Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mark Elias. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mark, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I think the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is the film “Boy Makes Girl” (releasing October 24th on iTunes). It’s the first feature that I was both behind and in front of the camera on something that I had written, and playing a character with a clearly visual arc. So it was meaningful from the aspect of stepping up to a greater challenge, as well as the subject matter of alienation and being on the Autism spectrum. I also feel that the role of artificial intelligence in our lives is not black and white and I think that this film speaks to that, so I’m interested to see how it is received to a wide audience.

I’ve written films before and been cast in plenty of things, but writing to directing to acting, to me, requires a very deliberate juggling act, that includes being both open minded and critical of ideas and really defining those different roles and what each one requires of every situation on set, during production, in the editing room, and through completion of the film.

I know I’ve seen some funny reactions when discussing “the actor” on set from a director’s standpoint, and other people are looking at me like “that’s you.” But in the moment, it doesn’t serve the direction of the film to be making decisions from an actor’s perspective.

Mark, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When I was growing up I always enjoyed watching movies and seeing actors transform into different characters. I was a bit of an introvert, so I spent a lot of time giving myself a film education by browsing films, and from the age of ten I was writing adventure stories about myself and my brothers solving crimes. I didn’t know it at the time, but I shifted focus to the fine arts and graphic design before falling back in love with movies in college.

It really was the conceptual stories and unique characters that stuck with me after watching and I think that’s one thing I like to bring to the characters and stories I create — something unique and specific, and really accurate to what is the seed of the idea. And I like to think that this authenticity I am relentlessly chasing is what is come to be expected of me on any set I step onto.

Every story I write has some part of my journey and my experiences in it, and I really do believe every character we write can be seen as some version of ourselves – which can get very fun. Or dark. Or scary. It really runs the gamut!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

This is such a fascinating question because I find my creative journey is and has always been to tell meaningful stories and be a character people can either identify with, or learn from, and walk away from the screen with a greater understanding of others or themselves.

That sounds super easy and idealistic, but what I really mean by that is, with the films that I write, and god willing get funding for, am I telling a story that is true and authentic and impactful and insightful? Does it entertain and inform? A gorgeous little indie film that gains steam by word of mouth is exciting but it always starts with the story and the message. Each of the films that I’ve written and produced are stories that I find incredibly compelling and I wish at some point someone had made for my younger self to see and understand.

I seek the same in acting roles, but controlling your own creative journey is something I’m intensely drawn to, because you only live once, and every day counts.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Having a creative arts career means evolution. Of the self, the craft, etc. It’s not four years of education, get a desk job, get a promotion and keep cashing checks. It’s true, there is no formula for creative success, meaning you can put hours into something that might not pan out — and it might seem like wasted time but it’s a journey and a lesson to get to the next step. I come from a pragmatic background, and without an equation or a chart to show financial reward for successful art, it’s a big mental adjustment for those new to the creative world.

I’ve found the easiest way to draw the comparison is to look at an athlete. They don’t train for four years and get on a team and stop training. They train day in and day out, constantly attacking their career and looking for new ways to improve, opportunities to do thing faster/better and build on their success and momentum to reach the next level. Often times they will train all summer in hopes of making a team in the fall. The creative world can be approached strategically and with tact, but at the end of the day, you’re going to need some of that “leap and the net will appear” self belief.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1731797/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markelias/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-elias-0aab9b3/