Mark Tanner
Mark has had a lifelong interest in puppetry and performance, fascinated by puppets since he first saw ‘The Sooty Show’ and ‘The Muppets’ at a young age. Devouring hours of not only the shows themselves but every behind the scenes program he could find. He was especially inspired by the films ‘Labyrinth’, ‘Neverending Story’ and ‘Dark Crysal’ Mark started model building after following a series by Owen Branham from Games Workshop and started making his own props. Skills that would eventually be useful when he started making puppets.
After completing a degree in English and Drama at Birmingham City University, Mark began work on his own feature film, ‘Bogo & Flit’, and began Flying Ark Productions Ltd. Putting to good use his old prop making skills and extending this to other creative areas. Although this sadly closed after the film slump in the early 2010’s, Mark didn’t give up. He learned how to make his own puppets through online tutorials. He has since taken puppets into school to teach puppet making and puppetry in general to the next generation.
He has performed in pantomime and on film, both with and without his puppets. He has also performed at local festivals, in variety shows, and has recently moved into the world of social media, posting new puppets and short videos. Mark is planning a full series on YouTube called ‘Dank Dungeons’, where monsters go to learn how to be a bit nicer. This project will bring together all of Mark’s skills from his puppets and props to technical skills behind the camera. He is always ready for a new and exciting challenge and hopes to give back some of the joy and inspiration he felt as a small child.
