Neal Marshad (born April 25, 1952) is an American film and television producer, director, cinematographer, advertising executive, internet strategist, and designer.
After graduating New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 1974, Marshad photographed and directed a PBS documentary, Sculpture by Isaac Witkin[2] about Isaac Witkin that premiered in the United States on Public Broadcasting Service on October 19, 1976, and at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on November 7, 1976.[3]
Beginning in 1978, Marshad produced and photographed films for NBC's Saturday Night Live over a 43-year period.[4]
In 1981 Wim Wenders hired Marshad to provide film post-production services and post-production audio engineering services for The State of Things (film) and Wenders edited the film in Marshad's 35mm edit room in New York City.[6]
In January 1982, The Steinettes collaborated with Marshad. He produced and engineered a recording of twenty songs performed by The Steinettes in his studio at 295 West 4th Street in Greenwich Village in New York City.
In 1982, Marshad formed Neal Marshad Productions, and began directing and producing films for IBM in the US and Europe using the ARPANET to facilitate global communications between crews and clients. IBM commissioned Marshad to direct a documentary film about architect Renzo Piano[8] and the IBM Traveling Technology Pavilion in Paris.
In 1993, while working for IBM Latin America, and directing a documentary film about making the Vatican Library accessible online,[15] Marshad pioneered streaming video on the internet, and was first to stream a video on a BBC’s website in 1995.
On December 17, 1995, the New York Times reported on a group art show and published Marshad's photograph. The photograph was of Denise Brown’s hands wearing the bracelet her sister Nicole Brown Simpson wore when she was slain. Another photograph Marshad created, one depicting the hands of Jerry Della Femina, was also included in the show "Nonviolent Hands" at the Vered Gallery, East Hampton, New York.
[16]
In 1996, Marshad formed The Marshad Technology Group, a digital agency, and was hired by clients including Chanel, Neiman Marcus, Beiersdorf La Prairie,[17] and the BBC to strategize, create and launch their internet businesses. In the same year, he was commissioned by Speedo, the swimwear manufacturer, to create and launch Speedo.com.[18] Marshad was the first to enable email communication between Olympic Games athletes and sports fans online, for the Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1997, Marshad started to collaborate with playwright Edward Albee and Martha Wadsworth Coigney [19] to create the first website for the International Theatre Institute.[20] The goal of the website was to promote open and free communications among playwrights, actors, directors and all people working in theater around the world. For that effort, Marshad directed and streamed audio interviews which he recorded of Albee. This was the first recorded performance Albee allowed to be published on the web.
Marshad collaborated again with playwright Edward Albee[24] to direct videos of his performances at the Jack Lenor Larsen sculpture garden at LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton, New York in 1999.[25]
In September 2001, Marshad collaborated with actor Jerry Stiller,[27] jazz singer Cassandra Wilson[28] and actress Kathleen Turner,[29] to direct and produce "What Can I Do?" a public service television campaign for the Citizens Committee for New York City to help residents recover from the destruction of the September 11 attacks.
Jerry Stiller and Neal Marshad in New York City 2001
Marshad is currently an executive producer for Eurocinema, the Video-On-Demand television network available specializing in European box office films that is in 35 million United States homes.[32]
In August 2011 Marshad signed an agreement with the Apollo Theater to exclusively direct, develop, joint venture and produce musical and comedy filmed entertainment for online streaming to worldwide audiences.[33]
In 2012 Marshad worked as segment producer, segment director, and segment director of photography for a TV special produced by and starring Steve Harvey.[34]
The Marshad Technology Group achieved Google Partner status in March, 2014. Marshad was asked, in May 2014, to become DOWNTOWN magazine's Digital Media Advisor, and was offered a board position.[35]
On October 11, 2014, "Love is a Dream", a film Marshad produced and photographed, was broadcast on Saturday Night Live as a tribute to former cast member Jan Hooks who died on October 8, 2014.[36] The film was included in the Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary Special airing on September 25, 1999[37] which won the 2000 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.[38] and the show was nominated for the 2000 Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or Special. "Love is a Dream" was also included in the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special which aired on February 15, 2015.[39]
Steve Harvey and Deep Dish Productions of Chicago, LLC contracted with Marshad in October 2015 to provide Segment Producer/Director/Director of Photography services for The Steve Harvey Show on NBC.[34]
In November 2016, Microsoft asked Marshad to become a Microsoft Bing Partner Agency.[41]
On November 20, 2021, "Java Junkie", a film Marshad produced and photographed featuring actress Teri Garr, was broadcast on Saturday Night Live (season 47) as a tribute to former cast member and writer Peter Aykroyd, brother of original Not Ready for Primetime Player Dan Aykroyd, who died on November 6, 2021. Before the show ends, a photo by Neal Marshad of Peter Aykroyd is shown in silence. SNL also posted the film as an online tribute on X, formerly called Twitter.[42][43][44][45]
^"Archived copy". www.speedo.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 1996. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
