Mason Bendewald

Daniel Mason Bendewald (born March 7, 1967) is an American director, producer and photographer best known for directing P90X Extreme Home Fitness. He is the brother of actress Andrea Bendewald.

Career
Bendewald directed Tony Horton in P90X Extreme Home Fitness, reputed to be the most successful fitness series produced in the U.S. – selling millions worldwide. He worked out along side Tony Horton for months helping to craft the program before principal photography began. The last move in Ab RipperX, the Mason Twist, is named after him.

Mason later directed P90X+ (plus), P90X2, P90X One on One (volumes 1, 2 and 3) and the P90X mobile application. In addition to the P90X series Mason directed multiple fitness videos for Beachbody featuring a variety of trainers between the years 2002 - 2011.

In August 2011 Bendewald teamed up with startup DailyBurn, an IAC company, and started programming high-end fitness production content for DailyBurn's steaming video platforms. Users access content via digital media devices including the iPhone, Android, tablet, Xbox, AppleTV and more. DailyBurn does not release DVD's.

In 2013 Bendewald was named Chief Production Officer for DailyBurn and coined their tagline "The best fitness anywhere."

DailyBurn programs developed, produced and directed by Bendewald include include:


 * P90X Extreme Home Fitness
 * P90X2
 * P90X One on One (volumes 1, 2, and 3)
 * P90X Mobile Application
 * Ten Minute Trainer
 * Rev Abs
 * Slim in 6
 * Inferno featuring Anja Garcia
 * InfernoHR featuring Anja Garcia
 * TBT (Tactical Bodyweight Training) featuring Cody Storey
 * MOVE! featuring Keaira Lashae
 * True Beginner featuring Justin Rubin
 * DB15 featuring Judi Brown, Anja Garcia, Keaira LaShae, Briohny Smith, Nicola Harrington, Alikona Bradford, Lisa Newman
 * Beautiful Belly (prenatal yoga) featuring Briohny Smith
 * DBK (Kettle bells) featuring Cody Storey
 * Yoga featuring Briohny Smith
 * Recover featuring Cody Storey, Briohny Smith, and Lindsay Miller
 * Total Cardio featuring Cody Storey, Keaira LaShae, JR Rodgers
 * Cardio Sculpt featuring Anja Garcia, Keiara LaShae and Judi Brown
 * Strength Circuit featuring JR Rogers, Cody Storey and Eitan Kramer

Other fitness titles Bendewald directed and produced include: Ten Minute Trainer, RevAbs, Slim in 6, Shakeology Workouts, YRG Fitness Series, Gold Medal Fitness, Fit Kids Club and Get Real.

Education and Startup/Beginnings
Bendewald graduated Valedictorian from the Art Institute of Philadelphia in December 1994. He opened MEGAMACE Fitness Productions in January 1995 with classmate and business partner Don Argott. Their first office was in Argott's spare bedroom on Walnut Street in Philadelphia.

While in Philadelphia, Bendewald founded the Reject Film Fest in 1997, showcasing films that were "rejected" by the currently established festivals. For consideration, filmmakers were required to submit a copy of one of their rejection letters. After a commercially successful second year Bendewald closed the festival to return to directing.

The partnership dissolved in November 2002 when Bendewald moved to Los Angeles, CA and Argott remained in Philadelphia to open 9.14 Pictures. Bendewald rented space at Beachbody's offices in Beverly Hills, CA beginning a long relationship with Beachbody.

Humanitarian Service
Bendewald worked as a volunteer at the El Faro orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. As a supporter of Friends of El Faro, a grassroots non-profit organization that helps raise money for the orphanage, Bendewald produced a series of annual fundraising videos to help raise awareness for the 100 children living there. Bendewald also traveled to orphanages in Peru, Africa, and Haiti assisting the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and the Love a Child organization in their efforts to assist orphaned children.

Films
Bendewald wrote and directed several short films including Vesting, Nice Shot, and the online series The Doreen Episodes, featuring Liz Lytle. Between 2006 - 2010 he worked on his first feature length documentary Tunahaki about an orphanage in Tanzania where the children study acrobatics.

Personal
Mason Bendewald was raised in New York City's West Village and worked in his father's Antique Store on Hudson Street as a child - running the store by the time he was age 14. His mother was active in the community and his grade school P.S. 3. Mason went on to attend the prestigious High School of Performing Arts in Times Square. He volunteered to become a Big Brother in Philadelphia in 1999 and began incorporating volunteerism into his ever day life from then on.

Mason married his wife Anna Bendewald in May 2010. In May 2012 they adopted their daughters, sisters Jem and Julia from Taiwan.