I'm a self-shooting director, editor and producer who loves telling stories with a tech-savvy, can-do approach. I thrive in fast-paced, on-location shoots and am comfortable working solo or leading small teams, juggling multiple cameras and demanding schedules. My work spans natural history, reality and documentary, and I aim to bring character, context and clear storytelling to screen, even in challenging environments. I've collaborated with international crews on shows like Gold Rush, Highway Cops and Demolition NZ, delivering hands-on coverage and polished broadcasts while staying adaptable and resourceful on remote or hostile locations. Whether piloting a camera in a helicopter, driving through rough terrain, or shaping episodes from long-form footage, I focus on strong narrative, efficient workflows and broadcast-ready results. I pride myself on balancing creative vision with practical constraints to keep productions moving and on schedule.…

MARK ORTON

I'm a self-shooting director, editor and producer who loves telling stories with a tech-savvy, can-do approach. I thrive in fast-paced, on-location shoots and am comfortable working solo or leading small teams, juggling multiple cameras and demanding schedules. My work spans natural history, reality and documentary, and I aim to bring character, context and clear storytelling to screen, even in challenging environments. I've collaborated with international crews on shows like Gold Rush, Highway Cops and Demolition NZ, delivering hands-on coverage and polished broadcasts while staying adaptable and resourceful on remote or hostile locations. Whether piloting a camera in a helicopter, driving through rough terrain, or shaping episodes from long-form footage, I focus on strong narrative, efficient workflows and broadcast-ready results. I pride myself on balancing creative vision with practical constraints to keep productions moving and on schedule.…

Available to hire

I’m a self-shooting director, editor and producer who loves telling stories with a tech-savvy, can-do approach. I thrive in fast-paced, on-location shoots and am comfortable working solo or leading small teams, juggling multiple cameras and demanding schedules. My work spans natural history, reality and documentary, and I aim to bring character, context and clear storytelling to screen, even in challenging environments. I’ve collaborated with international crews on shows like Gold Rush, Highway Cops and Demolition NZ, delivering hands-on coverage and polished broadcasts while staying adaptable and resourceful on remote or hostile locations.

Whether piloting a camera in a helicopter, driving through rough terrain, or shaping episodes from long-form footage, I focus on strong narrative, efficient workflows and broadcast-ready results. I pride myself on balancing creative vision with practical constraints to keep productions moving and on schedule.

