Mark Herzig has been a part of the film industry for over 25 years. As a versatile cinematographer he has lent his talents and vision to dozens of short films, commercials, features, music videos and more. He served as a teacher at the Academy of art in San Francisco, and in 2001, his short film “et cetera” won Best Cinematography at the New York International Independent Film Festival, and the Den Haag Festival Director Robert Ovetz proclaimed it “ . . . better than 'Requiem for a Dream'". He brought his considerable experience as director of photogaphy now to the Before 12 trailer, and is in line to do the same for the upcoming feature. I sat down with Mark and talked movies, the nature of a thriller, and everything under the lens.

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Sandy: Why lend your talents to a film like this?

Mark: I think it surprised you that I was even interested in the genre, and I think that story telling is the important thing in films. I was attracted to the situation and I was attracted to you as a filmmaker because you were engaged by your subject. You weren’t cynically trying to make something that was just like everything else. That’s pretty much all it takes for me. It became clear that we would be able to get the tools to do a credible job on the trailer. I think we did pretty well. That would have been a big deal breaker if I had been attracted to the project and we had absolutely no resources, but that was not the case.

S: I remember first seeing you speak at the CFAA meeting, and I was looking for someone serious. That was why I wanted you, you seemed genuinely interested in the subject.

M: I love what I do. There was an opportunity in your project to do the kind of work I find interesting within the scope of our resources. A lot of my “work” work, demands high quality, it demands interesting images, but frequently it does not call on me to do anything risky. Not that my work is white bread, but if someone says "that’s a little too dark", no matter who it is, you have to listen to them. But if you can’t tell more than one story, you won’t get far.

S: How did you get to the point where you were a director of photography? You’ve directed and written a lot of things, why is cinematographer your main title?

M: I’m interested in literature, acting, art direction, all the crafts, but without images, it’s just radio. I started as a painter, so I was on the path of pictorial art since I was a little kid. I got a job as an assistant to a still photographer early on, and I thought that really good photography was beyond me. It was good to discover that it wasn’t. I started to work on the skill set that you need to make photographic images. I became a focus puller, then a first assistant camera man for about 12 years. I then started to advertise myself as a director of photography, but as an assistant I was able to work with some of the really big names in commercial production, Joe Murray, Leslie Dektor, Michael Berkofsky, Joe Pytka, really big TV commercial directors. So as a focus puller you have to pay attention to what you’re doing, but by osmosis I’ve learned a lot of things from some pretty significant people.

S: What are your thoughts on the horror/thriller genre?

M: The thriller has always been with us, and one of the touchstones for me was the 1939 Frankenstein. Directed by James Well and photographed by Arthur Edeson. Edeson is a DP who moved from the silent era into sound, and made some of the Great American films of the 1930’s and 40’s. Edeson shot Frankenstein as well as Casablanca, so going back to what I said earlier, if you can only tell one sort of story, you’re not going to have a very busy career.

S: What cinematographers have influenced you?

M: Anybody who has the guts and the stupidity to open up the lens of a camera and point it at something and make a motion picture image is deserving of my respect and admiration. It is a physical, mental and emotional exercise all combined. Nestor Amendros is a great hero of mine, Conrad Hall, Arthur Edeson. My idol is Harris Savides, who is fortunately still with us in contrast to the three I named before.

S:I know we’ve spoken a bit about the hardships of putting a film together, but what would you say is the best moment of making a movie?

M: I’ll tell you exactly what it is; one of the main things that I love is the sense of camaraderie. If you have the right people working together. If you really have an excellent mix of people based on mutual respect, courtesy and a work ethic, there’s nothing better in the world. It’s the sense that a bunch of people who are unemployable in any other place, clinging together, bringing their skills together are doing something that 95% of the population can’t do.

S:What are your feelings on the modern horror films like the "Saw" movies or "Paranormal Activity"?

