About

Mark W. Travis

The Art and Alchemy of Directing

Filmmakers around the world regard Mark W. Travis as the most outstanding teacher and consultant on the art of film directing. Fueled by the desire to generate organic and authentic performances in an instant, Mark developed a director-centered approach called The Travis Technique, which earned him the nickname, “the director’s director.” The Travis Technique is not limited to filmmakers; it has also proven to be an essential set of tools for writers and actors and all who wish to tell compelling stories.

Teaching

Mark Travis has impacted and continues to impact filmmakers worldwide with his live and online webinars, master classes and directors labs on different aspects of The Travis Technique.

FACULTY

Mark Travis has served on the faculty of:

  • University Of Television And Film in Munich, Germany (HFF)
  • The Binger Film Lab in Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Hollywood Film School in Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Asia Pacific Screen Lab, hosted by Griffith Film School in Brisbane, Australia

    FILM SCHOOLS & FILM INSTITUTIONS

    Mark Travis has taught at over 50 film schools and film institutions, including:

    • Pixar University in Emeryville, CA
    • American Film Institute in Los Angeles, CA
    • University of California Film School (UCLA) in Los Angeles, CA
    • Griffith Film School in Brisbane, Australia
    • FÁS Screen Training Ireland in Dublin, Ireland
    • NISS – Nordisk Institutt for Scene og Studio in Oslo, Norway
    • Norwegian Film School in Lillehammer, Norway
    • Odessa International Film Festival in Odessa, Ukraine
    • Alexander Mitte Film School in Moscow, Russia
    • Metropolitan Film School in London, UK
    • Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
    • CILECT International Association of Film and Television Schools in Munich, Germany
    • Asia Pacific Screen Lab, hosted by Griffith University Film School in Brisbane, Australia
    • Chinese Film Foundation in Tianjin, China

    DIRECTORS GUILDS

    Mark Travis is a longtime member of the Directors Guild of America and has the distinct honor of having presented master classes on The Travis Technique at five Directors Guilds:

    • Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles, USA
    • Dutch Directors Guild (DDG) in Amsterdam, Netherlands
    • German Directors Guild (BVR) in Munich, Germany
    • Australian Directors Guild (ADG) in Brisbane, Australia
    • Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ) in Auckland, New Zealand

    ONLINE COURSES

    Mark Travis’ growing library of online courses include:

    • Write Your Life Inside Out
    • The Travis Technique Of Directing
    • Deconstructing The Interrogation Process
    • The Power Of Staging
    • The Art And Alchemy Of Staging
    • The 3 Best Kept Secrets For Creating Compelling Characters
    • The Travis Technique For Actors
    • The Travis Way of Working with Child Actors

    Consulting & Training

    Mark Travis has served as a directorial and creative consultant to Mark Rydell, George Tillman, Cyrus Nowrasteh, Tammy Davis, and dozens of Independent filmmakers in Hollywood and internationally. He is respected and recommended by top actors such as Beau Bridges, Henry Winkler, Jim Beaver, Bill Pullman, and others.

    Consulting projects:

    • TAKE CARE – Sheila James, Writer-Performer (in development)
    • MASTER – George Tillman, Jr., Director (in preparation)
    • A VOICE WITHIN – Carmen Toth, Writer (in development)
    • PIKE – Rob Sarkies, Director (in post-production)
    • AYELAYA – Gabrielle Lennon, Writer (in development)
    • CHARLEY – Chris Rowley, Director (in development)
    • OBLIVION – Shaheen Dill-Riaz, Writer-Director (in development)
    • JUNGLE HOUSE – Devin Clarke, Writer-Director (in post-production)
    • EINSTEIN’S CASTLE (4 episodes 2022) – Anna Ditges, Director
    • FINDING HOME (2021) – David English, Writer-Director
    • SARAH’S OIL – Cyrus Nowrasteh, Writer-Director (in production)
    • BAHARA – Daniela Apostoaei, Writer-Director (in preparation)
    • AYAHUASCA – Diego Silva, Writer-Director (script in development)
    • MY LOVELY SHAME (2022) – Kathrin Feistl, Writer-Director (novel)
    • UNDER MY SKIN (2022) – Anna Ditges, Writer-Director
    • JUPP & TRUDI (2022) – Anna Ditges, Writer-Director
    • HUNTING SOULS (2021) – Diego Silva, Writer-Director
    • THE UNSPOKEN BADGE (2021) – Carl Flood, Writer-Director
    • THE OTHER ME (2019) – Giga Agladze, Writer-Director
    • WINTER ON FIRE: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2016) – Evgeny Afineevsky, Director, Nominated 2016 Academy Awards for Best Documentary, Feature
    • THE YOUNG MESSIAH (2016) – Cyrus Nowrasteh, Writer-Director
    • BORN TO DANCE (2015) – Tammy Davis, Writer-Director
    • PERFECTION (2015) – Benedikt Röskau, Director
    • VERDIGRIS (2015) – Jim Beaver, Writer-Actor
    • DOCUMENTARY on THE TRAVIS TECHNIQUE – Director Stefan Najib (Unfinished)
    • MY MISTRESS (2014) – Stephen Lance, Director
    • NOTORIOUS (2009) – George Tillman, Jr., Director
    • THE STONING OF SORAYA M. (2008) – Cyrus Nowrasteh, Writer-Director
    • BLACK IRISH (2007) – Brad Gann, Director
    • BARBERSHOP (2005) – Tim Story, Director
    • THE DAY REAGAN WAS SHOT (2001) – Cyrus Nowrasteh, Writer-Director
    • MEN OF HONOR (2000) – George Tillman, Jr., Director
      … and others