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent
Tagalog
Beginner

Work Experience

Freelance Creative at Seeing Red Media
January 1, 2007 - Present
Worked on multiple forms of broadcast television content as a director, cameraman, editor, and story producer. Created short-form video content for local businesses and organisations. Developed and executed social media and digital storytelling campaigns. Collaborated with clients to craft engaging visual narratives for regional tourism, education, and community initiatives. Managed all stages of production from concept development through post-production delivery.
Shooting PD at Gold Rush - Discovery US
August 1, 2022 - October 1, 2022
Visited the Yukon to work on the 13th season; collaborated with UK and Canadian crew; on-location shoots and production coordination as Shooting PD.
Shooting PD at Highway Cops
October 1, 2022 - Present
Shooting PD on the 10th season; traveled NZ to cover remote policing areas; showcased work done by Police in challenging environments.
Shooting PD at Demolition New Zealand (Prime TV/Sky)
October 1, 2019 - August 1, 2020
Armed with PPE, filmed across three construction sites to showcase demolition experts; solo shooter with multiple cameras; unscripted, high-energy shoots.
Camera at Moving Houses - Media Works / Imagination TV
April 1, 2022 - Present
Camera operator on a show about moving large buildings along NZ roads; long-haul location shoots in challenging environments.
Editor at Man Eats Wild - The Outdoors Channel
May 1, 2021 - July 1, 2021
Edited six episodes; crafted stories from a large footage corpus; selected and mixed music and graded for broadcast.
Director - D.O.P at Mysteries of the Mekong - Smithsonian
April 1, 2017 - May 1, 2017
Directed and shot a feature on Dr. Mark Spencer; explored plant-based health and longevity with Yi and Naxi communities.
Director - D.O.P at China’s Amazing Super Plants - Discovery International
January 1, 2017 - April 1, 2017
Directed and shot a six-part series on China’s remarkable plants in Yunnan; engaged with local communities for health and longevity themes.
Shooting-Producer at The Great Australian Bake-Off / Take Me Out - Foxtel / Channel 7
April 1, 2018 - July 1, 2018
Researching, scripting, directing and producing two road-tested formats; liaising with talent, securing locations, scheduling shoots and managing image acquisition.
Director - Camera at Top Roads China - Shanghai Media Group
July 1, 2018 - August 1, 2018
Directed camera for road infrastructure series; brief included inter-city shoots across water crossings and bridges; collaboration with Shanghai Media Group.
Shooting PD at Australia’s Got Talent - Channel 7
April 1, 2019 - May 1, 2019
Shooting PD for be-spoke overlay and reality-scene production; adapting to formatted studio environment.
Shooting PD at Gold Rush - Discovery US
May 1, 2019 - August 1, 2019
Worked on the 10th season in Yukon; based with international crew; on-location shoots and production coordination.
Shooting-Director-Editor at Panda Republic - Animal Planet-France 5
July 1, 2015 - December 1, 2015
Directed and edited panda-focused docu-series; multi-episode arc with cross-border collaboration.
Shooting-Director-Editor at Abalone Wars - Discovery International
March 1, 2016 - April 1, 2016
Directed and edited a feature on abalone divers; mixed observational storytelling with on-site shoots.
Producer-Director-Editor at Top Ten Sharkdown - Discovery
April 1, 2014 - September 1, 2014
Created a shark countdown show using archives; wrote scripts, conducted interviews, edited to Shark Week spec.
Editor at I Survived - A&E (NHNZ)
November 1, 2013 - April 1, 2014
Edited survival documentary episodes; location-based post-production.
Shooting-Producer-Director at Frontier Borneo - Discovery International
June 1, 2016 - November 1, 2016
Directed and shot a four-month observational documentary in Borneo; eco-warrior/field biology focus.
Shooting-Editor at The Slum - Al Jazeera
October 1, 2014 - June 1, 2015
Shooting and editing for an Al Jazeera feature on urban slums; observational documentary approach.
Shooting PD at Gold Rush (Discovery US)
August 1, 2022 - October 1, 2022
Shooting Producer-Director on the Yukon-based 13th season of Gold Rush. Operated across remote locations, collaborating with a UK/Canadian crew to capture mining action, interview talent, and contribute to on-screen storytelling.
Shooting PD at TVNZ
October 1, 2022 - Present
Filmed Highway Cops across New Zealand for the 10th season, working with remote patrol officers and a multi-camera crew to showcase policing in challenging environments.
Shooting PD at Demolition New Zealand (Prime TV / Sky)
October 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020
On three construction sites documenting demolition specialists; solo shoots with multiple cameras in a no-script, high-energy environment with PPE and on-site risk.
Camera at Moving Houses (Media Works / Imagination TV)
April 1, 2022 - Present
Camera operator on Moving Houses, following house-moving crews as they transport large structures along NZ highways; contributed to on-location shooting and production.
Editor at The Outdoors Channel
May 1, 2021 - July 31, 2021
Edited six episodes of a brand-new show based on the dynamics of hunter-chef Mario Kalpou, shaping narratives from 12 months of footage, selecting music, and delivering broadcast-ready episodes.
Director-D.O.P at Smithsonian
April 1, 2017 - May 1, 2017
Directed and shot Mysteries of the Mekong with Dr. Mark Spencer in Yunnan, engaging with Yi and Naxi communities while exploring plant-health secrets and longevity.
Director-D.O.P at Discovery International
January 1, 2017 - April 1, 2017
Directed and shot China's Amazing Super Plants, traveling across China to document remarkable plant-life and traditional practices with local communities.
Shooting-Producer at Foxtel / Channel 7
April 1, 2018 - July 31, 2018
Shotted and produced behind-the-scenes and overlay segments for Australia’s Got Talent and Take Me Out; coordinated talent, locations, scheduling, and on-set shoots.
Shooting PD at Gold Rush (Discovery US)
May 1, 2019 - August 31, 2019
Based in the Yukon for Gold Rush’s 10th season, collaborating with UK/Canadian crews to capture mining action and on-screen storytelling.
Editor at The Outdoors Channel
May 1, 2021 - July 31, 2021
Edited six episodes of Man Eats Wild, a spin-off from Grand Designs featuring Clarke Gayford and Andy Ellis; crafted narratives from a year of footage, guided music, and broadcast-ready color grading.
Shooting-Editor at Al Jazeera / The Slum
October 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015
Shooting and editing 'The Slum' for Al Jazeera; produced on-location segments across SE Asia with NHNZ integration.
Director-Editor at Animal Planet (France) / Panda Republic
July 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015
Directed and edited Panda Republic, exploring panda breeding and conservation for an international audience.
Director-Editor at Discovery International
March 1, 2016 - April 30, 2016
Directed and edited Abalone Wars, following abalone divers in challenging conditions for Discovery’s global audience.
Producer-Director-Editor at Discovery
April 1, 2014 - September 30, 2014
Produced and directed Top Ten Sharkdown, a countdown special drawing on archive and expert interviews.
Editor at NHNZ / A&E
November 1, 2013 - April 30, 2014
Edited I Survived for A&E/NHNZ, contributing to multiple episode productions and post-production workflows.
Shooting-Producer-Director at Discovery International
June 1, 2016 - November 30, 2016
Frontier Borneo: shot, produced and directed across remote locations in Sabah and Sarawak, focusing on conservation and ecological storytelling.

Education

Postgraduate Diploma in Science Communication (Natural History Filmmaking) at University of Otago
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2007
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at University of Otago
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2003
PGDIP NHFC (HONS) at University of Otago
January 1, 2006 - January 1, 2007
BACHELOR OF ARTS ( HONS ) at University of Otago
January 1, 2001 - January 1, 2003
Postgraduate Diploma in Natural History Filmmaking and Science Communication (Hons) at University of Otago
January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2007
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at University of Otago
January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2003

Qualifications

Drone Pilot Certification (102)
January 11, 2030 - December 28, 2025

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Non-Profit Organization, Travel & Hospitality, Professional Services

Skills

Experience Level