Mark Lewis–who wrote and directed The Natural History of Chicken, a documentary which debuted on PBS in 2001 and garnered two Emmy Awards as well as a DGA Award nomination–has come aboard Area 51 Films, Santa Monica, for exclusive spot representation.
The Natural History of Chicken–which was screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival–not only put our feathered friend in a different light but also related stories of quirky human characters who interact with the taken-for-granted creatures. A New York Times review described Chicken as bringing “a deadpan sensibility and a vibrantly quirky visual style to the nature documentary.”
Area 51 executive producers Preston Lee and Phyllis Koenig believe that Lewis’ talent in comedy and for directing real people will translate well to the advertising discipline. Lee added that the need to extend advertiser sponsored fare beyond the :30 format also creates a demand for storytellers like Lewis.
Lewis has some commercialmaking experience. He helmed a campaign promoting tourism in Williamsburg, Va., as well as a series of promos for the children’s network Noggin. His documentary filmography also includes Cane Toads, The Wonderful World of Dogs, Animalicious and Rat. The latter won an Emmy for outstanding achievement in direction. All the documentaries are about animals while telling human-based stories. For example, his first documentary, Cane Toads, was about a misguided attempt by Australian farmers to fight a beetle infestation by introducing a non-native species of toad into the area. The film was exhibited worldwide theatrically.
Through his production company, Radio Pictures, Lewis has created programming for Channel 4 (U.K.), Canal Plus (France), National Geographic, the BBC, ABC, Court TV and The Discovery Channel, among others. His latest project, a limited series titled The Standard of Perfection, is slated to debut on PBS later this year. He is also developing a feature film based on actor Barry Humphries’ character Dame Edna Everage.