About Mark Piper and Guest Tutors

MARK PIPER – PRODUCER DIRECTOR FILM & TELEVISION CONSULTANT

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND ASIA USA EUROPE

Spanning over three decades in the international Theatre, Film and Television industry, Mark Piper’s award-winning career has seen him on the initial teams Producing and Directing many international drama programs. Water Rats (Australia), Mercy Peak (NZ), Beastmaster (USA), Ponderosa (USA), Neighbours, Home and Away, All Saints, Blue Heelers, Always Greener, Halifax F.P (Australia), and Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten (Germany), are just some of the popular series that Mark has directed

Beginning his career as an Actor in New Zealand Mark went on to running Director Roger Donalson’s ( The Worlds Fastest Indian ) company Aardvark films and then worked on such films such as “The Blue Lagoon” with Brooke Shields, “Tim” and “Attack Force Z” with Mel Gibson, “My Brilliant Career” with Sam Neil and Judy Davis etc.

You can also read Mark’s full professional profile on his LinkedIn profile.

MARTIN SACKS ACTOR / DIRECTOR

Martin has worked extensively in the film and television industry for the last thirty years.

His film credits include ‘Emoh Ruo’, ‘Slate, Wyn and Me’, ‘Love in Limbo’ as well as the telemovies, ‘Do or Die’, and ‘My Husband My Killer’ playing the lead role of Andrew Kalazjich.

He was a regular cast member of the Australian drama, Blue Heelers, playing the role of Detective PJ Hasham for 11 years, and more recently appeared on the first series of ‘Underbelly’, as underworld figure, Mario Condello.

He is currently shooting a guest role on both ‘City Homicide’ and ‘Sea Patrol’.

His directing credits include the award winning short film ‘Crushed’ as well as numerous episodes of Blue Heelers and
medical drama, ‘All Saints’.

Martin currently resides with his family in Byron Bay, NSW.

ANTHONY WONG – Ivana Chubbuck Acting Technique

ANTHONY BRANDON WONG is an award-winning performer with more than 25 years professional experience as an actor, comic, singer, and accent specialist.

He has worked extensively in film, television, theater and radio in the US, Asia, Europe, Canada, Africa, Australia and New Zealand for major production studios such as Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia Tristar, Disney, ABC Family, BBC, Zoetrope Studios, HBO, Shanghai Film Studios, and Film Australia.

He has also worked with some of the world’s great directors including STEVEN SODERBERGH (“Knockout”), THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS (“Matrix” trilogy), SCOTT HICKS (“Hearts in Atlantis” starring Anthony Hopkins, “Shine” starring Geoffrey Rush), JOHN MOORE (“Behind Enemy Lines” starring Gene Hackman), STEPHEN HOPKINS (Emmy award winning director of “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers”) and CLARA LAW (HK director of “Temptation of a Monk” starring Joan Chen).

His film credits include the role of Zen Buddhist assassin “Ghost” alongside Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss and Monica Bellucci in THE MATRIX RELOADED,
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS and as a lead character in the ENTER THE MATRIX video game, and the Twentieth Century Fox blockbuster The FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, co-starring Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, Tyrese Gibson and Miranda Otto (CASHMERE MAFIA).

Other film credits include LITTLE FISH (opposite Cate Blanchett), the lead male role of a womanizing Hong Kong stockbroker in Clara Law’s award-winning FLOATING LIFE, and roles in LILIAN’S STORY (co-starring Toni Collette), TILL THERE WAS YOU (opposite Mark Harmon), SEEING RED (Cannes Film Festival), and THE REUNION (Sydney Film Festival Best Short Film nominee). He recently played a key role in the Australian comedy film CROOKED BUSINESS, directed by Chris Nyst, whose last film GETTING SQUARE scored 14 Australian Film Institute Award nominations

ANDREA MOOR is an actor and teacher of actors. She graduated from NIDA in 1985 and has also studied with the Atlantic Theatre Company and at East 15. Her theatre credits are extensive and include many productions with The Sydney Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, Playbox, Queensland Theatre Company, The Ensemble, Marion Street Theatre, and the NIDA Company. She was awarded the London Monthly Review best actress for her performance in the one-woman show, Witchplay, at the 1991 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Andrea has also worked extensively as an actor in film and television. Andrea was co-founder of Practical Aesthetics Australia, the Sydney Annex of The Atlantic Theatre Company of New York. She has taught at NIDA, WAAPA, QUT, ATYP and St Martins Youth Theatre. Andrea is also an acting coach/dramaturg for film and television, having worked on many feature films and Australian television series. Andrea is a Doctorate of Creative Industries student at QUT.

PAUL BARRY

Paul is a NIDA acting graduate from 1996. He is also a director, writer and acting teacher. Paul’s acting credits include Underbelly III for Channel 9, Packed to the Rafters, All Saints and Home & Away for Channel 7, The Cut for the ABC and Small Claims 1, 2 & 3 for Channel 10.

Paul directed the half-hour film, Touched by Fellini, starring Alex Dimitriades (Underbelly, Head On), Diana Glenn (Satisfaction, Oyster Farmer) and comedian, Vince Sorrenti as well as writing and directing short comedies, Turn Right (co-written/directed with Tristan Kenyon), Lookout and For Crying Out Loud. Paul co-collaborated with Tristan Kenyon on the script for short feature, Persons of Interest, starring Yvonne Strahovski (NBC’s Chuck) and Matt Doran (Macbeth, Star Wars, The Matrix).

