Biographie
Born in 1981, Daniel was raised near Reading, England. He began creating animations at age ten and developed a love for live-action storytelling, which he filmed with school friends and edited roughly using a VCR.
Daniel's first professional film set experience was as an extra in The Land Girls (1998), featuring Rachel Weisz, Catherine McCormack, and Anna Friel.
In 2004, he met filmmaker Rishi Thaker during a community film course. Shortly after meeting, they conceived the idea for the zero-budget horror short A Mid-Summer Nightmare and started shooting the following weekend. This marked the founding of Stickmen Pictures. Together, Daniel and Rishi produced several shorts, including the thriller The Darkness in the Fields and the philosophical drama Across The Styx.
In 2005, Daniel was part of the last group selected for a residential course at ARTTS Skillcentre in Yorkshire, a prestigious training center established by renowned theatre and film director John Sichel, formerly a trainer at RADA and the London Film School. Sichel had worked with actors such as Laurence Olivier, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Oliver Reed, Sean Connery, and Michael Caine. Although Sichel passed away that year and the center subsequently closed, Daniel gained invaluable experience.
He began filming documentaries and music videos and spent six months working as a cameraman for a shopping channel.
Daniel's first feature film opportunity came with A Reckoning (2011), directed by Andrew David Barker. He served as cameraman, working alongside actor Leslie Simpson (known for Dog Soldiers (2002) and The Descent (2005)). Filming took place outdoors during some of the coldest weather England has experienced, with Daniel working fourteen-hour days for two weeks to complete principal photography.
He pioneered an interactive live-action video format and captivated audiences with The Plumber, created with Rishi. This led to appearances on television programs including The One Show (2006), Watchdog (1985), and How to Look Good Naked (2006).
At the end of 2010, Daniel began producing the feature film Slaughter Is the Best Medicine (2014), a zero-budget action thriller filmed in Derbyshire. The plot centers on a group of mercenaries attempting to capture a traitorous scientist in hostile territory. The project's high-concept nature has attracted significant interest from distributors in both the U.S. and the UK. Stickmen Pictures continues to expand, with the upcoming year promising exciting developments for the company.
