Biography
Mark started Beverly Hills-based Treasure Entertainment with partner Jesse Felsot in 2000. There he produced music videos for clients like Sony BMG/Latino, Upstairs Records, Nashville’s Stringtown Records, Bad Boy Records, Atlantic Records, Sony-based Immortal Records, and Jerry Heller (former President of Eazy E’s Ruthless Records). He also produced commercials for a diversity of brands such as Reebok, Con Air, Lamborghini, Cox Media, Royal Rehearsal and nCrowd.com.
Early in his career, Mark executive produced an independent feature called Cycles; served as a producer on NBA basketball docu-drama Flintown Kids, featuring hoop stars Jason Richardson and LeBron James; and helped develop and package the twist-filled thriller Don McKay, starring Thomas Haden Church (Sideways), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) and Melissa Leo (Frozen River).
Through Treasure, where Mark served as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until 2011, he and Jesse co-produced the gritty 2005 urban thriller Harsh Times by director and screenwriter David Ayer (Training Day), which starred Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) and Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under). Mark also produced a documentary about the making of the film, which was released on the film’s DVD by the Weinstein Company.
Mark subsequently developed and co-executive produced the family-friendly made-for-television movie You’ve Got A Friend for The Hallmark Channel. Directed by long-time TV helmer Jim Contner, the film stars John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard.), Dylan McLaughlin (Kicking & Screaming) and Bitty Schram (Monk). It premiered on Hallmark in 2007 to the channel’s highest ever June ratings.
Shortly thereafter, Mark produced and served as production manager on the independent comedy feature Man Overboard, which aired on cable television in the U.S. and on HBO in Europe through 2009 and 2010. He followed that up in 2011 with the horror web series Chopper, starring Tyler Mane (Halloween) and Andrew Bryniarski (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), based on the popular comic book.
In 2012, Mark produced and production managed the romantic comedy feature It’s Not You, It’s Me, starring Vivica Fox (Independence Day), Joelle Carter (Justified) and Ross McCall (Band of Brothers). The following year, he produced the supernatural martial arts film Ninja Apocalypse, starring Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat) and Ernie Reyes, Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), which premiered at San Diego’s Comic-Con in 2014.
Mark then transitioned to more dramatic fare, serving as lead producer of the award-winning Chinese- American romance film Comfort, which premiered in competition at Cinequest, and as associate producer on the Southern noir thriller Mississippi Murder, starring Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) and Luke Goss (Blade II).
In the spring of 2015, he produced a holiday film called A New York Christmas, released by Gravitas Ventures, starring Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Tracie Thoms (Deathproof) and Jasika Nicole (Fringe). He quickly followed that up as co-producer and UPM on Pray for Rain from ESX Productions and Lucas Oil, a mystery starring Jane Seymour (Wedding Crashers), Missi Pyle (Gone Girl) and Paul Rodriguez (Born in East LA).
Mark most recently produced horror movie The Basement, starring Mischa Barton (The O.C.), and associate produced Chinese new media series The Offer. He will follow that up with several darker- themed feature projects, including techno-thriller LITU, starring Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale), and the much-anticipated horror anthology The Gathering, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm St.) and William Sadler (Die Hard 2).
In addition, he is packaging a feature comedy called Multiplexing with Savage Steve Holland (Better Off Dead) directing. The cast includes Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th), Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow) and Hilary Duff (Raise Your Voice). He is also attached to produce, along with screen legend Ed Asner, the biopic Walking on Palmettos, about convicted drug smuggler Myles Richards.
Before starting Treasure Entertainment, Mark held positions at Outlaw Productions (Training Day, The Santa Clause I & II), Film Roman (The Simpsons, My First Mister), and literary agency Ken Sherman & Associates. He graduated number one in his class with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies from UC Santa Barbara and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Motion Picture and Television Producing from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
He currently lives in Los Angeles and serves as a freelance producer, line producer, production manager, post production supervisor and development consultant. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and often serves as a mentor for younger, up-and-coming producers.