Mark Kilian
Encyclopedia
Born and raised in South Africa
, Mark came to the USA
to pursue a career in film scoring
in 1994. His academic life in his native country (Masters Degree in composition) and very active performing career (as a pianist
who played with people like Darius Brubeck
, Shirley Bassey
, Airto Moreira
and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
) prepared him for his enrollment into USC’s
Film Scoring program. Upon completion he was hired by film composer Christopher Young
as an assistant and then joined Machine Head in Venice
where he wrote music for countless TV commercials for companies like Apple, Budweiser
, American Express
and Toyota.
Mark’s first feature film Lovergirl was scored in 1997 and since then he has written scores for a wide variety of films including Traitor
, Rendition
, Before the Rains
and most notably Tsotsi
which won the Oscar
for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. His latest film The Ward
has him working with legendary horror director John Carpenter
. Recent films La Mission
, Legacy and The Least Among You
are also being released in 2010.
Other visual media work includes the ABC
TV series Daybreak and Jake in Progress
, Fox’s Kitchen Confidential
, the documentary The Last King, the Aztec Pantheon exhibit at the Getty Museum and music for the games Full Spectrum Warrior
and The Matrix: Path of Neo
.
Non visual work includes 2 albums under the name ‘The Gravy Street’, 2 albums with Electronic outfit Ape Quartet, a KCRW Anne Litt remix of an Ozomatli
track and string arrangements on a Glenn Hughes album.
Mark’s deep understanding and appreciation of world music
, jazz
, electronica
and modern classical music
has formed a musical style which has been described as rhythmically sophisticated, evocative and driving, while retaining a raw emotional simplicity that draws on the creative use of everyday sound.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Mark came to the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to pursue a career in film scoring
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
in 1994. His academic life in his native country (Masters Degree in composition) and very active performing career (as a pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
who played with people like Darius Brubeck
Darius Brubeck
Darius Brubeck , is a jazz keyboardist and educator. He is the son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck. He spent many years in Durban, South Africa as a professor and head of the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at the University of Natal....
, Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira
Airto Moreira is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. Airto is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland and have won multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards...
) prepared him for his enrollment into USC’s
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Film Scoring program. Upon completion he was hired by film composer Christopher Young
Christopher Young
Christopher Young is an American music composer for both film and television.Many of his music compositions are for horror films, including Hellraiser, Tales from the Hood, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Urban Legend, and Drag Me to Hell...
as an assistant and then joined Machine Head in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
where he wrote music for countless TV commercials for companies like Apple, Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
, American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
and Toyota.
Mark’s first feature film Lovergirl was scored in 1997 and since then he has written scores for a wide variety of films including Traitor
Traitor (film)
Traitor is a 2008 American spy thriller film, based on an idea by Steve Martin who is also an executive producer. Written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, the film stars Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce in the lead roles.-Plot:...
, Rendition
Rendition (film)
Rendition is a 2007 drama film directed by Gavin Hood and starring Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard, Alan Arkin, Jake Gyllenhaal and Omar Metwally. It centers on the controversial CIA practice of extraordinary rendition, and is based on the true story of Khalid El-Masri who was...
, Before the Rains
Before the Rains
Before the Rains is a 2007 Indian-British period drama film directed by Santosh Sivan. The film adapted of a story from the 2001 anthology Israeli film Asphalt Zahov....
and most notably Tsotsi
Tsotsi
Tsotsi is a 2005 film written and directed by Gavin Hood. The film is an adaptation of the novel Tsotsi, by Athol Fugard. The soundtrack features Kwaito music performed by popular South African artist Zola as well as a score by Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring the voice of South African...
which won the Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. His latest film The Ward
The Ward (film)
The Ward is a 2010 American horror film directed by John Carpenter. The screenplay is written by Michael Rasmussen and Shawn Rasmussen. It stars Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker, Mika Boorem, and Jared Harris...
has him working with legendary horror director John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
. Recent films La Mission
La Mission (film)
La Mission is a 2009 drama film starring Benjamin Bratt and Jeremy Ray Valdez. It is written and directed by Peter Bratt...
, Legacy and The Least Among You
The Least Among You
The Least Among You is a film based on the true story of Rev. Dr. Charles Marks' formative years, written and directed by first time writer/director Mark Young...
are also being released in 2010.
Other visual media work includes the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
TV series Daybreak and Jake in Progress
Jake in Progress
Jake in Progress is an American comedy series broadcast on ABC from 2005 to 2006. Created by Austin Winsberg, the show was originally conceived as a real-time comedy; the first season was to show the first date of Jake and a woman. This was dropped during development, and the show became more...
, Fox’s Kitchen Confidential
Kitchen Confidential (TV series)
Kitchen Confidential is an American television sitcom that debuted on September 19, 2005 on the Fox network, based on Anthony Bourdain's New York Times bestselling book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly...
, the documentary The Last King, the Aztec Pantheon exhibit at the Getty Museum and music for the games Full Spectrum Warrior
Full Spectrum Warrior
Full Spectrum Warrior is a real-time tactics videogame. It was developed by the Institute for Creative Technologies in association with Pandemic Studios and published by THQ. It was released on June 1, 2004 for the Xbox, September 21, 2004 for Windows and on March 23, 2005 for the PlayStation 2...
and The Matrix: Path of Neo
The Matrix: Path of Neo
The Matrix: Path of Neo is the third video game based on the Matrix series and the second developed by Shiny Entertainment. Players control the character Neo, participating in scenes from the films. It was released on October 4, 2005 in North America....
.
Non visual work includes 2 albums under the name ‘The Gravy Street’, 2 albums with Electronic outfit Ape Quartet, a KCRW Anne Litt remix of an Ozomatli
Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
track and string arrangements on a Glenn Hughes album.
Mark’s deep understanding and appreciation of world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and modern classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
has formed a musical style which has been described as rhythmically sophisticated, evocative and driving, while retaining a raw emotional simplicity that draws on the creative use of everyday sound.