Tony Mark (producer)
Encyclopedia
Tony Mark is an American film producer
, director and screenwriter who has produced films by filmmakers such as Kathryn Bigelow
and Robert Rodriguez
.
Tony Mark received an Emmy nomination for the HBO
2003 telefilm And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
which he shared with producers Larry Gelbart
, Mark Gordon
and a list of others. He won the 2004 Imagen Award for producing ("Best Movie for Television
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself") by the Imagen Foundation
(established to encourage and recognize the positive portrayal of Latinos in media).
's Day for Night
it was a sealed deal. Mark attended prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University and spent years working in regional theatre as an actor and as a behind-the-scenes manager. The young thespian won the best actor award at the New England Theatre Festival for his performance in Girl on the Via Flaminia.
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Creative and scrappy, Tony Mark was also a photo journalist and fashion photographer who did work for the New York Times, The Daily News, UPI, and a variety of local newspapers. Marks fashion photography clients included: Zegna, Kathleen Detoro, Members Only
, Ben Kahn, and CBS Apparel. A jack of all trades, Mark also spun records as a radio disc jockey at WEOK-FM, hosting a late-night jazz
/blues
program.
, GE
, Texaco
, Coca Cola and others).
Mark went on to produce films that range from art house to commercial studio fare. Films that Tony Mark has been involved with as a producer have been nominated for Academy Awards
(The Fisher King
), Emmy Awards (HBO's Witness Protection) and have been featured at film festivals such as the Venice Film Festival
(The Hurt Locker
), the Toronto International Film Festival
(The Hurt Locker
), the Sundance Film Festival
(Zelly and Me), Billy Galvin), Telluride
(Go Tell It On The Mountain) and others.
He has also written scripts for MGM, ABC, NBC, Showtime and USA Networks and has directed second unit on numerous films for HBO, CBS and Dimension. Mark directed a documentary for the Guggenheim Foundation
of the art collections of the Guggenheim Museum
in New York, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
in Venice, and their joint exhibition in Rome.
For the demanding shoot of The Hurt Locker
(for well known action director Kathryn Bigelow
), producer Tony Mark would assemble an international crew made up of professionals from all over the world. The film was shot on location in Jordan
, within a few hundred miles of the actual ongoing war in Iraq
. Although the cast and below the line crew was made up of Americans
, British, Canadians
, Iraq
is, Jordan
ians, Moroccans
, Tunisia
ns, Australia
ns, Egypt
ians, Irish
, Palestinians, Lebanese
, Germans
, Iceland
ers, Libya
ns and others, the crew got along fabiously and there were no incidents. Helping prevent mishaps (in the previously dangerous Middle Eastern country where a few terrorist events had occurred in the past) the film's crew was additionally protected by armed Royal Jordanian Army members. Jordanian-based Iraq war military contractors/mercenaries were also hired for security (and who also played parts in the film alongside professional actors, Jeremy Renner
and Ralph Fiennes
). During filming as many as five or more hand-held super 16mm cameras were used to film scenes in guerilla-docu style. Nearly two hundred hours of footage was shot at an astounding 100:1 shooting ratio
(a higher ratio of expended film than the notorious Francis Ford Coppola
epic, Apocalypse Now
)
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, director and screenwriter who has produced films by filmmakers such as Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow is an American film director. Her best-known films are the cult horror film Near Dark , the surfer/bank robbery action picture Point Break , the science fiction/film noir Strange Days , the historical/mystery film The Weight of Water and the war drama The Hurt Locker...
and Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
.
Tony Mark received an Emmy nomination for the HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
2003 telefilm And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself is a 2003 television film starring Antonio Banderas as Pancho Villa.At the time of production, this was the most expensive 2-hour television/cable movie ever made, with a budget of over $30 million....
which he shared with producers Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
, Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon is an American television and film producer.- Background :Gordon was born in Newport News, Virginia on October 10, 1956...
and a list of others. He won the 2004 Imagen Award for producing ("Best Movie for Television
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself") by the Imagen Foundation
Imagen Foundation
The Imagen Awards are administered by the Imagen Foundation, an organization dedicated to "encouraging and recognizing the positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry"....