Paul has also directed a number of plays at various theatres around Sydney. The most recent being both 52 Pick Up and Keeper, two years running, at the Belvoir Downstairs Theatre.

As a teacher, Paul has taught over two thousand students since graduating from NIDA and has run workshops at many acting and film institutions, including NIDA, WAAPA and AFTRS as well as running his own Masterclasses through his business, Acting 4 Camera.

Paul was acting coach on a $15M US feature film and a multi award-winning Australian TV mini-series.

He has taught AFI & Logie winners as well as other professional actors, new graduates and absolute beginners. Former students of Paul’s have taken lead and guest roles in most TV shows and films made in Australia in recent years.

SHARON SHOSTAK started working in performance based art when she was 14, with a self-devised puppet show that toured local markets.
After completing a BA in Film Theory and Communication from Uni of QLD, she gained 4 years of industry training and work in postproduction on 16 mm and 35 mm films including ‘Evil Angels’ by Fred Schepisi. A post-graduate degree in Film and TV from Swinburne (now Victoria College of the Arts) led to more independent work in filmmaking. In 2004 she won best film at the New York Short Film Festival for her 9 minute digital short “The Deep Pool” and since has worked in documentary and education. Recent editing work includes music videos and a film for Austrian TV.

Mark Piper

SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Piper Pictures1980 – current	Producer, Famous, Feature Film & TV Drama Series TV & Film Director / Producer Various Projects Trainer & Facilitator Mark Piper Workshops Independent Film & TV Consultant
Go Wyld Productions2009	Producer, PHOBOS, Horror Film in Post Production
NIDA, International Film School, Actors Centre2007 – 2009	Teacher and Mentor for Screen Actors & Directors
Network 71980 – 2009	Series Director Home and Away Always Greener All Saints Blue Heelers Rafferty Rules Neighbours Sons and Daughters A Country Practice Acropolis Now (Sitcom)
Hallmark Channel USA2001	Series Director, Ponderosa
UFA / RTL Germany2001	Pilot Director, Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten Drama Series.
Network 91996 – 2001	Series Director, Water Rats Director Telemovie, Halifax FP Director for Murder Call, Prime Time and Chances.
Care Vietnam, Vietnam Government 1995	Executive Producer, Qio Qua Mien Toi, Drama Series
Network 101985 – 1988	Series Director, Beastmaster Series Director, Neighbours 1985 – 1988 Series Director, E Street Director, Richmond Hill 1988 Director, Pacific Drive Director, Prisoner, 1978
ABC1991	Series Director, GP
South Pacific Films, NZ1991	Series Director, Mercy Peak Series Director, Shortland Street
Feature Films1976 – 1980 Assistant Director / Unit Production Manager	The Blue Lagoon – Brook Shields, Randal Klieser Attack Force Z – Mel Gibson, Sam Neil Tim – Mel Gibson, Piper Laurie Sleeping Dogs – Sam Neill, Roger Donaldson My Brilliant Career – Judy Davis & Sam Neill Money Movers – Bruce Beresford Dawn – Ken Hanam

EXPERIENCE & ACHIEVEMENTS

Director & Producer

Piper Pictures Pty Ltd 1990 – 2009

Background

Piper Pictures was established as a vehicle for unique and creative Film and TV projects conducted across Australia and in various international markets. The business also offers Business Consulting, Mentoring, Training, TV & Film Consultancy and is engaged across national and international projects. In addition, Piper Pictures has produced a variety of workshops designed specifically for actors, directors and producers, often entering the industry for the first time.

Key Responsibilities & Contributions

FAMOUS ‘peace through music’, is a Feature Film and Television drama series, currently in development which has been created by Mark Piper with a scheduled launch for 2010.
PHOBOS ‘fear kills’ is a low budget Horror Feature Film, Mark Piper is the Producer and the project is currently in Post Production phase.
Led a unique project with Care Vietnam, in conjunction with the Vietnamese Government entitled ‘Qio Qua Mien Toi’; a 32-part Drama series, of which Mark Piper was the Executive Producer. This was a TV series utilised on behalf of the Government to highlight the HIV & AIDS problem emerging in Vietnam; Mark was involved from the outset to set-up the concept and assisted in sourcing finance through French private investors.
Director and Consultant of the Pilot TV Drama Series – Gute Zeiten Schlechte filmed in Germany and based on successful Australian series. Engaged by The Fremantle Group who have reinvented and franchised popular Australian serial dramas to other countries. Asked to go to Berlin for one year to direct the pilot and advice in the set-up of the series including casting, locations, style and look of each series.
Engaged as the Director for Water Rats, TV Drama Series about Australian water police which was successfully sold to 179 Countries. Involved in the set-up of the drama show on Sydney Harbour, Directed pilot episodes, initial casting, locations, and set up and style; successfully managed complex water logistics.
Key Director and involved in the initial setting up of Network 7 Australia’s internationally successful dramas, Sons and Daughters, Neighbours, Blue Heelers, Home and Away and All Saints and many other dramas over a 25 year period.
Directed a one-off episode of Home and Away “Hearts Divided” in 2003 which was subsequently used as a template to refresh the look of the entire series.
Engaged on the Blue Lagoon, feature Film; invited to Fiji to coordinate logistics of shoot from USA and Australia to an Island in the Yasawas Islands Fiji. Coordinated all building of sets and setting up of film on Island before main crew arrived, then joined the production as the Assistant Director for Film.
Teacher & Mentor for Drama Directors Network 7, NIDA, Actors Centre, and International Film School and for various workshops conducted nationally.