Life and career

Baird has had an extended collaboration with director Richard Donner. 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 (1988). Prior to his working relationship with Richard Donner, Baird worked as assistant director and assistant editor on different projects before editing Ken Russell's Tommy. Baird worked with Russell on five major motion pictures. He edited Tommy, Lisztomania, and Valentino and served as associate producer on Ken Russell's Altered States. He also worked as assistant editor on Russell's The Devils, (1971).

After his Oscar-nominated work on Gorillas in the Mist in 1988 and his work with Richard Donner on Lethal Weapon 2, 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 (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 (1996), US 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 thriller Vantage Point.

In the movie Star Trek Nemesis, Baird also voiced the Scimitar computer. To get the job directing Star Trek: Nemesis, Baird did re-cuts on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Mission: Impossible 2 for Paramount Pictures. Jerry Goldsmith was the composer for all of the Baird directed films.

Works

Editing credits

• The Devils (1971) (as assistant Film editor)
• Tommy (1975)
• Lisztomania (1975)
• The Omen (1976)
• Superman (1978)
• Valentino (1977)
• Outland (1981)
• Five Days One Summer (1982)
• The Honorary Consul (1983)
• Revolution (1985)
• Ladyhawke (1985) (also second unit director)
• Lethal Weapon (1987)
• Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
• Tango & Cash (1989) (supervising)
• Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
• Die Hard 2 (1990)
• The Last Boy Scout (1991)
• Radio Flyer (1992)
• Demolition Man (1993)
• Maverick (1994)
• Executive Decision (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 (2008)
• Whiteout (2009)
• Edge of Darkness (2010)
• Salt (2010)
• Green Lantern (2011)
• Skyfall (2012)

Directing credits

• Executive Decision (1996)
• US Marshals (1998)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Production credits

• If.... (1969) as Assistant to the director
• Altered States (1980) as Associate Producer
• Ladyhawke (1985) as 2nd unit director
• Scrooged (1988) as Post-production consultant
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) as project consultant
• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) as Executive Producer

Richard Donner collaboration

• The Omen (1976)
• Superman (1978)
• Ladyhawke (1985) (also second unit director)
• Lethal Weapon (1987)
• Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
• Radio Flyer (1992)
• Maverick (1994)
• Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

Television work

• Split Personality (1992), a Joel Silver directed episode of the HBO horror anthology, Tales From the Crypt.

Accolades

Academy Awards

• 1978: Academy Award for Best Film Editing — Superman (nominated)
• 1988: Academy Award for Best Film Editing — Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (nominated)

American Cinema Editors

• Baird has been elected to membership in the American Cinema Editors.
• 1978: Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film — Superman (nominated)
• 2006: Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic — Casino Royale (nominated)
• 2012: Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic — Skyfall (nominated)

British Academy Film Awards

• 2006: BAFTA Award for Film Award Best Editing — Casino Royale (nominated)
• 2012: BAFTA Award for Film Award Best Editing — Skyfall (nominated)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]