If you want to make Clark Fyans laugh a little, ask him what his “degree” was in.
Before Clark ever set foot in a preschool, he was ripping around the Wasatch on sticks the size of your shinbones. The mountains never let him go, but instead called him to seek education for a purpose he has held true his entire career: saving lives in the mountains. As an aspiring Snow Scientist/ Ski Patroller and EMT, Clark left Utah in 2001 and relocated to Alaska to continue pursuing his a career in the big mountains. He worked on the Alyeska Snow Safety Team and also started guiding the Seven Summits Circuit, leading guests to the summits of the highest peaks on the continents of North America, South America, Antarctica, and Oceania. During this time, Clark led 19 high-altitude expeditions, with 15 successful summits, claimed the first descents of the ‘Black Rock Couloirs' (19,500') on Denali, and was awarded the 2005 DENALI Pro Mountaineer of the Year Award by the United States National Park Service Mountaineering Rangers.
In 2004, Clark landed a spot on the Helicopter Ski Guides roster of Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, Alaska. One year later he was promoted to the Lead Guide and Helicopter Operations Manager. He chased winters to South America, where he continued to guide heli-skiing in Chile, in addition to the Canadian Rockies. Photography and film production was always an interest. Working with professional skiers and snowboarders with iconic companies such as Teton Gravity Research, Matchstick Productions, Warren Miller, Quiksilver, DC, Burton, The North Face, Volcom, and GoPro eventually led to leaving his position as a full-time guide in Alaska and signing on as Lead Guide/ Field Producer for Brainfarm Cinema’s/ Red Bull Media House ‘The Art of Flight’. Following the completion of that iconic film, Clark moved to Venice, California, working as a Supervising Producer of Feature Films at Red Bull Media House, producing recent films such as the Emmy winning, ‘The Alpinist’, ‘Dear Rider, The Jake Burton Story’, ‘The Fourth Phase’, ‘Any One of Us’, ‘Distance Between Dreams’, and ‘North of Nightfall’, ‘The Unrideables: The Alaska Range’ and more. He is referred as the 'Swiss Army Knife Producer' because of his multitude of skill sets he brings to the field, ranging from creative direction, managing budgets, cinematography, photography, drone, safety/ risk assessment, and more.
Clark Fyans has produced some of the most innovative and iconic footage in the documentary and action sports realm. Recognized by the Academy with multiple nominations, his most recent film, 'The Alpinist' (Universal & Netflix) landed him an Emmy win, as well as a Critics Choice Award. He has produced multiple revolutionary films, including 'The Art of FLIGHT', that redefined how action sports and commercials were filmed. Never done before, he and the team took studio level equipment (gyrostabilized cameras on helicopters, RED, Arri, Phantom high-speed cameras, etc.) into the outdoors to capture mesmerizing footage. 'Distance Between Dreams', a big-wave surf documentary, Clark and his team developed new ways to capture these massive waves by rigging jet skis, surfboards, helicopters, drones, achieving a victorious 'Documentary of the Year' at the Surfer Poll Awards. Prior to producing films, Clark's unique background as a Heli-Ski Guide and High- Altitude Mountaineering Guide taught innovation, problem solving and adaptation in these remote and challenging conditions. Overseeing these operations and expeditions required management of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft support, client and production team logistics and safety and rescue in some of the most dangerous and demanding environments. Applying these methods to film, he has help productions break the mold.
Photography quickly became more than hobby as his work began to get published in magazines, advertisements, storefronts, catalogs, and coffee table books. In 2013, Clark submitted one photo to the Red Bull Illume 2013 Action Sports Photography contest. Of nearly 35,000 photos entered worldwide, Clark secured his seat to the Top 50 Finalists Ceremony in Hong Kong. In the Red Bull Illume 2016 contest, he landed himself in the Top 150 Semi-Finalists.
Clark is a natural leader, extremely detail oriented and punctual, allowing studios to rely on him to develop budgets, timelines and deliverables. Highly skilled in camera equipment, aviation/ aerial, cable cams, cinematic and photographic disciplines, studio work and innovative lighting, interviews, as well as medical/ safety/ rescue. Exploring the planet extensively, he has traveled from the planet's highest summits to the Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, Indian Ocean and Arctic Ocean. Stepping foot on 6 of the 7 continents, Clark has led his production teams to the unknown to create magic.
With a passion for renewable energy, Clark has designed and built 2 completely off-the-grid homes, utilizing solar as the sole power source in the Mojave Desert and a remote beach in Baja California, Mexico.
Clark has developed an extensive network of inventive creatives and collaborators on every continent in the world, all eager to continue to execute state-of-the-art content.