about
Mark Stevenson is a four-time Emmy Award-winning director, producer, visual storyteller and educator with more than three decades of experience creating character-driven films and campaigns.
His work has focused extensively on nonprofits, advocacy organizations, cultural institutions and cause-related initiatives, where the challenge is often to make a complex issue immediate, human and emotionally clear. That work has ranged from intimate documentary-style profiles to broader awareness campaigns, earning recognition including Effie, Clio and Jay Chiat Awards.
Mark leads projects from strategy and story development through interviews, directing, shooting, editing and final delivery. His background as both a creative director and marketing strategist means the work begins with the goal: who needs to care, what should they understand, and what should happen next. From there, he builds the story, production approach and distribution strategy around that objective.
A film series Mark created for NAMI received national recognition from the Effie, Clio and Jay Chiat Awards. The New York Times called the films “riveting… sincere and intimate,” and HuffPost wrote that the work “shook me to my core.” His work has also been recognized with four New York Emmy Awards and two New York Press Club Awards.
As founder of Uprising Productions, Mark developed campaigns and films for organizations and partners including AT&T, Cigna, Deutsche Bank, Condé Nast, Endeavor, JWT, Tribal, Oberland, NAMI, Mothers in Charge, House of Heroes, UConn, Caltech and CUNY.
His broadcast career includes national breaking news and feature production for CBS News and serving as Chief Photographer at News 12 Westchester, where he led a 25-person team of photographers and editors and oversaw daily coverage, features and special projects. Much of his feature work centered on artists, cultural organizations and other character-driven human-interest stories.
Teaching has also been a significant part of Mark’s work. At News 12, he developed curricula and training programs in storytelling, shooting, lighting and editing, and taught them in both group and one-on-one settings. He has lectured on storytelling at the School of Visual Arts and has taught narrative filmmaking to middle and high school students using phones and practical production tools.
Today, Mark’s work centers on two related areas: producing compelling character-driven films for nonprofits, arts and cultural organizations, and helping organizations develop the skills and strategy to tell those stories themselves.
The through-line is the same in both: find the person, moment or idea that makes people care, then build the story around it.
awards and recognition
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Emmy Award — New York, four-time winner
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New York Press Club Award — two-time winner
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Effie Award — two-time winner
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Clio Award — multiple wins
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Jay Chiat Award
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Webby Award
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MMA Smarties (Mobile Marketing Association)
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WPPED Cream
Collegues & clients say
Diane King Hall
Anchor and correspondent CBS News
Mark's eye for composition is virtually unmatched. He can see a shot, and take it in a split second that serves the subject being covered. His ability to compose cinematography is equally matched by his professorial instinct for the explanatory, and story-telling is a gift for him.
Bill Oberlander
Founder, Executive Creative Director | OBERLAND
"I was knocked out by his strategic rigor, creative prowess and production nuance. Mark has that unique combination of having a clear POV and yet, able to collaborate in a team dynamic. I would work with Mark again in a nanosecond and whole-heartedly recommend him to any client, agency and/or production company!"
Leslie Singer
CEO, SingerSalt
Formerly President, Chief Creative Officer
Grey Global’s G2 Branding & Design
“I have been blessed to have a robust career that has allowed me to meet and work with some of the most talented people in the business and Mark is one of them. What makes Mark so different is his Multi Talented expertise – From creative direction, to design to integrated digital strategy to concepts to photography, writing, video production — it seems there is nothing that he cannot do. It’s incredibly refreshing to work with talent like that. The sky’s always the limit and possibility is never in question. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Howard Lenn
Group Creative Director, J. Walter Thompson New York
"Mark directed a series of interviews for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City. The work is moving, and was instrumental in helping us launch the #IWILLLISTEN Campaign. It was very rewarding to work with Mark and tell these stories to help break the stigma of mental illness."
Bill May
Vice President of Business Development
Signature Advertising