      Directing Film / TV / Theater

      Productions directed by Mark W. Travis have garnered over 30 major awards, including: an Emmy, Drama-Logue, L.A. Weekly, Drama Critics’ Circle, A.D.A, and Ovation awards.

      His film and television directing credits include: The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Capitol, Hillers, and the Emmy Award-winning PBS dramatic special, Blind Tom: The Thomas Bethune Story. Also the feature films Going Under (for Warner Bros. starring Bill Pullman and Ned Beatty), Earlet (documentary), The Baritones, and The 636.

      On-stage, over the past 20 years, Mark has directed over 60 theatre productions in Los Angeles and New York, including: A Bronx Tale, Verdigris, The Lion in Winter, Mornings At Seven, Equus, Café 50s, And A Nightingale Sang, Wings, Linke vs. Redfield, The Coming of Stork and others.

      Developing and Directing Solo Shows

      Since 1988 Mark has developed and directed numerous autobiographical one-person shows. Sylvie Drake of the Los Angeles Times stated that “Mark Travis has created a whole new theater genre.”

      • I Am Sophie (Corinne Shor)
      • Are We There Yet? (Richard Stockton)
      • This Being Human (Sheila James)
      • Pay Attention (Frank South)
      • Time Flies When You’re Alive (Paul Linke)
      • No Place Like Home (Shane McCabe)
      • A Bronx Tale (Chazz Palminteri)
      • Undressing New Jersey and Other States of Mind (Wendy Kamenoff)
      • Twice Blessed (Art Metrano)
      • Insomnia (Dana Gould)
      • Mouth to Mouth (Carol Schlanger)
      • Something In Her Genes (Juliette Marshall)
      • They Call Me Mr. Fry (Jack Freiberger)
      • Once A Man Twice A Boy (Joe Lucas)
      • The Dangerous Lure of High Heels (Robin McAlpine)
      • Cabin Fever (Erin Donovan)
      • Driven to Drink (Paul F. Tomkins)
      • What Does The Sun Sound Like? (Arlene Malinowski)
      • Margarita On The Rocks (Peggy Medina)
      • Wild Wisdom (Jeannette Paulson Hereniko)
      • Hip Bones and Cool Whip (Rochelle Newman)
      • Walking Back to Brooklyn (Murray Meyer)
      • Almost Made (Louis Liberti)
      • Fornicationally Challenged (Judi Brandwein)
      • Hooked (Bailey Mason)
      Warner Bros
      20th Century Fox Animation
      abc
      cbs
      nbc
      pbs
      univversal
      paramount
      mgm
      disney pixar
      columbia pictures
      festival de cannes
      cilect
      afi
      usc
      ucla
      Griffith university
      met film
      screen carnwall
      dodge college
      hff
      binger filmlab
      deganz
      indie film hustle
      the Norwegian film school
      den danskke filmskkole
      london film academy
      fis
      london film school
      raindance film school
      famu
      film courage
      lindholmen science park
      script to screen
      munchner filmwwerkkstatt

      Locations

      Honolulu, Hawaii
      Los Angeles, California
      Prague, Czech Republic
      Cologne, Germany
      Auckland, New Zealand

      Email Us

      elsha@tifi.us

      mark@tifi.us