LOS
ANGELES—Madheart has signed
director Mark Andrew for exclusive national representation. Andrew is a
specialist in fashion and lifestyle advertising who turned his attention to
live action direction after a 20-year career as a top commercial photographer.
His live action work includes projects for American Eagle, Aeropostale, Target,
7th Generation, Oil of Olay, Lane Bryant and the American Cancer
Society. He has also directed music videos, fine art films and narrative
shorts.

Madheart executive producer Lisa Phillips
said that she was drawn to the naturalness and emotional depth of Andrew’s
work, and his experience in working with top agencies and major brands. “Mark’s
work is uplifting and affirming in a way that is particularly relevant today,”
Phillips said. “He is also a very enthusiastic partner. He brings a lot to the
table.”

Andrew began
his career in photography in the 1990s and quickly established himself as a
perceptive artist through work for major national publications and such brands
as Victoria’s Secret, Neiman Marcus, Nike, Reebok, Sony, Adidas and the NFL.
With a gift for portraiture and lifestyle images that reveal the unguarded
essence of his subjects, Andrew drew assignments involving top models, actors,
athletes and politicians. He also won acclaim for his ability to capture
honest, believable images of everyday people of all age groups, and for turning
such “stolen moments” into iconic advertising. 

Andrew
believes that the narrative quality of his still work translates well to live
action. “I love the challenge of telling a story in 30 seconds,” he says. “Much
of my still photography comes from a journalistic approach. It’s based on
casting and people who inspire me. There is also a discovery process that happens
during production with the talent. That is a big part of my work. I like happy
surprises.” Andrew’s photographs have been exhibited internationally and are in
the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum.

Andrew began
transitioning to live action by shooting motion in tandem with still
assignments. He has directed commercials, in-store videos and branded content
for a number of fashion brands, working alongside advertising agencies and
client-direct.

He has also
collaborated on several fine art projects with filmmaker Mark Dechazza,
including A Colloquy with God, a
music video for the classical quartet New York Polyphony that was recently
featured on NPR. He and Dechazza co-directed a film to accompany the world premiere
of composer Amy Beth Kirsten’s strange
pilgrims at Carnegie Hall. Andrew also wrote and directed the
award-winning  short film Nate and
Vinnie, about an unusual encounter between two New York City strangers,
that has screened at festivals across the U.S. and internationally.

Andrew says
that he is excited about the opportunity to expand his work in commercial
advertising through Madheart. “I want to create really strong images,” he says.
“I like images that are rich, colorful, spirited and honest. I like to get to
the core of people and, more than anything else, be memorable.”

Andrew grew
up in New Orleans, has lived in Spain, France, Germany and the UK, and worked
throughout the world. He is an avid collector and racer of vintage motorcycles,
and has participated in numerous international off-road car races, including
the Baja 1000.

Madheart is based in Los Angeles. For further information, call
310-421-4441or visit http://www.madheart.com/.  The company is represented
on the West Coast by Connie Mellors & Co (connie@conniemellors.com or Ellen@conniemellors.com), in the Midwest by Hot Betty (cat@hot-betty.com), and on the East Coast by Michael Eha
& Associates (Michaeleha1@gmail.com).