Born in Watertown, NY, Mark Neveldine attended Hobart College in Geneva, NY, where he studied drama and psychology, lettered in athletics, and consistently made the dean's list. Upon graduation, Neveldine moved to Manhattan, where he launched his career as an actor and off-Broadway helmer of almost 30 productions. Neveldine subsequently transitioned into film work, cutting his teeth as a cinematographer on music videos, documentaries, and a television pilot. Neveldine segued to feature films with the 2006 big-screen crime thriller Crank, co-written and directed with friend Brian Taylor. The picture stars Jason Statham as Chev Chelios, a former professional assassin whose body is injected with a lethal poison that will stop his heart forever if his pulse sinks below a given level. Amy Smart (StrangeLand) and Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite) co-star.