Gooood morning! It’s been a long time coming, but dagnammit, I think we’ve gone and done it. I wrote it, you opened it, and now our journey hath begun.
“What journey?” Well, I’m thrilled to discover that with you. Every first and third Tuesday of the month (with the occasional bonus) I'll be delivering industry insights, BTS content, Q&As, recommendations, previews of upcoming projects, and exclusive chances to participate directly to your inbox!
Here’s what’s on our desk today:
Getting to Know Me: PART I
Comic Break: Graveshift
Getting to Know You: Polls
Sparks and Recs: What, Where, Read, Watch, Follow
Wrap Out
1. Getting to Know Me: PART I
“Wow, it’s been a while; what have you been up to? Do you have any new movies coming out? Are you still drawing? Are you working on anything?”
I hate1 these questions.
Okay, wait… let me rephrase; it is nice to be asked; to have interest shown in your life and/or work and I’m glad people care.
With that said, answering can get complicated.
I’m what some people call a multi-hyphenate, what others call a jack-of-all-trades, or even a Renaissance Man,2 but mostly it breaks down to the idea that I’ve built up a lot of applicable skills in the creative spaces where crossover seems to be harder to come by than one might think.
Over time and in an attempt to carve a career, I’ve had to bury, shed, or condense, many of my flings with artistic endeavors which do better to inform than delay my deepest yearnings.3
You may know me as the Director and sometimes Writer of such feature films as
all from the independent production studio Brotherhood Pictures, LLC along with
which I also Directed under the banner BHP in co-production with Purpose Pictures Productions.
or…
You may know me as an Illustrator & Animator who started in comics, moved into character animation/storyboards during the Flash revolution (Disney Online, WWE, ESPN, AOL, etc.), made some shorts of my own (won some awards), only to return later getting into motion graphics, 3D, VFX, and post-production and ran a little studio in Brea, CA for 7 years called Little Brother Sight & Sound.
Orr…
You may know me simply as Marc. A pastor’s kid who grew up in the Inland Empire with an unusually tight group of friends. Now raising two boys in Orange County, CA with my wife of 21 years about an hour out of Los Angeles.
And I’m tall. Unless you’re like… really tall. I guess it’s all relative.
Or maybe you don’t know me or my work and are just awesome for giving this a try.4
So why all this oversharing? Is that what this newsletter’s gonna be?
Jeez, pipe down. I don’t know yet. But I promise it won’t be a bi-weekly resume. I just want to catch you up to where we’re at so we’re on the same page.
So…
About a year into the pandemic, an offer came in for my creative partners and me to come on board and help build a multi-picture deal based on some IP I had a hand in nurturing over the coming 18 or so months. As the Director and a Producer, I worked hard alongside my team through many ups and downs, travel, casting, legal hurdles, accounting hurdles, investment hurdles, stops and starts, until around 18 months in when the deal came crashing down and I lost access to these projects some of which I had spent a decade attached to.
Worse than that - my very healthy Dad had suddenly passed away months before.
After 20+ years of hard work as a creator and head dream-seller/motivator within my creative community, I finally found myself past my limits.
Brotherhood Pictures put out its last film.
Little Brother Sight & Sound serviced its final client.
No more movies. No more drawing. I just needed a break, so I walked away.
So… what happened next?
2. Comic Break
3. Let’s do some Polls
Since we’re just getting started I would love to get a little feedback on what interests you early birds:
I’ll bet you thought that was it. Think again!
Okay, last one… maybe:)
You did it!!!
4. Sparks and Recs
Last week I attended a screening (front row) to see Dune: Part Two at the DGA Theater One on Sunset followed by a wonderful discussion between the filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and Director Steven Spielberg where they discussed adapting from the book, shooting in the Desert, and creating fictional worlds. You can hear the discussion below:
Upcoming Events
These are key screenings, meetings, and events I will be attending in the coming month. If you are planning on attending please say hi. If there’s something I should be attending, reach out - I’d love to know about it!
April 6th | DGA - Making History with Marlee Matlin: An event meant to open a conversation on how to shift Hollywood's stigma on disabled Directors and creatives with an introduction by Geena Davis.
Jennica Schwartzman | Actress, Comedian, & Producer will be hanging out with me!
April 7th | Honda Center - Anaheim Ducks Game5
April 9th - DGA Committee Meeting
April 18th | The Frida Cinema - Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus - A documentary about the final performances of the beloved maestro.
April 25th | The Frida Cinema - Trainspotting: Page to Screen - Director Danny Boyle put himself on the map with his 1996 black-dramedy classic. I’ve never seen it on the big screen!
What I’m reading
Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Forty-Something Years in Hollywood, by Ed Zwick (Audible)
The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, by John Truby
Godzilla & Kong: The Cinematic Storyboard Art of Richard Bennett, by Mr. Richard Bennett
What I’m Watching
Movies
In Theaters
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
At Home
Crazy Stupid Love (2011)
Mean Girls (2024)
Road House (2024)
TV & Streaming
Weekly Watches (in Season)
Disney+: X-Men 97
Hulu: The Rookie, Abbot Elementary, The Connors, Bob’s Burgers, The Good Doctor
Paramount+: FBI
Peacock: The Law and Orders (OG, SVU, OC), Chicago PD
Max: This Week Tonight
Classics: HGTV, Northern Exposure, Friends (always Friends)
Who I’m Following
in: Chris Copeland | Director at Dreamworks Animation
in: Armand Serrano | Production Designer 2D/3D/VR Skydance, Marvel, Disney
5. Wrap out
So how’d we do for a first issue?
There wasn’t much… yeah. Not much covers it
If you mean for a newsletter about insights into making film and art we didn’t cover much of either….. sure, that’s fair.
But hey, we’re just getting to know each other, right? Come on back in two weeks to learn a little more about me and hopefully, I’ll know a little more about you.
We’ll get there, just sit on your hands and keep your eyes on the road… or in the clouds or something… or is that the head?
Also, don’t literally sit on your hands, or you won’t be able to click subscribe6.
Oh, and share with your friends… or hell, even your enemies!
Cheers:)
I don’t condone nor endorse hate and do my best to keep the word out of my vocabulary. It’s an uphill battle I am not always winning but intend to win the war!
Okay, so no one calls me "Renaissance Man”. But alas, t’would be fire.
You felt that right? Had Rizz all OVER that line!
Don’t tell the others, but you’re secretly my favorite.
Okay, maybe not industry related but art is living and Hockey is life!!!
Don’t forget to subscribe:)