Kelly Needleman
MA Media Producing Class of 2026
Hometown: Sonoma, California
Needleman at a young age had a creative eye. Growing up, his parents influenced him to pick up a camera. Kelly gravitated towards the beauty of nature and started taking images and time-lapses of landscapes. His strong ambition to create resulted in being published in various media, such as National Geographic.
Needleman's passion for landscape photography was a natural progression into the film industry. He created his own company called Needleman Productions, where he showcases his movies. Kelly has been recognized as an award-winning film director with over 40 film awards. Needleman’s ambition is to make beautiful movies by utilizing the natural elements of nature, fog, sea, and sunlight as tools in an outdoor studio.
Kelly has been part of Wayfarer Studios—founded by actor and director Justin Baldoni—for over two years. During his time there, he has sharpened his film production skills, actively contributing to the studio’s mission of producing meaningful, socially conscious content that inspires change.
Website: https://www.kellyneedleman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyneedleman/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9637880/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyneedleman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyneedleman/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/kellyneedleman
Why are you pursuing the MA Media Producing?
I'm pursuing the MA in Media Producing to deepen my skills in bringing powerful stories to life, from concept to completion. My love for storytelling and exploring the richness of the human experience drives me to master the logistics, budgeting, and creative collaboration required to produce content that truly resonates and inspires change.