Writer/Director Greg Marcks

Greg Marcks has worked as writer/director for the past ten years, writing scripts for Lions Gate, Summit, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures TV. He has directed two feature films, 11:14 and Echelon Conspiracy, working with stars such as Hilary Swank, Edward Burns, Jonathan Pryce, and Martin Sheen. His  Florida State MFA thesis film Lector won a Student Academy Award. 

What is the current project you are working on?

I am currently preparing to make You Don't Love Me Yet, an indie drama based on the novel of the same name by author Jonathan Lethem. I adapted the screenplay and will direct.

Did you always want to be a filmmaker?

As a teenager I started making short videos and writing and performing sketch comedy. When I went to college I aspired to write for television but my focus quickly shifted to filmmaking and feature screenwriting as I began making short 16mm films. By the time I was 18 I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker.

What is the best thing about being one?

The best thing about being a filmmaker, and especially about being a writer/director, is the ability to impose a personal vision on the telling of a story. Whether you are making a studio or an independent film, there will always be an imprint on the material that is unique to your individual personality and artistry of expression.

What is the worst thing about being one?

The worst thing about being a filmmaker is the lack of stability it can create in other areas of your life. In modern entertainment, filmmaking is largely a freelance endeavor, which means that in addition to being creative you must also excel at being an entrepreneur and managing the ups and downs of your career. It's a highly competitive field, and those who persevere do so because they really love the work regardless of how the final product is ultimately received.

How would you describe your film education?

My film education is constant and ongoing. With over 115 years of film history behind us, there is always a new movie to watch. I started educating myself as a teenager working in a video store, then as a college student in the university film library, and now as an adult going to revival houses and scouring Turner Classic Movies and Netflix. I watch at least a movie a day, and almost always something I haven't seen before. It's important to see a lot of films in order to have a strong sense of what filmmakers have done before so that you can place yourself and your work in both a historical and creative context.

You could have any super power. What would it be?

If I could have a super power it would be to refresh myself without sleep. That would free up another 33% of my time for making and watching movies!