Preface
There is no substitute for experience.
Thousands of hours of post production work editing and scoring films,
years of martial arts training and stunt work, combined with enough
directing experience to have won awards as a director, editor, composer
and more gives you the formula for “Innovation.” The innovation
necessary to make things happen in front of the camera that
consistently thrills audiences.
Now Mark applies his creative vision and
marketing know how to Advertising. After training for several years
under the tutelage of Fortune 500 marketing consultants, Mark is now a
sought after product and corporate marketing consultant for small to
medium sized businesses. Mark takes this hard won knowledge into every
commercial that he directs. In the narrative comedy genre, his
distinctive wit combined with the quality and speed he is known for is
etching deep positive grooves in the memories of his audiences.
Mark has always had a passion for storytelling. The son of two professional musicians, Mark creates amazing images and stories with music, as he has done since boyhood. Mark has performed with some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Herby Hancock, Steve Amerson, and J.A.C. Redford. This is partly why for more than a decade he has been in demand to score films.
In filmmaking, learning the in’s and out’s of
directing with less than-million dollar budgets honed Mark’s creative
and innovative skills to bring in the show on time and under budget,
always music to the ears!
Biography
From his earliest memories, Mark Edward Lewis
has had a passion for things that touch people at a deep and emotional
level. While still a toddler, Mark connected with the emotional power
of music and its ability to move people. As he matured, he realized
that music’s allure for him was in its ability to convey colors, moods,
feelings, and, ultimately, to tell stories.
As a child of consummate musicians, he was fortunate to grow up in an environment that encouraged, nurtured, and developed his creative abilities. However, Mark’s vision and passion for telling stories quickly grew beyond what music alone could convey. This passion grew steadily as he established himself in both the music and film industries during the first 15 years of his adult life.
Mark grew up in Fullerton, California with the
sound of strings all around him.
"My mother plays the harp, piano, organ and is
a fantastic arranger," said Lewis. "My father plays the violin, viola,
cello, bass, piano and is a fantastic conductor." Lewis' father was
also the conductor of the Fullerton Symphony and taught at Fullerton
Community College for more than 20 years.
From age four Lewis was "plunking out little
melodies on the family Steinway." He began formal piano training at
five, and took on the cello at nine. Most artists cannot define the
crucial moments that forever secured their love for music, but Lewis
can pinpoint three.
"Three critical circumstances that thrust the
imagination of a boy into musical endeavors were one, regularly
conducting with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops orchestra on
television. Apparently I did this from the age of two. Secondly,
hearing the score to Star Wars composed by John Williams, and last,
taking a commercial and improvisation piano class at Fullerton College.
"Although I can't recall what specific
importance Arthur Fiedler's influence had on me through the television
(other than too many X-rays), I know that it gave me immediate
emotional links to music and the language of audio. At the age of six
when I saw Star Wars and was subsequently given the soundtrack, I
entered upon a quest to know what secrets Mr. Williams knew that could
place such passion into a piece of lyric-less time. Finally, at the age
of 15 when I took my first commercial piano course, I had already
written several songs. With the infusion of commercial harmony and
theory, I had enough tools to make serious strides in my quest.”
This commercial training allowed Mark to
expand beyond being “just” a virtuoso of classical piano. He now had
the tools to master commercial techniques as well. With training and
experience similar to his idol John Williams, he was now able to see
"the magician's tricks." With this insight, Mark was now able to infuse
John Williams’ “voice” (and those of many other composers) with his own
innovative style and sensibilities. To this day, Mark is flown around
the world to conduct and perform with some of the world’s greatest
classical musicians and performers.
Education
Beginning at age 10, Mark was home schooled
until he entered Fullerton Community College full time at the age of
15. By the time he was 18 he had graduated with Highest Honors with AA
degrees in Music, Commercial Music, and a certificate in Recording
Arts. Along the way he won the school's Dan Radlaeur Composition
Competition one year and received third place the next. (Something he
still gets ribbed about!)
After receiving his certificate in Film
Scoring from UCLA, he enrolled at Azusa Pacific University and
graduationed Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.
He was further distinguished by receiving the "Musician of the Year" as
awarded by the Music School.
Following his formal education, Mark continued
his educational background by studying for five years under the
tutelage of internationally acclaimed composer and film scorer, J.A.C.
Redford.
He completed his education in personal
branding, business marketing and purchase patterning under the tutelage
of the consultants at LEVEL IV.
Music and Scoring
While pursuing his degree in music at
Fullerton Community College, he scored his first film at the age of 17
and was asked to produce a Contemporary Christian album for the Korean
market at the ripe old age of 18! Since then, he has come to be a
celebrity in the Korean Christian community with three number one CD’s
and a fourth climbing the charts.
Mark attributes much of his success in
creating powerful scores to 5 years of tutelage under the
internationally acclaimed composer and film scorer, J.A.C. Redford and
his participation in the UCLA Film Scoring Program, “This program
changed my life as a composer and expanded my mind in a way that
allowed me the techniques to be able to absorb what J.A.C. [Redford]
had to teach me.”
Growing up in a contemporary age with solid
grounding in classical composition has allowed Mark to bring a unique
and innovative style to film scoring. This innovation has helped many a director and producer to save a
less than great film with a passionate, moving score. Scoring film has
allowed Mark to become “well versed in timing, drama, pacing, acting,
and emotional flow of scenes." Fifteen years of working the “back end”
of films has given him the ability to know exactly how to obtain the
footage necessary on the “front end” to bring his vision powerfully to life on the big screen. It has also
taught him how to avoid myriad pitfalls and problems that end up
costing productions big money in re-shoots and budget overruns. No
director in Hollywood today can match the level, depth, and range of
experience Mark brings when he leads a project. Because of this, no
other director can generate the kind of results
(translation: ROI) for a production company.
Action
Mark’s passion for action comes from years of
training in martial arts. A second degree black belt instructor in Tae
Kwon Do, he also has mastery over more kinds of blades than you can
find in a Swiss Army Knife.
Once, at a recording session at his studio,
Lewis was asked why he hadn't utilized his martial arts skills as a
stuntman. Seeing an opportunity to combine two of the things he loves
most, Mark ran with the idea and began gaining on-set experience that
complemented his extensive post-production knowledge. Working as a
professional stuntman has provided knowledge and experience that has
proved invaluable in Mark’s ability to construct and direct action film
sequences that captivate audiences without busting the budget. His
years of experience in front of the camera and in post-production now
pay huge dividends any time he leads and directs a film project. The innovation that becomes possible with this kind of experience
allows him to know almost instinctively the quickest and least costly
way to capture his vision in a way that generates results with
audiences every time!
"My interest in martial arts stems originally
from that place that all boys have: a bent towards violence," said
Lewis. After six years of study, he earned his black belt. Another
three years later, he was granted the second degree and instructor's
qualifications. His expertise in the Korean martial art also gave him
language skills that allowed him to forge strong relationships within
the Korean business and entertainment communities.
The discipline Mark learned while mastering
martial arts pays off in a major way every time he sinks his teeth into
a project. He executes every shooting schedule with all the precision
of a Marine Corps General, but with the creative clarity and
collaboration of a CEO. Painstaking planning and attention to detail
show up on the bottom line as extraordinary visual results with minimal investment capital.