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

Mark, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

My answer to this question hasn’t changed since childhood: my dad is my hero. Both of my parents are artists and graphic designers, who fostered my creativity from day one. My mom was endlessly supportive and nurturing, and immensely talented herself. My dad, a teacher as well as an award-winning practitioner, shaped my understanding of what it means to be a creative professional.

Our relationship naturally had a mentor-student dynamic. I saw how much purpose he derived from his work, and I wanted that too. He taught me that artists play a vital role in society—not just reflecting the times, but helping people process them. We use our creativity to process our own feelings too, and it becomes a reciprocal cycle of growth and synthesis. This perspective gave me confidence in my path, sparing me the imposter syndrome that plagues so many.

When I expanded into filmmaking, I carried forward the lessons I learned from him in design: the value of critique, the necessity of clear communication, and the balance of innovation with timeless fundamentals. We both gravitate toward highly conceptual, meaning-driven work, so design and filmmaking feel synergistic to me. At the core, both disciplines are forms of visual storytelling.

One of my dad’s greatest lessons was that a project doesn’t need to end when it’s delivered. Revisiting, refining, and revamping work isn’t about perfectionism—it’s about growth. That mindset has sustained him over a long and agile career. At 83, he’s still working, still evolving, and still in love with the process. That, to me, is true success.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m an award-winning designer & advertising creative director, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and educator.

In the design and advertising space, I build brands and experiences that stand out, connect, and engage. For me, graphic design isn’t just a piece of the puzzle—it’s the main event. My work spans brand identity, creative direction, and visual storytelling, helping brands cut through the noise with bold, memorable design. Great work isn’t just about looking good—it’s about making an impact. Whether shaping brand identities, dreaming up a winning campaign, directing creative teams, or crafting compelling visual narratives, I approach every project with a balance of concept, craft, and clarity. I create cohesive, scalable design systems that give businesses a distinctive presence across every touchpoint.

I believe the best creative work happens in an environment where talent is nurtured, ideas are challenged, and teams grow. Whether leading design teams or teaching at the School of Visual Arts alongside my dad, I invest in creative talent to help others grow and advance in their careers. Even in supervisory roles, I remain hands-on, ensuring that every project is executed with precision and crafted at the highest level. My work has been honored by Graphis, HOW, Print, Art Directors Club, CMYK Magazine, Creativity, Creative Quarterly, and LogoLounge.

Design is my first love, but I’ve had a blast exploring a recently-discovered ambition to make movies. When my wife Courtney (commercial video editor and film school grad) and I realized a shared passion for storytelling could transform into a creative partnership, we decided to become a writer/director duo known as The Sposatos. Together, we founded Houndstooth Studios, an Emmy-nominated and Clio Award-winning production company. It’s a vehicle for our filmmaking collaboration, as well as a full-service design and marketing firm servicing the independent film community.

Our work has screened at celebrated national and international Oscar-qualifying film festivals, and our feature screenplays have placed in several industry-leading competitions like ScreenCraft and The Black List. Our film “The Blake” was named Hottest Short of HotDocs. It won Best Doc Short at Brooklyn Film Fest, screened at Big Sky, SIFF, Atlanta, HollyShorts, and many others. Our Sci-Fi short “Hey, It’s Me,” received international distribution with DUST and High Octane Pictures, and received 145K+ online views during its premiere. It also garnered a NY-Emmy nomination. We recently co-wrote, co-directed, and produced our first feature, a Sci-Fi drama called Between Two Waves, which is currently in post production.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met Courtney towards the end of college. She was a film major at Temple University and I was studying graphic at their art school. In our early 20s, she began a career as a promo editor for film and TV and I went into advertising art direction. We spent about a decade doing our separate creative endeavors, but decided to team up around 2017, when Courtney was gearing up to make her first short film since film school. She invited me to contribute story ideas, and I really fell in love with the process. I took a screenwriting class, read all the major books, and ended up co-writing the screenplay for our first short. She mentored me on the technical and production end of things, and invited me to co-direct. Turns out I really love the energy of a film set. My extroversion is a perfect counterbalance to her more introverted tendencies. We divide responsibilities, which only works because we have really similar tastes and sensibilities. After our first short was released, we made it official and formed Houndstooth Studios. So far, we made 4 short films together and are close to releasing our first full-length feature. We recently opened a small but charming brick and mortar production office.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Courtney and I agree that our goal is to be able to continue making movies in a sustained manner, with a sustained audience. The big budget film industry isn’t looking very healthy these days. When we started out, our dream was probably to break into Hollywood, but now we’re hoping this new era can be a renaissance for indie film. There was a magical period in the 90’s and early 2000’s with Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino and so many others making all time classics for a tiny fraction a Hollywood budget. Our incredibly prolific friends and fellow married filmmaking duo—Stefanie and Kalani Hubbard of Pure Magic Pictures—are the masters of doing a lot with a little, and we are endlessly inspired by what they’ve been able to achieve. When it comes to our mission, Courtney and I want to create experiences that really matter to people, whether it’s providing an escape or confronting the many challenges of life. We want to bring people together and help them feel less alone. That sense of shared experience is the true magic of cinema. I’m a junkie for hard-hitting, deep-cutting speculative fiction. I tend to focus on big sci fi ideas that capture my imagination. Courtney wants to genre hop from comedy, to crime caper, to horror, to thriller and everything in between. Our shared goal is to bring audacious concepts and unforgettable characters to a diverse audience, while providing an emotionally-resonant and entertaining experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://houndstoothstudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houndstoothstudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.sposato1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksposato/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@houndstoothpictures

Image Credits

Mark Sposato