“I have watched movies with love ever since I saw Mary Poppins as a kid. I would sneak downstairs after my parents were asleep and watch movies on PBS. It was like being in another world. My first career was Lighting Design for theater but an accident with a drunk driver forced me to take a break. During this timeout I watched every single movie at the rental store, at least once, and when I was ready to work I was ready for the movies. What a joy to be able to express ourselves through images. A picture needs to communicate the character’s emotion to the audience even if the mute button is on or they’re from another culture or if they’re watching a hundred years from now. I love solving these visual problems with the director.” Mark Raker has been creating award-winning film and television programs, and national television spots since the 1980’s, including An Unreasonable Man, Moment of Impact and Michael Moore’s The Awful Truth. His network clients include ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, IFC, TNT, Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic TV, Channel 4 (UK), Bravo, Sesame Workshops and Sundance Channel. In addition to his automotive expertise with a client list that includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Mercedes-Benz, Saturn and Subaru, Mark’s work with beauty and people have been in demand on many campaigns for Aetna, Avon, Bank of America, Computer Associates, Cargill, ConAgra, Hachette Filipacchi Media, Goldman-Sachs, Hormel, Insignia/ESG, IPG, Kodak, KPMG, mark Makeup, Mars, Matchbox Cars, Oscar Meyer, Pitney Bowes, Priceline.com, Tyco Toys and UBS. He has also photographed many pharmaceutical campaigns for AstraZeneca, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Cephalon, Forest Labs, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Lederle Laboratories, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Marion Merrell Dow, Organon, Ortho McNeil, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Schering-Plough. Mark was chosen by Kodak to design, direct and photograph a short movie celebrating the beauty of Black & White photography. Following the successful launch and worldwide distribution of over 100,000 DVDs, Kodak asked him to be involved with confidential product development of new film emulsions. His unique expertise in unusual format and multi-screen special venue films leads to him being sought as consultant and DP on dozens of specials projects ranging from 3-D to Circlevision to ride simulators to Vistavision. In addition to projects for commercial clients he currently has films exhibited in museums in New York, Chicago, Minnesota and Seattle. Mark regularly serves as a judge for film festivals and for the Emmy Awards for Documentary Cinematography. He has been featured in the magazine InCamera. He is often a featured speaker for the Film Society of Lincoln Center. In addition to shooting assignments, since 1986 he has been the senior professor of cinematography at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies where he has received the NYU Award for Teaching Excellence and the NYU Award for Outstanding Service. Since 2006 he has also served on the faculty of the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine.