Mark Herman

Mark Herman (born 1954) is a British film director and screenwriter, best known for writing and directing the 2008 film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Early life Herman was born in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. His father worked as a bacon importer. He was educated at Woodleigh School, North Yorkshire and thereafter at Sedbergh School and Bridlington Grammar School, Bridlington. He worked for his father's bacon importing business until his mid-20s. He was late entering the film industry, first studying art at the Regional College of Art and Design in Kingston upon Hull aged 25, then going on to study graphic design at Leeds Polytechnic for 3 years. At the end of the first year he had to choose between illustration, printmaking, graphics or film for the final 2 years. He applied to the illustration, printmaking, and graphics parts of the course, however he wasn't accepted into any of them, so had no choice but to pick film. It was there in the film part of his graphic design degree, that he started doing animation. He then progressed to the National Film and Television School.