M: Well, I understand the genre. They're not for me personally because I do not like to see pictures of people degraded. It gives me a bad feeling and I don’t think that’s the gist of the truly great horror films. I think the great horror films are morality plays, either they are object lessons in our search for meaning, our search to grapple with the unknown, and our unconscious.

S:So what kind of advice would you give someone trying to get into the biz?

M: I think the best advice I could give anyone is two fold, do it and do it with people who are better than you are. My first job on a motion picture was as a PA lugging an ice chest around. That didn’t last very long because I had skills in other directions. If you’re not willing to do that, you’re not going to do it. In other words, there is value in apprenticeship. The advice Harry Savides gave me, shoot. Don’t do it with false humility or nervousness or fear, and don’t do it with pride or swagger. Don’t be afraid and don’t be a jack ass. Most of the people I work with have been doing this for a long time, and that is me included, have left jack ass far behind. The people who are too fearful to do it, have long since left.

S:What would you say are some of your favorite horror films?

M: Wow. Tough one. I think the James Well Frankenstein, The Dreyer Vampyre and Alien. I think those three are supreme examples, they transcend that genre. Those never fail to do something to me. I cannot get used to those three films. There are others but those three pop into my head. They're creepy, bizarre, multidimensional, textured and they are scary as hell, with a real story at the core.

S:Thanks a lot for your time Mark.

M: Thank you.

Mark Herzig's Demo Reel and photo:

Just a quick word to all the loyal backers for Before 12, thank you so much for the contributions so far, I truly could not make this without you! There's still a long way to go, but we're on our way! Call your friends and tell them all about it, be our street team and get the word out. We love you guys!

Thanks again,
Sandy

The Director

One of our featured conceptual artists for Before 12 is a man known as Grey Cat. He is a native of Sacramento and has been doing his unique brand of sculpture and drawing for years. He focuses on the beauty and mystique of death in jewelry, fashion and other large-scale pieces. A print of his amazing work will be available to all backers at or above the "Queen Victoria Level ($100) and the Hera Level ($500)", and those reaching a little deeper for the project at the "Andromeda Level ($1,000)" will receive an actual piece of his work used in the film! Just another reason to give and help make this film a reality.

Picture 1:
Portrait of Grey Cat

Picture 2:
"Black Winged" sculpture displayed at Burning Man 2010

Picture 3:
"Guardians of the Ancient Future"

Picture 4:
"Geophyte"

Picture 5:
Photo - Danger Ninja | Model - Tara Ryza | Skull work - Grey Cat

Picture 6:
Model - Bad Charlotte | Photography - Aesthetic Alchemy | Neck Corset by - Black Lotus Clothing | Skull Piece - Grey Cat

Mars is no stranger to film and especially the trappings of a scary one. He has been making music for quite some time in various bands and is the founder of Dead House Music , a company that specializes in creating horror film scores as well as producing a few choice nuggets of Love Craftian short movies. He is the composer for the Before 12 trailer and will be involved in the film till it’s release. I sat down with him for coffee and chatted about the finer (and not so fine) points of music in film.

Sandy: Why do you find yourself drawn to a project like Before 12?

Mars: Because it’s smart. I’m fortunate enough to get in on a project at script level like this. Every idea from the project works. I knew the influences you were bringing to the table and what you were trying to say with it, I’m just egomaniacal enough to believe I’m the right guy for the telling part of that story and not screw it up.

S: The reason you were chosen does have a lot to do with your more intimate connection to this type of film than others. We needed someone who would take it seriously.

M: It would be very easy to reach into my spooky bag and pull out a psycho cord, but that’s really not the vibe here. There is more to it than that.

S: In a way it's very anti horror since it’s focus draws you to other things like the characters lives and issues, until it’s third act when the thrill aspect ramps up.

M: I kind of get to score two different movies, because there is a definite turning point where it becomes horror. Before that, it could be anywhere USA teen drama (but in a compelling way.)

S: Are there any film scores that have inspired you more than others?

