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producer. director. camera. editor. writer. 

ABOUT

Mark has been living and working extensively in the Kimberley for 30 odd years and started out as a camera operator with adventure film maker Malcolm Douglas. His curiosity led him into the edit suite and then into developing stories and creating films with deep underlying messages that reflect his very special part of the world.

Mark has collaborated with some of the greats in Australian film and television over the years and has branched out into fixing and Producing for some of the larger international TV broadcasters including the BBC (UK) and NHK (Japan). His ability to plan and implement shoots in difficult places with logistics, as well as permitting through government and Indigenous institutions, is invaluable to overseas Producers who are looking for that something different.

Not satisfied with just the small screen, Mark is starting to collaborate with Producers from the 'Feature' realm and is exploring ideas and opportunities in the long form.

It has been an unorthodox path in Mark's "27 year apprenticeship" as he likes to call it. He has worked as a 'one man band' right through to collaborating with big crews. He is hands on and has worked in most facets of the industry and has a great love of overcoming obstacles, which was the deep lesson he learnt from his friend and mentor, Malcolm Douglas.

The Kimberley is regarded as the greatest cultural landscape on Earth which houses tens of thousands of rock art sites and millions of heritage sites. It's natural beauty and dramatic coastlines are a cinematic dream. It is little wonder Mark has chosen to call this place home and raise his family.

 

 

 

Mark Jones BIO

 

PO Box 2991

Broome W.A.

P: +61 400 866 028

E: markgaiamedia@gmail.com

 

 

Education, Work & Media History

 

 

 

 

 

Education: 

 

University of Western Australia: Bachelor of Physical Education (Graduated 1993). Did 3 years of Anthropology with a keen interest in Ethnographic film.
 

Work History

 

1992: Casuarina Prison. Special Handling Unit. Volunteer Recreation Officer.

1993 - 2000: Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park: Manager.

1994 - 2010: Malcolm Douglas Films: Camera Operator. 17 Films mixed with Crocodile ‘duties’.

 

“A Kimberley Adventure” - 3 x 1 hour series

“Living with Crocodiles”

“Walkabout with Malcolm Douglas” - 6 x 1 hour series

“The Coral Coast”

“In search of the big barra”

“In search of the bilby”

“The Wild coast”

“The Gibb River road”

“Broome and Beyond”

2000: Fishing Wild Australia. Camera Operator. 1 season x 13 Eps.

2001 - 2009: Fishing Western Australia. Camera Operator, Editor, Director, Writer and Producer. 9 series @ 162 Half hour eps. 12 x 1 hour eps.

2005 - 2008: Golfing Western Australia. Co- creator, camera operator, editor, writer, producer, director. 4 series @ 52 Half hour eps. 8 x 1 hour Specials.

 

2005 - 7: Outdoors WA magazine. Co - creator and Editor. A FWA Production on WA stories and characters.

2009: Old Country New Country. SBS. Producer, Director, Writer, Camera Operator, Editor. George Negus and Kirsty Cockburn Executive Producers. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gykFOvEQh8Y


2010 - 2012: Malcolm Douglas Films. Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park. Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Park. General Manager. After the sudden death of long time friend and mentor. Family asked me to run the businesses.

2012: The Australian: Wild Australia Series 2. Camera and Edit. “Kimberley Waterhole”.

 

2012: BBC - “Indian Ocean” with Simon Reeve. Talent.

 

2013 - 14: “Wild Australia” Landscape Series 3 for the Australian Newspaper. 10 x 5 min short films. Oldest plant in the world. Oldest Zircon in the world. Largest Saltwater Croc population in the world. Largest Red Gum forest in the world. Longest Sea Cliffs in the world. One of the ideas was largest art gallery in the world… the Kimberley. Co - Writer, Director, Camera and Edit.

 

2013 - 2016: 4 Series x 10 Eps of “Kriol Kitchen” - NITV (Highest Rating Show) and SBS. Camera and Edit. Collaboration with Mitch Torres.

 

2014: 10 x 15 min ’RRE’s’ for National Indigenous TV. Short stories on authentic indigenous people.

 

2014: Missy Higgins collaboration on Broome Concert.

 

2014: Roebuck Bay Working Group. Short film on Roebuck Bay and its World Heritage Values.

 

2015: Xavier Rudd Music Clip - “Come People”.

 

2015: Ingetje Tadros “Kennedy Hill” Exhibition.

 

2015: “Keeping Country” - US Production.

 

2015: National Indigenous TV (NITV) - 8 Short films for RRE project. Director/Camera/Edit. Collaboration with Mitch Torres.

 

2015: Writing a Novel between gigs.

 

2015: ICS Story. Mt Barnett “The Serpent and the Boy”

 

2015: Kimberley Rock Art Dating Project: KFA.

 

2015: Nyul Nyul Rangers: Media Workshop

 

2015: Wawili Pitjas. Broome. Pre production “Big Spirit Country”

 

2015: Kimberley World Heritage Project (KWHiP)

 

2015: FTI - Mt Barnett ‘Serpent Dreaming’. Camera. Collaboration with Mitch Torres.

 

2015: KFA Short Film: Kimberley Rock Art Dating Project.

 

2015: ‘Closing communities’ doco with Nic Wrathall - Research phase.

 

2016: “Great Nature: Kimberley tides” - Japanese production for NHK. Camera and talent.

 

2016 - Cygnet Bay Pearls - Documentary.

 

2016 - Writer/Director “Stories set in Stone” (Feature). Producer: Naomi Cleaver. Development.

2016 - WA Art Gallery and Mowanjum Arts centre 3 x short films on Kimberley Artists for major 2018 exhibition. “The Boab Carver”

 

2016 - Mowanjum Arts Centre - Mentorship for young Aboriginal film makers.

