Darren VanCleave
- Producer
- Executive
- Casting Director
Darren VanCleave's True Fiction Filmz, a film production and
distribution powerhouse is partnered with Hand Picked Films to focus on
feature films with budgets under $10 million with the assistance of
Hand Picked Films. Hand Picked Films focuses on large budget films.
True Fiction principle Darren VanCleave and Hand Picked Films principle
Michel Shane, have established themselves as two of the motion picture
industry's premier independent producers. In the last few years, they
have worked with the likes of Stephen Spielberg, Leonardo Di Caprio,
Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Chevy Chase, Burt Reynolds, and others. Hand
Picked Films produced I, Robot starring Will Smith, released by 20th
Century Fox, which smashed box office records when the film grossed
over $50 million in its opening weekend. I, Robot is based on a script
they developed at Disney in 1995, entitled Hardwired by Jeff Vintar and
inspired by the story written by Isaac Asimov. HandPicked is the
developing the sequel to I Robot- I Robot ll staring Will Smith. Michel
Shane has also executive produced Steven Spielberg's award winning
Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Martin
Sheen and Christopher Walken. Romano and Shane worked aggressively
developing the project since acquiring the rights to the book in 1990.
Collectively, I, Robot and Catch Me If You Can have grossed nearly one
billion dollars. Other producing credits include Paramount Classic's
North Fork, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival starring
James Woods, Nick Nolte, Claire Forlani, Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah,
as well as Stealing Time starring Scott Foley and featuring Jennifer
Garner. True Fiction Films completed principle photography on two films
in 2009, "Not Another, Not Another Movie" starring Chevy Chase, Vinny
Jones, Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Sciole, and Michael Madsen, and "Blood:
A Butchers Tale" starring Aaron Douglas, Jennifer Sciole, Emily
Perkins, Kim Coates, and Christa Campbell. Blood will be the first film
in the horror genre to use technology similar to "300" and "Sin City."
In September 2008, HandPicked/TrueFiction, along with Empire Film Group
released in theaters their feature "Hounddog" starring Dakota Fanning
and Robin Wright Penn. True Fiction is developing four feature films
for 2010, Shrinking Charlotte, Alive and Well, Beneath Justice, and
Crimson. Hand Picked Films is also developing two feature films for the
youth to preteen market. First is Band on the Run, which is based on
the "boy band" image and popularity among the teen youth. This preteen
oriented project is poised to break new ground in sponsorship and cross
promotion that will launch the career of a real band the producers are
creating for this project. Slated later in the year is Hand Picked
Films' first animated feature film, The Black Belt Club, based on the
best-selling Scholastic children's book series by Dawn Barnes and
Marvel Comics' illustrator Bernard Chang. Darren VanCleave has been one
of the top sales and marketing executives in the world for many years
in several industries. He has managed talent around the world for many
years very successfully. His partners also have extensive talent
management, production, finance, and agency experience, including a
licensed agency in Texas. Darren's modus operandi is "nothing happens
until a sale is made, even in Hollywood." Darren, a graduate of Trinity
Southern University, was formerly Global Vice President of Sales and
Marketing for Ford Motor Company's Internet Website Design, CyberCar,
AutoMark, Red Carpet, Sales and Management training, and HAC divisions.
He possesses over 24 years of success as a business executive. He owns
and operates eight companies worldwide including being CEO of Result
Technology Group, LLC, CEO of RTG Talent, CEO of True Fiction Filmz,
Partner of HandPicked Films, Partner Daval Releasing, Partner Pacific
Gold Studios, and CEO of True Fiction Entertainment. Darren has also
appeared in 100's of Local, National, and International telecast on the
Automotive News Network, NADA Network, commercials, and training
programs. He is one of the most sought after speakers in the world for
Sales and Management conventions and meetings around the world.