Pulp Features

Those familiar with Mark Baranowski tend to call him a “Jack of all Trades,” or an “all-purpose artiste,” and with good reason. He’s been a sketch artist and musician for over a decade, an author-screenwriter for nearly four years, and since September of 2001, he’s produced, directed and acted in four independent films (with more in the works).

The first, a short entitled Despair, was completed in exactly two weeks, during September 2001. It depicts a married couple’s final hours, before each commits suicide. Starring Mark’s wife, rising model-actress Ryli Morgan, and Mark himself, its dark subject matter was inspired partly by the tragedy of September 11th. The second, Runaway Terror, began production at the start of May 2002, and made its video premiere on June 14th. This one focuses on a shady producer who begins losing his actresses to a knife-wielding, masked killer. Mark states, “It’s my impatience that makes me so efficient… I can’t wait to finish one project, so I can jump right into another.”

So without further ado, here’s what he had to say to Dale Pierce

Dale First off, you might give people a little background information on who you are and your life in film.

Mark I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, and have always had an obsession with the world of entertainment; art, literature, movies, music, etc… I’ve loved to draw ever since I was a child, and as a teenager, I began making my own music—rap, at that time, but then progressing into other forms. I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1996, started writing screenplays in 1999, and finally made my first film, Despair, in September 2001. As of February 2004, I’ve completed a total of five.

Dale What attracted you to the film world anyway?

Mark As a child, it was an enticing escape from my real-life situation; I was a product of divorced parents, lacking friends and spending most of my time with grandparents. Films nurtured my imagination and later inspired me to try my hand at writing my own. While still a screenwriter trying to get my work optioned, many people recommended that I become a producer and shoot the scripts myself. I didn’t heed their advice initially, but after two years and still no script sales, I finally became frustrated and desperate enough to go for it.

Dale Did you study film any place or did you just learn on your own by trial and error?

Mark No, I’ve never studied film, which is why I first ignored everyone’s advice to make my own. I’ve never had any formal training in art either, though, and I’ve been extremely successful in that field. I hoped for the same result in this one. To be honest, I believe trial and error is a much more effective teaching tool than a classroom anyway, and there’s no guarantee that my films would be any better had I taken a course.

Dale When did you form On Mark Productions?

Mark Shortly after releasing Despair. Up to that point, I had only my record label, Nickel City Records. It was time to create a separate entity with which I could promote not only my music, but my artwork, books and now films.

Dale You derived the name for the studios from your first name then?

Mark That’s right. Actually, my partner in forming Nickel City suggested the name years earlier, when my music first began circulating. Once we started collaborating, however, it was only fair that we come up with something else. Now that I’ve gotten away from the music business and our partnership has ended, it’s a perfect time to make use of the name again.

Dale Let’s talk a little about the plot and making of these films. Let’s start with Despair.

Mark A 35-minute short, Despair was completed in exactly two weeks. Called “erotic in a morbid sort of way” by film critic Joe Bob Briggs, it depicts the final hours of a young married couple before both commit suicide. Along with acting in it, I also wrote the script, shot the film (in my studio apartment, using a VHS-C camera), edited it and scored it. Since I’m both a perfectionist and extremely impatient when it comes to others handling a task for me, it was only natural that I take on so many duties myself. I quite enjoyed it, actually, and have continued to do so with each of my subsequent projects, along with packaging and marketing the films upon their completion.

Dale Okay, what about Audition?

Mark Everette (Razor, Vampire Call Girls) Hartsoe directed this one, which was simply test footage of my wife, Ryli Morgan. He’d intended on casting her in a future project of his, before she realized he’s probably the last person in the industry she should ever work with (don’t get me started on his track record). I produced, edited and scored the film, which is basically a 20-minute strip tease video. Ryli would rather forget about Audition, but I think it turned out quite well for what it is.

Dale Runaway Terror?

Mark My first feature, Runaway Terror came from an earlier script I’d written for another production company. It was an erotic thriller, which I rewrote after that company went under. I toned down the erotic elements of the story and turned it into more of a slasher film. It involves a shady producer whose new film, Runaway Terror, is plagued with problems when his lead actresses begin turning up dead. Initially edited using two VCRs, the original version was a bit sloppy and released in black-and-white with a running time of 72 minutes. Once I’d upgraded my computer and acquired some decent editing software, I re-cut the film down to 66 minutes, re-scored it and re-released it in color. All things considered, it came out better than it could have, but I’m a bit disappointed with this film.

Dale Expendable?

Mark My first digital production (using miniDV), Expendable tells the story of a drug dealer whose just left the business and pays a visit to his ex-wife, unaware that she’s now a bisexual vampire. It has a strange running time (56 minutes)—too long to be a “short”, and too short to be considered a feature—but has proven to be my best-selling film to date. Brinke Stevens makes a steamy cameo, although we didn’t actually work together. Due to our meager budget, she agreed to have her own cameraman shoot her scenes, precisely how they were written in my script, at her California home rather than here in North Carolina. She then mailed me her footage, which I simply edited along with my own. Everything turned out great, and Brinke tells me she now can’t wait to have me direct her personally. Needless to say, neither can I!

