Episode 019: Mark Toia
Episode 19 of The Blank Canvas Podcast with Mark Toia.
Initially a successful stills photographer based in Brisbane, Australia, Mark Toia embraced the digital movie camera revolution early on and is now one of the most globally sought after commercial film directors and cinematographers. He shoots, directs, edits, runs his own production company and in many case does his own visual effects.
Like many commercial directors, Mark aspired to make movies. The usual route for a low-budget indie film, is keep it simple, not many locations, just a few actors, no visual effects, minimise action scenes - and don’t risk too much of your own money.
Well, like red rag to a bull, Mark has turned that criteria on its head. He’s put $1.6 million of his own money into an ambitious sci-fi action film - Monsters of Man. A robotics company vying to win a lucrative military contract team up with a corrupt CIA agent to conduct an illegal live field test in the Cambodian jungle.
The trailer has nearly two million views, more than the forthcoming mega-budget Batman sequel. Mark has opted against traditional distribution routes in favour of self-distribution and a simultaneous global online release. It’s a big roll of the dice and this chat takes place a few days before Mark finds out whether his gamble has paid off.
Monsters of Man is released globally online - 8th December 2020.
https://www.monstersofman.movie/
W: https://theblankcanvaspodcast.com.au/
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Produced by Lee Rogers & Rien MacDonald.
Audio support by Jason Murphy/GASinc
Music by Rodrigo Enrique Bustos.