We recently connected with Mark Knell and have shared our conversation below.

Mark, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Star Wars came out in 1977…I was 14 years old at that time and absolutely mesmerized when I saw that film. I knew right then that I wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry, though at the time, I just knew I wanted to be associated with making movies. It was amazing the most incredible movie I had seen; I was transfixed and wanted to play any part in creating something so cool!

Mark, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Back in 1983, I was juggling school and a gig at a local restaurant. One day, a buddy of mine who worked for a catering company that served the entertainment industry dropped a bombshell: he was off to pursue new adventures and wanted someone reliable to fill his shoes. Guess who he had in mind? Yours truly.

So, that’s how I stumbled into the industry, hopping onto a catering truck for the show “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” that summer. Let me tell you, those were some seriously long hours, but every minute on set felt like I was living the dream. Picture it: a 20-year-old me, still living at my parents’ place, making some pretty good money. My mom especially loved it because I’d bring home leftovers from the set—gourmet meals for days!

My journey’s been quite the rollercoaster since then. Started as a Production Assistant, dabbled in the Construction Department for an HBO hit, and about a decade down the road, found myself in an Executive role at MTV. After that, I took the leap into freelancing, hopping from one show to the next for another solid decade.

Then, about a year and a half ago, I teamed up with my buddy Jack Levy to kickstart Manifest Media Productions. Our pride and joy? The smash-hit podcast “Table Read”, which is still going strong. Just rolled out another one called “Failure”, and let me tell you, we’ve got some seriously exciting projects in the pipeline that we’re itching to dive into. Watch this space!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love diving into a script and making those words jump off the page! There’s something magical about taking those lines and breathing life into them.

Diving into the podcast realm takes that excitement to a whole new level, because here, we’re painting those same vivid worlds, but without the luxury of visuals. It’s all about crafting that entire universe using just sound.

See, in this audio-only space, every inflection, every pause, every bit of emotion has to be spot-on because we don’t have those facial expressions or gestures to lean on. It’s like we’re painting with sound, using the nuances of voice to sell a scene or convey a feeling. And let me tell you, it’s a challenge, but man, is it rewarding when you nail it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

You know, when Jack and I launched Manifest Media, it was all about putting our hearts into the stories that really mattered to us. There’s a ton of content out there, right? So, we figured, why not shake things up a bit?

Our competition? Oh, they’re out there, and they’re killing it. Seriously, they’re top-notch. But you know what? Instead of feeling intimidated, it’s actually been a motivator for us. It’s like, “Okay, if we’re gonna do this, we gotta do it right.” So, it’s been a real push for us to up our game and really be choosy about what we bring to the table. It’s all about quality over quantity, you know?

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifestmediaproductions/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-knell-534954b/

Image Credits
Jack Levy