 

2016 - ICS. 3 x short films. Camera.

 

2016 - FTI ICS - Short film. “The Ganuda Band” of Broome. Camera and Edit.

 

2016 - “Kriol Kitchen” Series 4. NITV and SBS. Camera.

 

2017 - OGA Corporate. 

 

2017 - “In my Mother’s country”. Short. Camera and Edit.

 

2017 - Mowanjum Festival: Camera

 

2017 - “Kimberley Project” (Feature documentary). Camera and co-Producer.

 

2017 - “Stories in Stone” (Feature). co-Writer/Director. Development.

 

2017 - TURA tour. Documentation. Director/Camera.

 

2017 - Nyangumarta Ranger Short film. Camera & Edit.

 

2018 - Mowanjum Arts Centre - Kupingarri short film. Camera and Edit.

 

2018 - Mowanjum Arts Centre - Junba on Country Film. Direct, Camera and Edit.

 

2018 - TURA Music Tour

 

2018 - Yawuru: 10 x “Cultural Places”

2018 - BBC “World Rock Art”
 

2019 - Angelika Markul (French Artist) - "In the steps of dinosaurs". "Chief Operator".

2019 - TURA ' Sonus tour'. Documentarian.

2019 - "The Serpents Tale". Producer. Director. Camera. Edit.

2019 - "Dirt Music". Drone.

2019 - Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Daisy Japulija, Sonia Kurarra exhibition. Documentarian.

2019 - Bush Heritage/Wunambal Gaambera. Documentarian.

2019 - "Stranded Earth" - Pre production. Producer.

2020 - Series of short films for Wunambal Gaamberra Aboriginal Corporation for new West Australian museum.

2020 - TURA "Flow"

2020 - Al Jazeera "Black and behind bars"

Field-Producer.

2020 - "Dolphins of Shark Bay". Plimsol Productions (Bristol).

Proof of Concept DOP.

2020 - "Limitless". Nutopia.

Proof of Concept.

2020 - "Stories in Stone'. LMI Productions.

Writing and Development.

2020 - "Yawuru AGM"

2020 - Rock Art Australia rebrand.

2020 - "In my Fathers Country". Mitch Torres (Producer)

DOP and Director mentor.

SBS/NITV.

2020 - "Blue Planet 3". BBC.

Proof of concept.

2021 - "The Serpents Tale" release.

2021 - "Stories in Stone" FACTory pitch AIDC.

Development.

2021 - "Rebellion" music clip. Dave Mann.

2021 - "Jandamrras Cave" music clip. TURA.

2021 - "Flow" music clip. TURA.

2022 - "Stories in Stone" development. First filming. Writing. Hugh Jackman narration. Xavier Rudd music/sound score. 6 x 1 hour series.

2022 - Xavier Rudd film (feature) development.

2022 - Willinggin plants and bush craft film.

2022 - "Fleeing Tiananmen" development.

2023 - Ngaranyin Cultural Vignettes.

2023 - The Boornoornoor Project. Rock Art Australia commission.

2023 - "Ben Hall" Music Video.

2023 - Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Body (KARB).

2024 - "Two Ways" - The Kimberley Rock Art Legacy.

2024 - Dunkeld Pastoral Station.

2024 - Frobenius Institute. Germany.

 

Contracts


Tourism Australia

Perth Mint

Apache Oil and Gas

Tourism Western Australia

Tourism Queensland
Little Edie Productions
Xavier Rudd
The Australian
West Australian Football League

The Wilderness Society

Bush Heritage - WG Rangers

PEW Foundation

Nygamarta PBC

KLC

Wunambal Gaamberra PBC

 

 

Stills Publications:

 

The Australian newspaper

The West Australian newspaper

Fishing Western Australia Publications

Wunambal-Gaamvberra PBC 

Scoop magazine

Aus Geo

Fishing Australia Magazine

Western Angler

Broome Visitors Centre

Various Music Albums

Social Movements

Qantas Magazine

Postcards

Private Prints

Veterinary conferences

Environmental Conferences

The Conversation

The West Australian

Fishing WA

Golfing WA

Outdoors WA

Bush Heritage

Yawuru PBC

Book publications:

"Crocs and Barramundi - On the road with Malcolm Douglas"

"Yornadaiyn Woolagoodja" 

"Wild Australia"

 

Music Video Clips

Social Movements

BBC

NHK

Fox

PBS (US

ARTE (France)

Sundance (US)

ABC Australia

Channel 7

Channel 9

SBS

NITV

Australian Tourism Bodies

THE BRIEF VERSION

At the tender age of 23, Mark had an epiphany when filming with legendary Australian film maker, Malcolm Douglas. He realised that he had fallen in love with the camera and the stories it could tell... and he also fell in love with the Kimberley, its ruggedness, its people and its deep heritage.

 

Mark went on to make 17 films with Malcolm  in those formative years. That experience led to a number of opportunities in the adventure, wildlife and ethnographic genres. It has allowed him to explore his 3 great passions: ‘Country’, its original people and the Cultural landscapes produced by the two.

 

Mark has constantly sought new experiences in the industry to extend his range since those early days with Malcolm. He has shot, edited, directed and written across a number of platforms both individually and in collaboration, with some of the greats of Australian screen including George Negus. It is these relationships and their teachings which Mark holds very dear.

 

This unorthodox  ‘apprenticeship’ is now paying dividends for Mark. He has worked with many production houses from around the world (NHK - Japan, ABC - US, BBC etc) to showcase the Kimberley, one of the last great Cultural landscapes, to the big and small screen.

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