Mark Russell - Composer Profile

Mark's most recent works include a wonderfully inventive and dynamic score for the high concept conspiracy thriller feature, Event 15 from Ipso Facto Films, as well as Kindle Entertainment’s very popular, The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby for the BBC. Prior to this Mark composed a beautifully touching score for the BBC's Best Of Men, (for which he was nominated for an RTS Award for Best Music 2012), which told the incredible story of the founding of the Paralympics - starring Eddie Marsan, Rob Brydon and Niamh Cusack. Mark’s score for the hugely successful Kindle Entertainment series Leonardo, gained him a nomination for best TV music at 2012's Ivor Novello Awards and won him the award for Best Music at the Kidscreen New York 2012 Awards.

Mark's first drama included his BAFTA nominated score to the hugely popular ITV series Cold Feet. His music for the Fine Line Movie Saving Grace (a US Top Ten Hit) brought him attention on both sides of the Atlantic, and his soundtracks for two big budget Movies, Summer Things (starring Charlotte Rampling) and L'ex Femme de Ma Vie (including a title song with Jane Birkin) introduced him into the rarified world of French Film. He's an extremely experienced dramatic composer equally at home with the Orchestra or with cutting edge electronics and samples. He works from his purpose built studio in Oxford.

Mark was a boy chorister at St Paul 's Cathedral and went on to read music at York University. As a session keyboard player he toured the world with Tanita Tikaram, Julia Fordham and the Chinese flautist, Guo Yue. After composing for many film and TV Commercials Mark went on to score documentaries and dramas, including Spiderman for Radio 1 in collaboration with Queen guitarist Brian May.

Mark scored 3 series of Kingdom for Parallel Pictures/ITV, starring Stephen Fry as a Norfolk solicitor. Further projects include Reunited for BBC1 and Love At First Sight, a short film starring John Hurt and Phyllida Law. Mark most recently completed scoring March Of The Dinosaurs, an epic CGI feature from Wide-Eyed Entertainment, the makers of Walking With Dinosaurs, and Leonardo for Kindle Entertainment / CBBC.

For the summer of 2007, Mark relocated to Los Angeles to work with Rupert Gregson-Williams on Jerry Seinfeld's Dreamworks animation, Bee Movie. He then went onto score Andrew Lang’s award-winning feature, Sons Of Cuba.

Aside from composing, Mark has written an acclaimed book 'Film Music' (published by Rotovision) and over the last 16 years he presented BBC Radio 3's cult eclectic weekly music show 'Mixing It'. The show reflected his wide musical interests; everything from Medieval to the latest electronic/jazz/rock sounds.

Film Credits

EVENT 15	Ipso Facto Films Director: Matthew Thompson Producers: Christine Alderson, Thomas Sterchi, Lars Wiebe Starring: Jennifer Morrison , James Frain,
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT	Spellbound Films Director: Michael Davies Producer: Sandra Gorel Starring: John Hurt, Phyllida Law	Winner Best Short Film: Soho Rushes Festival 2011 Winner Best Short Film: RTS Awards 2011
SONS OF CUBA	Trinamite Productions / Windfall Films Director: Andrew Lang Producers: Andrew Lang, Laura Giles, Francine Heywood
WHAT'S VIRGIN MEAN?	Spellbound Films / Michael Davies Films Director: Michael Davies Producer: Sandra Gorel
BEE MOVIE	(Composer - Additional music) Dreamwoks/Paramount Pictures Directors: Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith Producers: Jerry Seinfeld, Christina Steinberg Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger
L'EX-FEMME DE MA VIE	Warner Bros France/Ice 3 Director: Josiane Balasko Producer: Josiane Balasko, Louis Becker Starring: Thierry Lhermitte, Karin Viard, Josiane Balasko
SAVING GRACE	Fine Line 2000 Written by Craig Ferguson & Mark Crowdy Director: Nigel Cole Producer: Mark Crowdy Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson, Martin Clunes	Sundance Film Festival Winner 2000
EMBRASSEZ QUI VOUS VOUDREZ (SUMMER THINGS)	UGC/Dan Films 2002 Director: Michel BlancG Producer: Yves Marmion, Julie Baynes Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Michel Blanc, Carole Bouquet, Karin Viard

