Tony Barbon

Tony Barbon was born in Pensacola, Florida and moved to Tampa to enter the University of South Florida with a major in three-dimensional design. After completing an elective introductory course in cinematography with documentary filmmaker Charles Lyman, he changed his major to film production. He also studied with film artist Will Hindle, another professor at USF, and numerous visiting filmmakers. With fellow student Stan Kozma and Alabama Film Co-Op director Wade Black, he organized the "In Alabama" film symposium, which featured filmmakers Stan Brakhage, Scott Bartlett, Bruce Baillie and Will Hindle in residence. He earned a B.A. in Fine Arts and received a full tuition waiver to complete his M.F.A. in Cinematography. After graduate school he moved to Atlanta, Georgia and worked briefly at the non-profit Independent Media Artists of Georgia before being hired as a cinematographer for Georgia Public Television. While there, he shot programs on Primary Health Care, alternative energy strategies and a program to save the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. Two years later he relocated to New York City and worked as an engineer (news camera-person and news editor) for WPIX television, a Chicago Tribune station. After one year, WPIX and Dow Jones, Inc. co-produced a new weekly magazine program called "The Wall Street Journal Report," and Barbon was reassigned from news to shoot all WSJR stories on location. He traveled across the country with reporters, shooting and recording sound solo on a vast range of subjects. The experience he gained shooting quickly and without technical support helped shape his visual approach to covering non-fiction subject matter. A reporter for "The Wall Street Journal Report," Charles Feldman, left for a new Paramount Television magazine program called "Taking Advantage," and persuaded Barbon to join the new show. When "Taking Advantage" was cancelled, he became a director of photography for Paramount's New York bureau of "Entertainment Tonight." Barbon leveraged his fast production style while shooting star interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage of movies, mini-series, music concerts and Broadway theatre productions. The work that followed included runway and fashion shows for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan, among other designers. He shot four Barbara Walters Specials, a documentary for MTV, promotions and programs for HBO, Cinemax and Showtime, Sesame Street programs, and two Reading Rainbow shows. He worked on many multi-camera productions including three "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" induction ceremonies and numerous Broadway shows for The Lincoln Center Library. He also shot (uncredited) video for two feature films, Woody Allen's "Oedipus Wrecks" and Robert Zemeckis' "Forrest Gump." After ten years in New York Tony Barbon returned to Atlanta, and was hired as a Producer/Director to create the studio production unit for Turner Classic Movies. He executive-produced, directed and supervised scriptwriting for all appearances by host Robert Osborne. He also produced interstitial programming and directed multi-camera interview shows and special guest hosts. Five years later he was promoted to Vice President, and when he left TCM after ten years, he had produced over 30,000 host appearances for the network. Barbon relocated with his family to Portland, Oregon, where they reside today. He and spouse, Robyn Taylor, started a company called Folklore Media. The boutique creative services team offers graphic design, videography and editing for local agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations.