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National Arts Videos

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: Michele Combs
Date: 17 Jan 2025

Biographical History

Michael J. Baker Jr. is an Emmy award-winning videographer and television host based in Northern Virginia who has done extensive work in television and theater in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Baker has worked on television broadcasting and production for various documentaries, news, and sports programs. He also is a vocalist and stage performer. National Arts Television, Inc. is Baker’s production company founded in 1998, where Baker produced documentaries for the Bravo! cable television network, as well as other television shows, sports programs, corporate videos, TED talks, and other materials.

Peter D. Marshall is a television producer, editor and alumnus of Syracuse University. Marshall was the producer and editor of the National Arts program.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The National Arts Videos consists of 359 videotapes, comprising both edit masters and raw footage, used in shows produced by National Arts Television. Shows include The Greenroom and National Arts. National Arts, originally titled The Greenroom, is a television program produced by WNVT-TV in Northern Virginia that aired between 1992 and 1998, with new episodes airing weekly. National Arts' episodes include performances and interviews of actors, playwrights, and crew members in productions throughout the Washington, D.C. area, as well as cities like New York City. Notable interviewees include actors and peformers such as Stacy Keach, Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Dee Williams, Liza Minelli, and Cynthia Nixon, and artists like Chuck Jones and Frederick Hart. National Arts was hosted by Michael J. Baker Jr., who interviewed the show's guests. The show was broadcast throughout Virginia, Washington, DC, and parts of Maryland. The show was also broadcast throughout the country, and it garnered acclaim, including Emmy Awards from the National Capital/Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Television Academy. The collection also includes footage for Festival America, a pilot for a television show that would have featured arts festivals in the United States. Only two segments for Festival America were produced, covering Summerfest La Jolla (San Diego, Cailfornia) and the International Festival of Puppet Theater (New York City).

Edited masters contains the edited master tapes for episodes of The Greenroom, National Arts, either full episodes or compilations of episode segments. The tapes in this series are in the Betacam: SP format. Tapes in this series include the dates of production and the productions or people interviewed or showcased.

Duplicate clips contains duplicate segments from National Arts on either 90 minute or 30 minute Betacam: SP tapes. The episode segments are denoted by their individual production numbers. Tapes either contain one or two segments.

Production materials contains B-Roll, raw footage of interviews and performances, and promotional materials from National Arts and the Festival America pilot. The materials are on 30 minute Betacam: SP tapes, with three of the tapes on U-matic: SP format.

Arrangement of the Collection

The first two series of the collection, Edited masters and Duplicate clips, are arranged by production number. Edited masters is arranged by show production numbers in sequence and includes information on the people and shows that The Greenroom and National Arts featured. The edited masters contain multiple segments, listed as either the person interviewed and/or the production, ensemble, or exhibit highlighted. Similarly, Duplicate clips are in order of episode segment number as denoted by the production staff. The third series of Production materials is arranged alphabetically by title or subject.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

For additional information on Michael J. Baker Jr. and National Arts Inc., please see the National Arts Television website.

Subject Headings

Persons

Baker, Michael J., Jr.

Corporate Bodies

National Arts Television.

Subjects

Broadway (New York, N.Y.)
Concerts.
Dance.
Documentary films.
Exhibitions.
Interviewing on television.
Muppets (Fictitious characters)
Performing arts.
Public television--United States.
Television -- Production and direction.
Theater.
Theaters--Washington (D.C.)

Genres and Forms

Betacam-SP.
U-matic (TM).
Videocassettes.
Videorecordings (physical artifacts)

Occupations

Television producers and directors.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

National Arts Videos,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Michael J. Baker, Jr., 2024.

Table of Contents

Edited masters

Duplicate clips

Production materials

Inventory