Television Drama

BEST OF MEN	Whitby Davison Prods / BBC Directors: Tim Whitby Producer: Harriet Davison Starring: Eddie Marsan, Rob Brydon, Niamh Cusack	Nominated for RTS Craft Awards Best Original Music Score 2012.
LEONARDO	Kindle Entertainment / CBBC Directors: Beryl Richards, Luke Watson Producer: Bernard Krichefski Executive Producers: Anne Brogan, Melanie Stokes, Sue Nott Starring: Alistair McGowan	IVOR NOVELLO Award nomination for Best TV Music 2012 Kidscreen New York 2012: Best Music
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICK NICKLEBY	Kindle Entertainment / BBC Directors: David Innes Edwards Producer: Susan Breen Starring: Andrew Simpson, Adrian Dunbar
MARCH OF THE DINOSAURS	Wide-Eyed Entertainment Director: Matthew Thompson Executive Producer: Jasper James
REUNITED	BBC Director: Simon Delaney Producers: Rosemary McGowan, Mike Bullen
CORONATION STREET: OUT OF AFRICA	ITV Director: Duncan Foster Producer: Gavin Blyth Executive Producer: Kieran Roberts
BAD MOTHER'S HANDBOOK	Ruby Films Director: Robin Sheppard Producer: Alison Owen, Harry Oulton Starring: Catherine Tate, Anna Read
BONKERS	Lime Pictures / ITV Director: Juliet May, Jim Doyle, Rob Evans Producer: Hugh Warren Starring: Liza Tarbuck
KINGDOM	Series 1, 2 & 3 Parallel Productions / ITV Director: Robin Sheppard, Metin Husseyin, Sandy Johnson Producer: Georgina Lowe, Simon Wheeler Starring: Stephen Fry, Tony Slattery, Hermione Norris, Celia Imrie
ANGEL CAKE	Celador Director: Simon Daleney Producer: Stephen Garwood Starring: Sarah Lancashire, Rita Tushingham
ALL ABOUT GEORGE	Granada Director: Euros Lyn, Jeremy Webb Producer: Lucy Bedford Starring: Rik Mayall
CHERISHED	BBC Director: Robin Sheppard Producer: Polly Hill Starring: Timothy Spall, Sarah Lancashire
NORTHERN LIGHTS	Granada Directors: Tony Dow, Paul Seed Producer: Spencer Campbell
MURDER CITY Series 1 & 2	Granada 10 x 90 Directors: Richard Spence, Ian Knox, Sam Miller Producers: Francis Hopkinson, Mark Hudson Starring: Amanda Donahoe, Kris Marshall
DONOVAN - Series 1 & 2	Granada 5 x 90 Director: Simon Delaney, Keiran Donnelly Producer: Spencer Campbell Starring: Tom Conti, Samantha Bond
ROSE & MALONEY - Series 1	Company Pictures 6 x 60 Directors: Ferdinand Fairfax, Roger Gartland, Andrew Grieve Producer: Catherine Wearing Starring: Sarah Lancashire, Phil Davis
BETWEEN THE SHEETS	Yorkshire TV 6 x 60 Written by Kay Mellor Director: Robin Sheppard, Jane Prowse Producers: Yvonne Francas, Kay Mellor Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Alun Armstrong, Julie Graham
THE RETURN	Sally Head Productions/ITV 1 x 90 Director: Dermot Boyd Producer: Keith Thompson Starring: Julie Walters
EUSTACE BROTHERS (Series 2)	BBC 6 x 60 Directors: David Innes-Edwards, Rob Evans Producer: Polly Hill Starring: Neil Morrissey, Ralf Little
COLD FEET - 5 series	Granada/ITV 27 x 60 and 5 x 90 Written by Mike Bullen Directors: Declan Lowney, Mark Mylod, Nigel Cole, Tom Hooper, Tom Vaughan, Pete Travis, Simon Delaney, John Jones, Tim Whitby, Ciaran Donnelly, Tim Sullivan Producers: Christine Langan, Spencer Campbell, Andy Harries Starring: Helen Baxendale, James Nesbitt, Faye Ripley	2001 BAFTA Nomination
PLAYING THE FIELD - 3 series	Tiger Aspect/BBC 20 x 60 Written by Kay Mellor Director: Dermot Boyd, David Innes-Edwards, Alrick Riley Producer: Kathleen Hutchison, Liz Steele, Greg Brenman
LUCKY JIM	Working Title TV/ITV/WGBH Boston/Universal Television Written by Jack Rosenthal Director: Robin Sheppard Producer: Sanne Craddick Cast: Stephen Tomkinson, Keely Hawes, Robert Hardy, Dennis Lawson
FAT FRIENDS - Series 2	Tiger Aspect/Yorkshire TV 7 x 60 Written by Kay Mellor Director: Dan Zeff, Audrey Cook, Tanya Diez Producers: Yvonne Francas, Kay Mellor Cast: Alison Steadman
PASSION KILLERS	Granada TV/ITV Director: David Evans Producer: Christine Langan Cast: Ben Miller
WONDERFUL YOU	Hartswood/ITV 7 x 60 Director: Matt Lipsey Producer: Beryl Vertue, Elaine Cameron Cast: Greg Wise
THE PRINCE OF ATLANTIS	BBC Children's TV/Ravensburger TV/Canal Plus Computer animation series 26 x 30 Producer: Theresa Plummer-Andrews
IS IT LEGAL	Hartswood TV/ITV Written by Simon Nye Producer: Beryl Vertue Cast: Imelda Staunton
MEN BEHAVING BADLY	Hartswood TV Written by Simon Nye Producer: Beryl Vertue
THE PETER PRINCIPLE	Hatrick TV/BBC Written by Mark Burton, John O'Farrell Cast: Jim Broadbent
THE BILL	Producer: Richard Haniford
STYLE CHALLENGE	BBC1