Dale Sin by Murder?

Mark My latest release, I made this one for Sterling/Vista Street Entertainment, who’d already picked up both Runaway Terror and Expendable for distribution. An erotic thriller, it’s about a corporate lawyer who’s accused of murdering his wife on the night of their tenth anniversary. As he attempts to clear his name, he discovers that the people closest to him are the last ones he can trust. David Sterling sent me the script from California, which I rewrote much of, and both he and I produced the film. I shot it from early December 2003 to mid-January ’04, which wasn’t easy considering the holidays fell right in between. I needed more locations and a larger cast than what I’d used for my other films, so scheduling was a greater problem this time. Once I’d finally wrapped production, I immediately began editing the film and had it completed within a week.

Dale Any others I am missing?

Mark In between Runaway Terror and Expendable, I began working on a film called The Zombie Room, which stemmed from an idea that Ryli came up with, about a young man who suffers from amnesia during the daylight hours and becomes a zombie-like killer upon nightfall. I wrote 45 pages of the script and shot nearly three hours of footage, but this was a weekend project that none of my cast seemed to take very seriously. Production took place in late-Winter 2003, when North Carolina was being hit with one rainy weekend after another. By the time a pleasant one finally arrived, not only had the cast lost interest in the project, so had I. I’d like to return to it eventually, but in the meantime, I plan to somehow incorporate the existing footage with a different film.

Dale Do you have a personal favorite out of these?

Mark I’m most proud of Sin by Murder. I had more resources at my disposal, great locations and a very talented cast, along with a fantastic soundtrack. This one turned out exactly as I’d hoped it would, and if there’s one film of mine that I’d most recommend for people to check out, it’s this one.

Dale On the other hand, are than any you dislike or wish you had done differently?

Mark Again, Runaway Terror is my greatest disappointment. Looking back on it, I should have waited until I had the proper budget and resources instead of again relying on a VHS-C camera. The quality of both the black-and-white and color versions of the film leave much to be desired, as far as I’m concerned. At least the current (color) version has a more effective soundtrack.

Dale You use Ryli Morgan in most of your films. I thought it odd then realized you were married. Were you together all along or did you meet during filming something?

Mark Ryli and I were married in September 2000, so we were together all along. She’d always wanted to be a model and/or actress, and had already begun modeling professionally earlier that year. I thought it only natural that she should star in my films, as well.

Dale How would you describe Ryli Morgan?

Mark Incredibly lovely and talented, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my wife! She’s also very versatile, in both appearance and performance. She can easily fall into any role that’s presented to her. She’s ambitious, and willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to achieve her goals. I consider this a greatly admirable trait, not just in her, but in anyone.

Dale Do you see her as a big scream queen in the future?

Mark Personally, I think the term “scream queen” should be retired. I believe it belongs only to the true “queens” of the genre; Brinke Stevens, Linnea Quigley, and Michelle Bauer. In any case, I’d love to see Ryli achieve such status, but ask certain people and they’ll insist she already has. She’s never actually screamed in any of her films, so I don’t think it would be fair to give her the title. I’m not even sure if she’s interested in it, since she’s hoping to act in other genres, as well.

Dale Does working with your wife hamper filming or cause problems on the set? I keep thinking of other husband/wife teams like Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi and some of the problems their relationship is said to have caused on set?

Mark It does tend to slow things down, yes. Not so much in front of other actors, but I’ve often lost patience with her when she didn’t immediately understand what I expected from her in a certain scene. During a few of our ensuing verbal battles, I’ve even gone so far as to insist that I’ll no longer work with her, but by now she knows I don’t really mean it.

Dale I believe on your site or in some review, someplace, it was noted you place a fairly large emphasis on the musical scores in your films, where many indy producers do not, just due to budget restraints. Where did you find the musicians for your soundtracks in these films or did they come to you?

Mark Having made music for so many years, I’ve scored most of my films myself in order to cut production costs. At the same time, many bands worldwide have located me online and offered their music for no cost. For some reason, most of the material has been hard rock or punk. Since I’ve never understood (or agreed with) the “hard rock/horror connection”, I’ve chosen to pass over such material. For Runaway Terror, I contacted one of my favorite techno/gothic bands, DUBOK, and got their permission to use a few tracks from their latest CD, Technicolor, in exchange for nothing more than proper credit and a few copies of the completed film. For Sin by Murder, I contacted Australian musician Ollie Olsen, whose work I’ve greatly enjoyed since the late-80’s, when he formed the band MAX Q with the late, great Michael Hutchence (of INXS). It came as quite a pleasant surprise when he not only allowed me to use his music in the film, he offered it at no cost! I place such a large emphasis on the music in my films because of a strong influence by the works of Michael Mann, especially Miami Vice and HEAT.

Dale On this line, are there any horror film composers you really admire?

Mark In general, I prefer to listen to electronic, synthesized music, which I believe is the perfect accompaniment to a horror film. My favorite composers, therefore, are John Carpenter and Claudio Simonetti. Their scores are just as effective on CD as they are in the films they’re used.

