Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971)[1] is an Austrian-born American film director, film producer, television producer, television director, and music video director. He is best known for directing three of the four films in the Hunger Games film series. Lawrence was born to American parents in Vienna, Austria. His father is a Theoretical Physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three. Lawrence worked as 2nd assistant camera on the feature Pump Up the Volume directed by Allan Moyle prior to earning his bachelor's degree in film production at Loyola Marymount University Film School. He went on to work as first AD on the feature Marching out of Time directed by Anton Vassil in 1993. Francis Lawrence then joined ex-classmate Mike Rosen in co-directing music videos. Lawrence directed his first music video for Michael Blakey, president of Atico Records and Tidal Force drummer for that band's single, A Man Rides Through. Soon, Lawrence became known for his original and imaginative music video scripts and visual directing style.
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