(established to encourage and recognize the positive portrayal of Latinos in media).
Early life
Tony Mark grew up in Manhattan, New York where he would find work as a vacuum cleaner salesman, taxi driver, and line cook before he found his true passion, filmmaking. When Tony Mark first saw François TruffautFrançois Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's Day for Night
Day for Night (film)
La Nuit Américaine is a 1973 French film directed by François Truffaut. It stars Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Léaud. In French, nuit américaine is a technical process whereby sequences filmed outdoors in daylight are underexposed to appear as if they are taking place at night...
it was a sealed deal. Mark attended prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University and spent years working in regional theatre as an actor and as a behind-the-scenes manager. The young thespian won the best actor award at the New England Theatre Festival for his performance in Girl on the Via Flaminia.
/>
Creative and scrappy, Tony Mark was also a photo journalist and fashion photographer who did work for the New York Times, The Daily News, UPI, and a variety of local newspapers. Marks fashion photography clients included: Zegna, Kathleen Detoro, Members Only
Members Only
Members Only is a brand of clothing that became popular in the 1980s with the Members Only jacket. The brand was created in 1975 and introduced to American markets in 1979 by Europe Craft Imports .Members Only was renowned for their brand of jackets, which were first introduced in 1981 and...
, Ben Kahn, and CBS Apparel. A jack of all trades, Mark also spun records as a radio disc jockey at WEOK-FM, hosting a late-night 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...
/blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
program.
Career highlights
Tony Mark would first sharpen his producing skills when hired to produce television commercials for Wakeford-Orloff and Dick Miller Associates (which included spots for IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, GE
Gê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
, Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
, Coca Cola and others).
Mark went on to produce films that range from art house to commercial studio fare. Films that Tony Mark has been involved with as a producer have been nominated for Academy Awards
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...
(The Fisher King
The Fisher King (film)
The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
), Emmy Awards (HBO's Witness Protection) and have been featured at film festivals such as the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
(The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
), the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
(The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
), the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
(Zelly and Me), Billy Galvin), Telluride
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....
(Go Tell It On The Mountain) and others.
He has also written scripts for MGM, ABC, NBC, Showtime and USA Networks and has directed second unit on numerous films for HBO, CBS and Dimension. Mark directed a documentary for the Guggenheim Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
of the art collections of the Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
in New York, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is an art museum on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is one of several museums of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation....
in Venice, and their joint exhibition in Rome.
For the demanding shoot of The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
(for well known action director Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow is an American film director. Her best-known films are the cult horror film Near Dark , the surfer/bank robbery action picture Point Break , the science fiction/film noir Strange Days , the historical/mystery film The Weight of Water and the war drama The Hurt Locker...
), producer Tony Mark would assemble an international crew made up of professionals from all over the world. The film was shot on location in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, within a few hundred miles of the actual ongoing war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Although the cast and below the line crew was made up of Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, British, Canadians
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
is, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ians, Moroccans
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
ns, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
ns, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ians, Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Palestinians, Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ers, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
ns and others, the crew got along fabiously and there were no incidents. Helping prevent mishaps (in the previously dangerous Middle Eastern country where a few terrorist events had occurred in the past) the film's crew was additionally protected by armed Royal Jordanian Army members. Jordanian-based Iraq war military contractors/mercenaries were also hired for security (and who also played parts in the film alongside professional actors, Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Lee Renner is a two-time Academy-Award-nominated American actor and musician. Renner appeared in films throughout the 2000s, mostly in supporting roles. He came to prominence in films such as Dahmer , S.W.A.T. , Neo Ned , 28 Weeks Later and The Hurt Locker...
and Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
). During filming as many as five or more hand-held super 16mm cameras were used to film scenes in guerilla-docu style. Nearly two hundred hours of footage was shot at an astounding 100:1 shooting ratio
Shooting ratio
The shooting ratio in filmmaking and television production is the ratio between the total duration of its footage shot and that which results from its final final cut....
