, Ken’s primary focus changed from music videos to commercial and corporate
productions. This proved to be a successful transition with Ken acquiring such clients as
Sony, Radio Shack, Texas Rangers, Coca-Cola, IBM, Campbell Soup, Pizza Hut, Minute
Maid, American Airlines, JD Edwards, Motorola, EDS, HBO, Baxter Labs and Miller
Brewing.
In 1990 Ken released the critically acclaimed documentary, FRIDA KAHLO: A RIBBON
AROUND A BOMB. Next came, BLUESLAND: A PORTRAIT IN AMERICAN MUSIC a
history of the blues. Then came A FIGHT TO THE FINISH: STORIES OF POLIO, a
historical look at polio from the first epidemic in 1916 in New York City to the Salk vaccine
in the mid-fifties. It screened at many film festivals and the Academy of Arts and Science
choose it as 'one of the best Documentaries of 2000'. Then came AMERICAS DEADLIEST
STORM; GALVESTON ISLAND 1900, the story of the hurricane that devastated Galveston
Island in 1900, it was chosen by the IDA for the prestigious InFact theatrical series. In
2008 Ken finished the documentary “On Solid Ground” the story of the RIVER RATS of
Arkansas.
Currently Ken is wrapping up a Bio film on the life of famed heart surgeon Michael
DeBakey, M.D. and producing a series of PSA’s and Short Films for Texas Scottish Rite
Hospital For Children.
film cut to original music titled ‘Working Class Girls’. With MTV starting up at the same
time, Ken used this short film as a calling card to become one of the first independent
music video directors in the US. Over the next five years he produced over fifty music
video’s including countless ones for MTV basement tapes. Then working with CMTV he
worked with many country western stars including Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and
Marshall Tucker.
In 1986, Ken’s primary focus changed from music videos to commercial and corporate
productions. This proved to be a successful transition with Ken acquiring such clients as
Sony, Radio Shack, Texas Rangers, Coca-Cola, IBM, Campbell Soup, Pizza Hut, Minute
Maid, American Airlines, JD Edwards, Motorola, EDS, HBO, Baxter Labs and Miller
Brewing.
In 1990 Ken released the critically acclaimed documentary, FRIDA KAHLO: A RIBBON
AROUND A BOMB. Next came, BLUESLAND: A PORTRAIT IN AMERICAN MUSIC a
history of the blues. Then came A FIGHT TO THE FINISH: STORIES OF POLIO, a
historical look at polio from the first epidemic in 1916 in New York City to the Salk vaccine
in the mid-fifties. It screened at many film festivals and the Academy of Arts and Science
choose it as 'one of the best Documentaries of 2000'. Then came AMERICAS DEADLIEST
STORM; GALVESTON ISLAND 1900, the story of the hurricane that devastated Galveston
Island in 1900, it was chosen by the IDA for the prestigious InFact theatrical series. In
2008 Ken finished the documentary “On Solid Ground” the story of the RIVER RATS of
Arkansas.
Currently Ken is wrapping up a Bio film on the life of famed heart surgeon Michael
DeBakey, M.D. and producing a series of PSA’s and Short Films for Texas Scottish Rite
Hospital For Children.
