The music and film industries frequently collide, with major stars lending their vocal talents to the soundtracks of big blockbuster movies or small indie hits. However, there are numerous examples of musicians taking their love for Hollywood a step further by starring in a movie or making independent films.
While the transition isn’t always easy, there are numerous examples of paramount music artists who have successfully transitioned into the worlds of live-action or animated entertainment. Plenty of singers have made a successful career in film, whether it’s in a musical role or in a complete departure from the types of projects they usually work on. There have been many success stories, such as Cher, Barbara Streisand, and Queen Latifah, to name a few, but there have also been failures, such as Britney Spears, Brandy, and Lil Kim, who appeared in one major motion picture and haven’t been seen since.
Commitment is essential for musicians attempting to transition from a successful music career to a career in film. They must decide whether they want to be seen as a mastermind behind movies or a musician because the public wants to associate them with one or the other. However, switching to the film industry can be quite difficult if one does not possess any personal links in the industry. Fortunately, under such circumstances, one wise decision for the directors is to start making independent films.
The independent film industry, also known as art-house cinema, is a filmmaking subgenre that is not controlled or funded by Hollywood’s major motion picture studios. The budgets for this type of film production are typically lower, and the films are frequently produced outside of the traditional studio system. In contrast to Hollywood films, which are typically designed for mass appeal and frequently rely on big-name stars, independent films tend to focus on more creative and esoteric stories and themes, and frequently feature unknown actors. This route is considered far more nontraditional and only a few filmmakers succeed in it. One such individual, who made a name for himself walking this path is Mark David, who started from being a full-time musician but is now known to the world as an expert in making independent films.
Mark David is an American director, cinematographer, producer, and rock drummer who has won numerous awards. He has been a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) since 2014, the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) since 2017, and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) since 2014.
David studied acting and filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1995, and music law at Washington State University the following year. He also studied Drama at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, and St. Thomas University in Houston, Texas. He also began studying cinematography at USC but dropped out after a semester because he felt he could learn more on a movie set. David started his career as a rock drummer and played in several bands including The Agency, and later in his own film Sweet Thing.
When David was 20, he bought a used Arriflex 16mm camera and learned how to shoot film. With this camera, he shot his first music video and full-length feature film. He continued to collect vintage cameras, including a Bolex 16mm and several other 8mm film cameras, still cameras, and lenses from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Willing to enter the film industry, David made a smooth transition from the music industry to the filmmaking industry. From 2003 to 2007, he decided to form a partnership with Rogue Arts, through which he distributed over 40 independent films with partners Kirk Harris and Ron Gilbert. From 2002 to 2009, he ran a successful post-production company called Jam Pictures in West Hollywood with childhood friend and long-time collaborator William Tabanou. Following its humble beginnings in Little Tokyo and Koreatown, the company grew quickly.
David wrote and recorded an all-original soundtrack for his film Jonny’s Sweet Revenge with his two bands, Ultrarev and Westimer, in 2015 and 2016, which reunited him with his childhood friends Dean Truitt and Gabriel Ordonez.
Diane Ladd, Rip Torn, Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern, Val Kilmer, Peter Falk, and Lin Shaye starred in David’s third independent feature film, American Cowslip (2010). Warner Bros. and E1 released the film in North America and the film won first place at the 2010 Albuquerque Film Festival.
Over all these years of hard work, David has shot a number of other independent films, including The Preacher’s Daughter and its sequel, A Woman Betrayed AKA The Preacher’s Mistress, which won multiple awards. His fourth feature film, Jonny’s Sweet Revenge won ten film festival awards, including Best Director, Best Film, and an Audience Award. He went on to direct the drama/thriller Texas Heart, starring Lin Shaye, John Savage, and Daniella, and the film won Best Picture at the Albuquerque Film Festival in 2015, among many other accolades. David returned to the Director’s Chair in 2017, directing the contentious indie film Star*cker. His multifaceted abilities as a director, cinematographer, editor, and producer frequently demonstrate that passion has the potential to act as a driving force toward success.