Short Films

WHISPERS	Directed & Produced by Richard Lingard
BUBBLES	Producer: Peter La Terriere Starring: Caprice
THE ELEVATOR	Tigerlilly Films Written & Directed by Alrick Riley

Documentaries

OFFICERS & GENTLEMEN	Hartswood TV/BBC Director: Michael Davies Producer: Beryl Vertue
THE RED BARON	Hartswood TV/BBC Director: Michael Davies Producer: Beryl Vertue
GOING TO CHELSEA	Hartswood TV/BBC Director: Michael Davies Producer: Beryl Vertue
IN LOVE WITH ELIZABETH	Hartswood TV/BBC Director: Michael Davies Producer: Beryl Vertue
WILD DOGS WILDLIFE SHOWCASE	BBC Bristol
QED -CHALLENGING CHILDREN	BBC
DISPATCHES - THE MARCHIONESS TRAGEDY	Channel 4
A HORSE'S WORLD	Wall To Wall TV/Channel 4
MUSIC FOR THE MILLENIUM	Channel 4 Producer: Mike Lerner
SECRET BUILDINGS	Channel 4 Producer: Mike Lerner
FRAGILE EARTH - EXXON VALDEZ	Channel 4

Radio Drama

BATMAN	65 part Audio Film also on BBC CD/Cassette
SUPERMAN	65 part Audio Film also on BBC CD/Cassette
SPIDERMAN	50 part Audio Film also on BBC CD/Cassette (Composed with Brian May)
INDEPENDENCE DAY	60 minute drama All for Radio 1's ‘The Mark Goodier Show’ All written and directed by Dirk Maggs

Mark's IMDB page
Soundtrack.net