Mark Yellen
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Line Producer
Mark Yellen attended the San Francisco Art Institute and (SUNY) State University of New York where he majored in film and communications. Moving from Vermont where he had worked with the Vermont Council on the Arts and the Two Penny Theatre, (a commedia dell' Arte troupe), he graduated with a one hour dramatic film that he wrote, produced and directed entitled THE LAST ROOMMATE, which received theatrical release and positive critical reviews. Upon graduation, Mark joined DASHER COMMUNICATIONS in San Francisco.. At Dasher, Mark produced and directed Commercials and Corporate Communication Programs for clients such as MEMOREX, CHARLES SCHWAB, LEVI-STRAUSS, GTE, and HONDA (and receiving a Best Film Award from the San Francisco Advertising Club).
Moving into the independent filmmaking arena and paying his dues as a First Assistant Director and Production Manager, Mark worked up to the positions of Line Producer, Producer and Second Unit Director on numerous Independent Features, Music Videos, and Commercials. Mark was the San Francisco Production Manager for Warner Brothers' DOGFIGHT directed by Nancy Savoca, starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor. He also Produced the 1 hour Music Video PLEASE HAMMER DON'T HURT 'EM with M.C. Hammer, which received a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video. Working with Francis Ford Coppola and his American Zoetrope company, Mark produced the feature film INDIGO and the highly specialized and extensive Screen Tests and Cast Auditions for Coppola's BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA. These included shooting and testing with Sony and Panavision's first generation state-of-the-art High-Definition video equipment shooting scenes side-by-side with 35mm film cameras with award winning cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
Moving to Los Angeles, he went on to co-produce GUNCRAZY (directed by Tamra Davis, with Drew Barrymore and James LeGros) and WHERE THE RIVERS FLOW NORTH (directed by Jay Craven, starring Rip Torn, Michael J. Fox and Treat Williams). Forming a partnership with Zane W. Levitt in ZETA ENTERTAINMENT, together they produced a number of films including: FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (starring Costas Mandylar, Chris Penn & Malcolm McDowell); THE BIG SQUEEZE (with Lara Flynn Boyle and Danny Nucci); MONTANA (starring Kyra Sedgewick, Stanley Tucci, and John Ritter), Martin Schenk's BLAST (starring Leisel Matthews, Adam LaVorgna, Blake Heron and Ed Lauter); and PUERTO VALLETTA SQUEEZE, adapted from the novel by Robert James Waller (Bridges of Madison County), starring Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitel; and SHILOH starring Rod Steiger, Michael Moriarty and Ann Dowd. Adapted from the Newbery Award winning novel, the film went on to win many awards, receiving singular praise from Roger Ebert as a "remarkable" and "overlooked" film. Selling well over 1.5 Million Videos and spawning the sequel, SHILOH SEASON and SAVING SHILOH, this franchise continues to be one of Warner Brothers most successful family releases. Mark is in development on a wide slate of both studio and independent film and television projects.
Moving into the independent filmmaking arena and paying his dues as a First Assistant Director and Production Manager, Mark worked up to the positions of Line Producer, Producer and Second Unit Director on numerous Independent Features, Music Videos, and Commercials. Mark was the San Francisco Production Manager for Warner Brothers' DOGFIGHT directed by Nancy Savoca, starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor. He also Produced the 1 hour Music Video PLEASE HAMMER DON'T HURT 'EM with M.C. Hammer, which received a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video. Working with Francis Ford Coppola and his American Zoetrope company, Mark produced the feature film INDIGO and the highly specialized and extensive Screen Tests and Cast Auditions for Coppola's BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA. These included shooting and testing with Sony and Panavision's first generation state-of-the-art High-Definition video equipment shooting scenes side-by-side with 35mm film cameras with award winning cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
Moving to Los Angeles, he went on to co-produce GUNCRAZY (directed by Tamra Davis, with Drew Barrymore and James LeGros) and WHERE THE RIVERS FLOW NORTH (directed by Jay Craven, starring Rip Torn, Michael J. Fox and Treat Williams). Forming a partnership with Zane W. Levitt in ZETA ENTERTAINMENT, together they produced a number of films including: FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (starring Costas Mandylar, Chris Penn & Malcolm McDowell); THE BIG SQUEEZE (with Lara Flynn Boyle and Danny Nucci); MONTANA (starring Kyra Sedgewick, Stanley Tucci, and John Ritter), Martin Schenk's BLAST (starring Leisel Matthews, Adam LaVorgna, Blake Heron and Ed Lauter); and PUERTO VALLETTA SQUEEZE, adapted from the novel by Robert James Waller (Bridges of Madison County), starring Scott Glenn and Harvey Keitel; and SHILOH starring Rod Steiger, Michael Moriarty and Ann Dowd. Adapted from the Newbery Award winning novel, the film went on to win many awards, receiving singular praise from Roger Ebert as a "remarkable" and "overlooked" film. Selling well over 1.5 Million Videos and spawning the sequel, SHILOH SEASON and SAVING SHILOH, this franchise continues to be one of Warner Brothers most successful family releases. Mark is in development on a wide slate of both studio and independent film and television projects.
