Mark is an artist/animator, educator, and entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in various media, including laser light, broadcast television, video games, and visual effects for fully animated and live-action films and immersive performance animation. He has received numerous awards for his work, most recently for Moirai, Thread of Life, for which he was honored with the Best of Show Award at the SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 Computer Animation Festival in Sydney, Australia. He has worked on visual effects for various films at companies such as DreamWorks SKG and Rhythm and Hues Studios and in the gaming industry, having worked on PlayStation games at Acclaim Entertainment.
Recent works include an exhibition of “Nocturne at AEC,” an interactive performance of dance and animation, at the giant Deep Space 8k Theater at Ars Electronica Festival 2020, and “Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent)” at The Global Digital Summit of Digital Art at China’s Guizhou Provincial Museum, LASIGGRAPH 2022/12 presentation of his most recent works, including “Nocturne,” and an exhibition of Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent), “The Future Past v. Coloniality: Decolonial Media Art Beyond 530 Years,” SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 in Deagu, South Korea.
Mark’s current work focuses on generative AI techniques in animation and design. He has used these techniques to create short films such as Moirai, Thread of Life, and Mitla | Underworld, which explore themes using expressive abstraction and character representation to illustrate contemporary scientific notions with a live, anthropomorphic worldview. Mark exhibits his work at interactive, immersive exhibitions, film festivals, and digital distribution on social media. He has also presented his research internationally at conferences, film screenings, and art exhibitions. Mark is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of generative AI animation and design and continues to innovate in this exciting field.

education

2003
MFA, the University of California at Los Angeles, School of Theater, Film & Television, Animation

1980
BFA, Arizona State University, Drawing, Tempe, Arizona

recent exhibitions, screenings, and research

2023.05.18
Author(s). (2023, May 18). Title of Presentation. In Ecstatic Truth VII: Decolonising Animation (Symposium). Retrieved from [https://expandedanimation.net/2023/01/18/call-for-papers-ecstatic-truth-vii-decolonising-animation/]
Using Indigenous Design to Explore Contemporary Ideas in Quantum Mechanics

2023.04.25
Presented at the Founders Forum, Singapore

2022.12.13
LASIGGRAPH presentation and talk of our most recent works, including the production of “Mitla | Underworld,” a fully Generative AI short animated movie, “Moirai, Thread of Life,” “Nocturne,” and “Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent)”

2022.11.
SIGGRAPH Asia in Daegu, South Korea
“The Future Past v. Coloniality: Decolonial Media Art Beyond 530 Years,” SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 in Daegu, South Korea. https://decolonial-media-art.siggraph.org/exhibition/

2022.04-08
Fission: The New Wave of International Digital Art, Guizhou Provincial Museum 29/4/22-31/8/22, Curated by Birgitta Hosea, Zhang Xiaotao, Li Fei
Exhibiting 2 video art films: Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent) and Nocturne-AEC. This is Guizhou Province’s first international exhibition of digital art, featuring 44 international digital media artists and 54 works of art and covering 2200 square meters. The works cover a range of techniques, disciplines, and approaches, including interactive media, virtual reality, robotics, immersive installations, experimental animation, artificial intelligence, and archaeological visualization.

2019. 09.
Artist in residence at UCLA Art/Sci Center, I used resources available at UCLA California Nano Science and Austrian Academy of Science, where he created the short film and installation Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent). It premiered at Ars Electronica Festival 2019 in the Deep Space 8k Theater and the “Industry Award for Best Visual Effects” from the Raw Science Film Festival 2020.

2018. 01-06.
Artist in residence at UCLA Art/Sci Center developed materials for UCLA Art/Sci Gallery, networked with the Emerging media community in Los Angeles, and installed at Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, Hamburg. Developed concepts for artwork short movie “Digital Medicine, Arts, and STEAM: BEFORE US LIES ETERNERDY,” which won the “Industry Award for Best Infographic” a Raw Science Film Festival Award, displayed at Ars Electronica Festival 2018 in Deep Space 8k Theater in collaboration with MEVIS Fraunhofer. Co-initiated and organized ELMAN: An International University Collaboration with The European University of Applied Arts, Hamburg, an installation of student works. Presented research on work created for Media Art Nexus “Emote Project” at Media Architecture Bienalle 2018 on Digital Publics Symposium held in Beijing, China.

2017. 09.
Exhibited a media installation at ‘Singapore Inside Out.” Invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to present artwork in Tokyo, Japan, at the BANK Gallery, Omotesando district. Participated and co-organized “on|off 100101010 An International Symposium and Exhibition.”

2016. 06-10.
Created numerous original artworks for Media Art Nexus at Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

screenings at film festivals

MITLA | Underworld

2022.04.Venice ShortsBest Experimental
2022.09.Best Shorts CompetitionAward Winner
2023.05.Brooklyn International Short AwardsSemi-Finalist
2022.10.Official Latino Film and Arts FestivalSelected
2023.05.Sofia International Film FestivalSelected
2022.10.FEEDBACK Animation Film & Screenplay FestivalSelected

Moirai, Thread of Life – Short Animated Film

2023.02.Santa Barbara International Movie AwardsAward Winner
2023.04.USA Film FestivalFinalist
2023.05.Brooklyn International Short AwardsSemi-Finalist
2023.03.Arizona International Film FestivalSelected
2023.02.American Documentary And Animation Film Festival and Film FundSelected
2023.04.Beverly Hills Film Festival®Award Winner

NOCTURNE – Short Animated Film

2021.06.London International Web & Shorts Film Festival (UK)Award Winner
.Infinity Film FestivalSelected
2021.04.4th Dimension Independent Film FestivalFinalist

Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent) – Short Animated Film

2021.11.Diamond Eye Film FestivalSelected
2021.10.Urban Mediamakers Festival (UMF)Award Winner
2021.07.Toronto Independent Film Festival of CiftFinalist
2021.06.Rotterdam Independent Film FestivalNominee
.London International Web & Shorts Film Festival (UK)Semi-Finalist
2021.05.New York Istanbul Short Film FestivalFinalist
.Golden Bridge İstanbul Short Film FestivalSelected
2021.04.Iconic Images Film FestivalSelected
2021.03.NEW DELHI FILM FESTIVAL-NDFF (International)Selected
.Beyond the Curve International Film FestivalFinalist
2020.10.Latino FEEDBACK Film FestivalSelected
.Flixze Film FestivalFinalist
2020.09.Official Latino Film and Arts FestivalSelected
 International Fine Arts Film FestivalSelected
2020.08.Los Angeles Motion Picture FestivalAward Winner
.Synergy Film FestivalSelected
.Monthly Indie ShortsSelected
2020.07.Mosaic World Film FestivalSelected
2020.06.The Flight Deck Film FestivalFinalist
.New York Animation Film Awards (NYAFA)Semi-Finalist
.Raw Science Film FestivalAward Winner

industry-related work

2014.2022.

CEO/Founder Giant Monster Pte Ltd, a new media company that creates and maintains public art installations at Media Art Nexus http://mediaartnexus.com.

2019.

Artist in residence at UCLA Art/Sci Center used resources available at UCLA California Nano Science and Austrian Academy of Science to create Quantum LOGOS (vision serpent) which premiered at Ars Electronica Festival 2019 in the Deep Space 8k Theater.

2018.

Artist in residence at UCLA Art/Sci Center developed materials for UCLA Art/Sci Gallery, networked with the Emerging media community in Los Angeles, and installed at Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, Hamburg. Developed concepts for artwork short movie “Digital Medicine, Arts, and STEAM: BEFORE US LIES ETERNERDY” which won the “Industry Award for Best Infographic” a Raw Science Film Festival Award, displayed at Ars Electronica Festival 2018 in Deep Space 8k Theater in collaboration with MEVIS Fraunhofer. Co-initiated and organized ELMAN: An International University Collaboration with The European University of Applied Arts, Hamburg, an installation of student works. Presented research on work created for Media Art Nexus “Emote Project” at Media Architecture Bienalle 2018 on Digital Publics Symposium held in Beijing, China.

2005.2015.

Assistant Professor in the Digital Animation Department of Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design, and Media: Relocated to Singapore to establish the first University-based Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Southeast Asia, Specializing in computer animation instruction

2002.2005.

CLONE3D LLC Established CLONE3D LLC, developed real-time chat avatars for the internet

2002.2005.

Rhythm and Hues Visual Effects for Daredevil, X-Men 2: X-Men United, Cat in the Hat, Elf, Around the World in 80 Days, Scooby-Doo II, The Flight of the Phoenix and The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.

1995.2002.

DreamWorks Feature Animation CGI lead modeler for Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, CGI Animator/Modeler for El Dorado, and CGI Animator/Modeler for The Prince of Egypt

1994.1995.

Acclaim Entertainment CGI supervisor for Alien Trilogy, a PlayStation I game; supervised 3D modeling and animation; utilizing Acclaim’s motion capture and editing system of all of the creatures within the game

1991.1993.

Tokyo Broadcasting System-Vision Technical and art director for television broadcast projects Kroyer Films Assistant animator on the feature film “Fern Gully.”

1991.

Phillips Interactive Character animation for children’s interactive titles

1988.1990.

Freelance Digital Artist/Animator; created flying logos, rock videos, and puppet animation

1987.1988.

Filmation West Assistant animator for feature films

1986.1987.

LaserMedia, Laser Animation Supervisor, art director, and animator pioneering the technique of laser animation with 25 + projects

1980.1986.

Motion billboards, Broadway, Rock Concerts, Special Venues, 1984 Summer Olympics projected billboard and entertainment imagery on the Federal Building in Westwood, California, Unique Venues, Corporate Theatre, Trade Shows, Broadcast Commercials, and other Industrial projects for clients

awards in the industry

Ten award-winning feature films

2005.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Oscar-nominated for Best Achievement in Visual Effects, won a BAFTA Film Award for Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects, and numerous other awards

2004.

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, nominated for multiple awards

2004.

Elf won the 2004 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards. It won the Top Box Office Films Award, the 2004 Golden Trailer Awards, the Best Comedy Award, and received nominations for numerous other awards

2004.

X-Men 2, Online Film Critics Society Awards 2004, nominated for the OFCS Award for Best Visual Effects, was nominated for many other awards

2004.

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, 2004 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA, nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film and many other nominations

2003.

Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat received nominations for numerous awards

2003.

The Rundown was nominated for multiple awards; Daredevil nominated for various awards

2003.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron won the 2003 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards for Top Box Office Films; won the Young Artist Award for Best Family Feature Film in the Animation category, it won a 2004 Genesis Award in the category of Feature Film; at the 2003 Academy Awards was nominated for the Best Animated Feature; it was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature and received nominations for many other awards in different categories

2000.

The Road to El Dorado received nominations for numerous awards

1998.

The Prince of Egypt, at the 1999 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Animated Film; at the Young Artist Awards, it won the Young Artist Award for Best Animated Family Feature; it also won and was nominated for several other awards including an Oscar for Best Movie

award-winning PlayStation I game

1996.

Alien Trilogy, Awarded the PlayStation Game Award by PS Extreme Magazine, I was the artistic lead, level designer, and lead animator on the project