NewEnglandFilm.com

Boston has seen many production companies come and go, but Picture Park has prospered for almost 15 years, and colleagues credit founder and Executive Producer Mark Hankey with its success. It is his philosophy that drives the company and his personality that sets the tone of collaboration of their work.

Hankey says his philosophy is simple: "Produce good work for the client and have fun doing it." Achieving this goal consistently is difficult, as any producer will attest. Relationships with clients are crucial, but so is the finished product. "It’s a very competitive marketplace," Hankey says, "You have to have repeat business to survive."

The in-house atmosphere is equally important and at Picture Park there seems to be a happy, creative crew. Hankey, known as Hank says, "After a bunch of years you form relationships, you get a family of people you work with. I love working with this group of directors." Hankey’s "group" includes Harry McCoy, John Huet, Demayne Davis and Khari Streeter, as well as Bill Cuccinello and Jonathan Bekemeier.

Bekemeier, an Emerson college graduate who first met Hankey many years ago during an internship, says, "Hank has developed the atmosphere here that’s nurturing for people. We all support each other." Cuccinello agrees, "Directors are competitive," he admits. "But we have a really good camaraderie. We talk and try to learn from each other."

Bekemeier says he and Hankey have an excellent working relationship. "He’s a great guy and a great producer," Bekemeier says. "To be a good producer you need to have the right personality — he’s [Hankey] very relaxed, not uptight."

Cuccinello, a veteran director who worked for many years at September Productions, another well-known Boston production house, agrees that the longevity of Picture Park is unusual. "It’s a wacky business, it’s hard to keep going for a long period of time," says Cuccinello. "Every place has a personality to it," Cuccinello says. "I like the way he [Hankey] is –very honest and straightforward. I try to be that way myself."

Hankey did not set out for a career in media. He graduated from Suffolk University with a degree in Finance. "When I graduated, I didn’t want to get a job in the field right away," he says. "I had friends who were P.A.’s so I did that for the summer.

Then I knew some guys who had a company called ‘Overplus.’ They were doing well but had no business knowledge. I thought I did because of my degree, so I became the Business Manager." Eventually he began to do some producing and he became the Production Manager. Hankey says the company did well but the principals decided to go their separate ways and the company dissolved. In retrospect he says, "It was the best thing that ever happened to me." He began to work as a producer for several directors, launching his career as a line producer and starting him down the road toward Picture Park.

After several years the weariness of the road began to take its toll. "I was a freelance line producer, traveling 200 to 250 days a year, and I didn’t want to do that anymore. I wanted to be around the Boston area," he says.

"I knew a lot of advertising people and had a decent amount of relationships with them and I was hoping that they would hook me up with clients. And they did."

Hankey says that in addition to reducing his travel "My goal was to be a little more in control of the work. As a line producer the work is set in stone when you get it. It’s ‘This is what you gotta do in this amount of time’ I wanted more control over the philosophy of the work."

Hankey is Executive Producer and works with his team on the development of projects. "I stay in producing. I like the big picture and working with the creative people — it’s both sides of the equation."

"He’s great to bounce ideas off of," says Bekemeier. "He’s someone you trust to be on the same wavelength."

Cuccinello says that he and Hankey consider a project and decide what the best approach will be. "We did a piece recently that was outside at night in front of brownstones. Boston has beautiful brownstones but the weather’s too cold now to shoot outside here," he says. "We were going to fly down [to Florida] and use the Universal backlot, but we ended up building a set in our studio of two story brownstones and shooting there."

"With this job every day is different," Cuccinello says. "It’s always a challenge and it always stays fresh."

Bekemeier also likes the constant change and creative spark that comes from work on commercials. "Commercials let you do something on a small scale, very quickly. You’re always working with different people doing something different, which I enjoy."

Bekemeier, who specializes in comedy, has done a series of commercials for First Tennessee Bank that involves people dressed as money. "We do two campaigns a year for them of these people dressed in money outfits. They’re all comedic and all different — very creative," he says. "They’re a great client — lots of fun."

Both directors have developed their own relationships with clients who bring their business again and again to Picture Park. "I’ve been directing commercials since 1982," says Cuccinello. "I’ve had lots of clients for five, 10, even 15 years."

Hankey says he has a passion for the work and that motivates him. He admits that not all jobs are equally exciting, but "You try to find something to be passionate about in every job — that’s what they [clients] come to production companies for." His production experience is not limited to commercial projects of his company though. Hankey has produced three feature films, ("Lift," "Monument Ave." and "Black, White and Red All Over"), television pilots, documentaries for MTV and many music videos. He has worked with Errol Morris and Ted Demme as well as several of the directors on staff such as Harry McCoy, Jon Bekemeier and directing team Streeter and Davis.

With a client list including big names in advertising like Arnold Worldwide and Mullen, and commercials for Converse, McDonald’s, Reebok, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, among others, Picture Park’s reputation is well established. The company has expanded to include a Los Angeles office, under the direction of Raub Shapiro. Bekemeier says, "L.A. is expensive to work out of, but it’s good to be able to say you’re there and be a presence there."

Hankey accepts that part of running his own business is attending to the details after office hours. "After I put the kids to bed at night, two or three times a week I’m sitting in my home office going over day to day office details." On the other hand, the job does have its perks, such as his recent trip to Maui to shoot a commercial for Taylor Made. In the end, Hankey says, "It’s nice to be in control of your own destiny."

For the future, Hankey says he wants to "keep on going and keep on growing." With a philosophy based on service to the customer and a personality that fosters creativity and collaboration among the staff, Picture Park’s future looks bright.