(a higher ratio of expended film than the notorious Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
epic, Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
)
As Producer
- The Hurt LockerThe Hurt LockerThe Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
(2009) - Fire Bay (2008)
- Bordertown (2007) (co-producer)
- UltravioletUltraviolet (film)Ultraviolet is a 2006 American science fiction action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer and produced by Screen Gems. It stars Milla Jovovich as Violet Song and Cameron Bright as Six. It was released in North America on March 3, 2006...
(2006) (executive producer) - Once Upon a Time in MexicoOnce Upon a Time in MexicoOnce Upon a Time in Mexico is a 2003 action film written, edited and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It is the final film in the "Mariachi Trilogy", which also includes El Mariachi and Desperado. Antonio Banderas reprises his role as El Mariachi...
(2003) (co-producer) - Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 parody film. It is the second film of the Scary Movie franchise. Though part of the first Scary Movies tagline read "...No sequel," this film's tagline compensated by adding "We lied"....
(2001) (co-executive producer) - Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000) (TV) (producer)
- 8 Seconds8 Seconds8 Seconds is a 1994 biographical film about American rodeo legend and world bull riding champion Lane Frost. It details his life from his youth learning how to ride bulls, until his death in 1989. It was directed by John G...
(1994) (co-producer) - The Fisher KingThe Fisher King (film)The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
(1991) (associate producer) (as Anthony Mark) - Zelly and Me (1988) (producer)
- Billy Galvin (1986) (producer)
As Production Manager
- The Hurt LockerThe Hurt LockerThe Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
(2009) - Bordertown (2006) (unit production manager)
- Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 parody film. It is the second film of the Scary Movie franchise. Though part of the first Scary Movies tagline read "...No sequel," this film's tagline compensated by adding "We lied"....
(2001) (unit production manager) - The Wedding PlannerThe Wedding PlannerThe Wedding Planner is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman, written by Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk, and starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.-Plot:...
(2001) (unit production manager) - Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000) (TV) (unit production manager)
- DesperadoDesperado (film)Desperado is a 1995 action thriller film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. The film stars Antonio Banderas as the former mariachi who seeks revenge on the drug lord who killed his lover....
(1995) (unit production manager) - 8 Seconds8 Seconds8 Seconds is a 1994 biographical film about American rodeo legend and world bull riding champion Lane Frost. It details his life from his youth learning how to ride bulls, until his death in 1989. It was directed by John G...
(1994) (unit production manager) - Nowhere to Run (1993) (unit production manager)
- The Fisher KingThe Fisher King (film)The Fisher King is a 1991 American comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter...
(1991) (unit production manager) (as Anthony Mark)
As Second Unit Director
- Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 parody film. It is the second film of the Scary Movie franchise. Though part of the first Scary Movies tagline read "...No sequel," this film's tagline compensated by adding "We lied"....
(2001) (second unit director) - Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000) (TV) (second unit director: New York/Canada)
- Earthly Possessions (1999) (TV) (second unit director)
Awards and honors
- The Hurt LockerThe Hurt LockerThe Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
(2009) - Venice Film Festival - SIGNIS Grand Prize - Best Film - The Hurt Locker (2009) - Venice Film Festival - Human Rights Film Network Award - Best Film
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Venice Film Festival - Arca Young Cinema Award - Best Film Venezia 65
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Venice Film Festival - Sergio Trasatti Award - Best Film
- And Starring Pancho Villa as HimselfAnd Starring Pancho Villa as HimselfAnd Starring Pancho Villa as Himself is a 2003 television film starring Antonio Banderas as Pancho Villa.At the time of production, this was the most expensive 2-hour television/cable movie ever made, with a budget of over $30 million....
(2003) (TV) - Emmy Nomination "Outstanding Made for Television Movie" - The Fisher King (1991) - 5 Oscar nominations, 1 win ("best actress" Mercedes RuehlMercedes RuehlMercedes J. Ruehl is an American theater, television and film actor.-Personal life:Ruehl was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, the daughter of Mercedes J., a school teacher, and Vincent Ruehl, an FBI agent. She was raised Catholic. Her father was of German and Irish descent and her...
), - The Fisher King (1991) - Won 3 Golden Globes (Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
, Mercedes Ruehl, and Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
), nominated for best director and best motion picture