Mark Schimmel's love of film started as an adolescent, when he would sneak into movie theatres, watching, studying and absorbing everything from silent films to movies from Hollywood's Golden Age to studio blockbusters. Mark approached his love of movies from an artistic perspective and started drawing the famous faces he saw on the screen. While studying art at New York's Pratt Institute, he was recruited by Walt Disney Productions and found himself drawing storyboards. Lured back to New York by Lintas Worldwide, he was able to take his first steps toward filmmaking Directing commercials for major brands including Diet Coke. During a brief stint working under the guidance of Harvey Weinstien at Miramax, Mark made his first movie, an 8mm production that received a Silver award from the Chicago International Film Festival, an auspicious start into his filmmaking career. Mark is a consummate storyteller, always digging deep to express the emotional content of the story.
"The collaborative nature of filmmaking is my passion. I am happiest being on set and working actors and a team of professionals to produce the best story possible, whether it's a 30-second spot or a feature film. The director may be the coach or the quarterback but the greatest work happens when everyone collaborates toward one common goal with is to tell a story."
directed notable actors such as Eric Roberts, Claudia Christian, Rene Auberjonois, Bill Ratner, Lance Barber and Academy Award nominee, Woody Harrelson and George Strait.