M: You know I get asked that question a lot but in all honesty I’m not that much of a soundtrack influenced guy, I’m more influenced by specific artists. There are some that I love, but I don’t own that many scores. The first sound track I bought was probably the double EP of Star Wars. I was influenced a bit by Arthur Rimbaud who wrote “The Drunken Boat” and “A season in Hell”. He paints these landscapes of misery with words and you start to wonder what that would sound like. A lot of the other musical artists I admire, Tom Waits, Celtic Frost, and bands like that can paint a picture with an audio landscape. I guess that is more what I try for, in terms of other art versus soundtracks. Not that I’m too good to listen to soundtrack albums, I just prefer the older works by Bazil Paledoris or Bernard Herman. Those are scores that are 30 years old and still hold up.

S: If you had to pick a favorite modern film score, what would you pick?

M: "Pans Labyrinth" is fantastic. "May", is also amazing. It’s so delicate and painful, and I think it’s one of the few scores that incorporates existing music well.

S: The horror genre tends to have a lot of repeated stories that at times get old. It’s nice to see things like "Let The Right One In" and other films that scare you, and make you think.

M: Those moments are a select combination of all the right ingredients coming together. "Let The Right One In" wouldn’t have worked without the soundtrack just as much as it wouldn’t have worked without the Kubrick style framing and it’s acting style. Horror when done right can be many things; comedy, drama, sci-fi. It’s one of the few genres that’s very forgiving in what you want to add. I’m a fan of film, not just horror. I have knowledge of the genre but if you need something outside of it, I’ve got those chops too.

S: So what are some of the oddest projects you’ve worked on? I know you have a pretty large resume.

M: I have to say the stand out weirdest, I will not name the company, but it was porn and there was no sex in it. It was some kind of restraint or bondage show. It was a pretty high concept where these girls become cars and it was paying homage to these old 60’s racing flicks and they wanted an original score. It was the weirdest thing, but also one of the better paying ones. They didn’t have time to mess around, the cat cut me a check as soon as we agreed on it. The only people who ever paid me faster was public TV!

S: Who would you say are your favorite musicians, not necessarily for film?

M: Damn. It’s a cliché from hell but I love the Beatles. Everything I learned about good song writing came from them. I used to buy their albums from Cherry Records when I was 12. They were amazingly intuitive artists, The songs still resonate with me 30 years later.

S: So this is pretty much the last question, pretty obvious. Any last words for a composer starting out in the biz?

M: Oh god. The honest answer is, and I’m going to sound like my parents, have something else to fall back on. It is extremely hard. Harder than I ever could have imagined. I’m still trying to get in.

S: You’ve been doing this for a long time, it’s not like anything you do is schlock.

M: You’ve got to be good enough to do what your trying to do. Before you get into marketing or anything along those lines, you better know how to f------write music.

S: It’s hard to find something to fall back on when all you care about is that.

M: The curse of the artist man. Its more of a do as I say not as I do, because I guarantee if I wasn’t doing this I’d be flipping burgers.

S: Well thanks for being involved in this project and lending your talents and speaking to everyone in internet land.

M: Thanks for having me.

Head over to www.deadhousemusic.com to see other work by Mars

Photo: Mars in the flesh, [Photo Credit: Marian Ridolfi]

Unlike many horror thrillers of the recent past, Before 12’s genre is kept hidden till the end. When you watch most movies with a vampire or ghost it is spelled out early. One of the challenges in writing Before 12 is creating a believable town that seems to be in a world you know. The screws must be tightened slowly in order to bring elements of fiction and fear into these character's lives.

Challenges can also arrive when attempting to make the characters unaware of oddities in their world. This is where the film gets its Twilight Zone flavor. Most are fish out of water stories where at the last second things become clear. In the audience's mind everything must add up despite some of the more abstract imagery that appears. Especially during repeated viewings the events must all gel. This may be one of the hardest parts of this kind of film. Not letting the audience know the truth and keeping them off balance till the last second!