Dale What about directors?

Mark Again, I admire just about every film John Carpenter has made. The same goes for Michele Soavi. My favorite director, though, would have to be Dario Argento. His incredible use of lighting, sound, and visuals is unsurpassed by any other director whose work I’ve seen.

Dale Do you have future projects in the making or plans for something big down the road?

Mark Actually, I’ve stepped away from filmmaking for the time being, in order to return to book writing. I’ve just begun a novel that’s something of a mix between Lucio Fulci’s New York Ripper and Michele Soavi’s Stage Fright. I hope to return to films eventually, but it really depends on how well this book does.

Dale What in your opinion is the biggest problem indy film makers face in America?

Mark Jaded American viewers with minimal attention spans. There was a time when independent filmmakers could get away with only an inventive storyline and minimal special effects to make a good film. Nowadays, audiences seem to be more concerned with flashy CGI enhancements and an overdose of action and mayhem. Without these elements, an otherwise effective and intelligent film tends to be overlooked or poorly reviewed. Thus, filmmakers feel they need to “dumb down” their films and release one timewaster after another… Pity.

Dale Do you think the Internet and DVDs will help push indy films into the limelight?

Mark Absolutely, though it may take awhile. Very few independent films are acquiring major distribution, and those that do seem to be poorly promoted. Until these titles show up on store shelves and in front of the general public, it’ll be up to the true genre fan to seek them out and create the proper buzz. These are the people I believe the Internet is geared towards, in regards to creating a market for low-budget indy films.

Dale Any behind the scenes horror stories or mishaps during your career that you would like to talk about? I am sure it isn’t always smooth sailing on a set.

Mark Let’s see… We had some location problems on Runaway Terror, when a Southern Baptist building owner decided at the last minute that he didn’t want to contribute to a project that wasn’t “for the glory of God”. He assumed the film would be another along the lines of Despair and wouldn’t allow us back on his property after paying a visit to my website the day before we were scheduled to shoot. Fortunately, we were able to find a replacement in a hurry, and managed to remain on schedule. I also made the mistake of casting friends on this project, who consistently showed up late to the set. Needless to say, our friendship was never the same once production wrapped…

Another big problem was shooting outdoors. On each of my films, starting with Runaway Terror, we were plagued with background noises that held up production for hours during any given day. Trains, planes, dogs, cars, lawnmowers, wood chippers… you name it, we heard it.

On Expendable, we managed to get run off by mall security, the Homeowners Association and the police — all in one day! We needed to shoot a certain scene atop a parking deck at a local mall, so we waited until it closed on a Sunday night before heading over there. Minutes after we’d parked our vehicle and began shooting, a security guard pulled up to us and claimed we weren’t allowed to be up there. Fortunately, it was a short scene and we were able to get it shot and disappear before he returned. From there, we headed to the cemetery I’d written into the script, where the original ending was to take place. For the first time ever, its gates were locked early and we were desperate to find a suitable replacement in a hurry. Although it was private property, we chose the park located directly across the street, expecting to get the scene over with quickly and get out of there. It wasn’t quick enough, apparently… Just as we were setting up for the final shot, a member of the H.A. pulled into the parking lot and without hesitation, threatened to call the police if we didn’t leave immediately. Before heading home in defeat, we stopped at a church located around the corner from our house. I thought it might have been possible to shoot the remainder of footage there, until I spotted the police car slowly approaching. Although the officer was friendly enough, it was clear that there’d be no more outdoor shooting done that day. Ah, the joys of guerilla filmmaking…

Dale Where do you find the sets for your films, by the way? Do you try to use private homes and such to save on the budget and avoid permits and the like?

Mark We’ve used our own house for every film up to Sin by Murder (we’d already shot in every room, by that point), and our parents’. For office scenes and the like, we’ve been fortunate enough to get permission by our “day job” employers to use their building. I’ve also used the homes of a few friends and cast members.

Dale What about casting? Your wife is an obvious choice, but where do you find the other actors and actresses?

Mark For the most part, Ryli is in charge of casting, and relies mostly on Internet message boards and local casting sites to get the word out. We’ve received dozens of headshots and resumes using this method alone, and the calls and emails still come in even when we have nothing in the works.

Dale What about scripts? Do you prefer these to be in-house or do you look at outside sources for material?

Mark I usually prefer to shoot from my own scripts, but I’m not opposed to reading others’ work. As with scoring a film, though, I’m fortunate enough to be able to write my own material… so why pay someone else to do it for me?

Dale Are you planning to attend any upcoming horror film festivals or such?

Mark Ryli and I will be attending the Frightvision convention in Cleveland, Ohio on April 2-4, then ConCarolinas 2004 here in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 4-6. So far, that’s it for this year…

Dale Closing comments?

Mark I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped both Ryli and I along the way, including those who’ve bought our films and supported us. Without them, there’d be no reason to continue. The opportunity to do something I love has been a blessing, and I’m thrilled to have created something for people to remember me by when I’m gone.

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