Mark Woollen is an American director and editor of movie trailers. He is the founder of Mark Woollen & Associates, an agency that specializes in the creation of movie trailers. Through the agency, Woollen has created trailers for films and television series like Schindler's List, The Social Network, The Tree of Life, Big Little Lies, Ozark, Severance, and numerous others.
Mark Woollen | |
|---|---|
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | Founder of Mark Woollen & Associates |
| Website | mwatrailers |
Early life and education
editWoollen grew up largely in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County.[1] He attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where he took four years of film and television production classes.[2][3]
Career
editWoollen started his career as an editor with Craig Murray Productions. He worked on several Disney films, including Beauty and the Beast. He later moved on to Universal, where he began cutting together trailers. At age 22 in 1993, Woollen's trailer cut for Schindler's List was chosen by director Steven Spielberg. After Schindler's List, Woollen became a freelance creator of movie trailers, ultimately forming the agency, Mark Woollen & Associates. He operated the firm out of his home in Los Angeles before moving to an office space in Santa Monica in 2002.[2][3]
Through his agency, he created trailers for films like Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Garden State,[4] and Little Children (2006).[3] In 2006, Woollen directed the feature documentary film, Jam, which follows the lives of aging roller derby players and won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW.[1]
Woollen's 2011 trailer for The Social Network used a cover of Radiohead's "Creep" by Scala & Kolacny Brothers, a Belgian women's choir. He is often credited with starting a trend of cover songs being used as the backdrop for trailers.[1][5][6] The Social Network trailer won "Best in Show" at the 2011 Golden Trailer Awards, and Woollen received five other awards at the event.[7] In the ensuing years, Woollen would continue work on trailers for films, including 12 Years a Slave (2013), Birdman (2014), Gone Girl (2014),[1] Moonlight (2016),[3] Nomadland, and others.[8] He also began working on teasers and trailers for television series, Ozark,[3] and Severance.[9]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Jam[1] | Director | Documentary |
| 2017 | Big Little Lies[10] | Creative director | TV Series |
| 2018 | Sharp Objects | Creative director | TV Mini Series |
| 2019 | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | Creative director | TV Series |
Awards
editWoollen has won multiple industry awards, including Best in Show awards for campaigns for Schindler’s List, The Social Network, and A Star Is Born.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Kachka, Boris (November 5, 2014). "Meet Trailer Editor Mark Woollen. He May Be the Most Visionary Director in Hollywood". Vulture. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Anderson, John (June 29, 2011). "Woollen & Associates: Hitting the mark". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Thompson, Anne (August 13, 2019). "From 'Schindler's List' to 'A Hidden Life,' the Unsung Hero of Awards-Season Trailers Is Mark Woollen". IndieWire. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ William, Booth (May 29, 2005). "Golden Trailers Awards honor finest in film flakery". The Tribune. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Pappademas, Alex (July 31, 2019). "How the Cover Song Conquered Movie Trailers". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Ducker, Eric (January 6, 2023). "Movie Trailers Keep Tweaking Well-Known Songs. The Tactic Is Working". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (July 5, 2011). "Trailers get a golden ticket at kudofest". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Barker, Christopher (April 8, 2022). "Mark Woollen Breaks Down The Art Of The Hollywood Trailer". Semi Permanent. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (August 2, 2022). "Golden Trailer Awards: 'The Batman' and 'Top Gun: Maverick' Among Nominees, Disney Leads for Studios (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Crist, Allison (July 22, 2021). "Golden Trailer Awards: 'A Quiet Place: Part II', 'Black Widow' Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 17, 2023.