Dan Napoli
- Director
- Editor
- Producer
Dan Napoli is a writer, producer, editor, & director living in the Midwest United States. Napoli was born in Brooklyn, New York and is of half-Italian and half-Greek descent.
He grew in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado where he excelled as a student and had modest success as an athlete playing baseball.
He attended the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the Fall of 1994 on scholarship, where he pursued a degree in journalism and played baseball until an elbow injury ended his career.
Napoli DJ'd at college station 93.1 KLPR and became ingrained in the third wave punk rock revival of the 1990s, which would later become a sound signature of much of his film work.
He graduated in 1999 with a degree in journalism and sports marketing.
Immediately after college, Napoli took a job overseeing marketing and promotions for an action sports brand, where he would eventually begin overseeing video projects as a producer.
In 2002, he launched his own production company Disconnected Media with two friends from college. In 2006, he moved into the editor's chair, producing promotional brand videos, and went full time with the production company.
As was the trend at the time, the pieces evolved into higher-concept, branded documentary work.
Napoli's first feature length documentary Rivalry: The Vicious-XSV Story was released in 2010.
Later that year, he began writing & directing Artifact: Film Series, a collection of documentary films for Planet Eclipse Paintball.
In 2012, Napoli was tapped to develop a reality sports docu-series in style of NFL HardKnocks, following the creation and development of professional paintball teams.
He co-created The Roster with Antony Leadbetter. After a short 3 episode pilot season was tested online, a second season featuring five 22-minute episodes and a 44 minute finale was produced.
The show followed San Antonio X-Factor, and aired on Sky Sports in Europe, and on Vimeo On Demand worldwide.
In 2014, a 3rd season was commissioned, following Chicago Aftershock. It was released online exclusively.
In the Spring of 2015, Napoli Director WINTER IS COMING: Seasons In Entrepreneurship, for Frost Media Group, a documentary focusing on five business people- all friends- who were each experiencing the challenges of the different "seasons" of a business's life cycle.
In the Fall of 2015, Napoli took a position with b2 Interactive, a prominent Midwest digital agency, to head up a new films divisions.
In the Spring of 2016, the agency launched Hurrdat Films, dedicated to branded storytelling. Napoli was named Director of Visual Storytelling.
The first Hurrdat Films venture was the documentary FIFTEEN: San Diego Dynasty, an 86-minute action-sports documentary film which followed San Diego Dynasty -winners of 64 professional events, as they tried to keep their streak of winning at least one professional event per year alive for an unprecedented fifteenth season.
In October 2016, Napoli wrote and director THE BLUE MAN, a 38-minute film about Michael "Blue" Hanse, who's closed a 33-year paintball career by playing the event he created one final time.
On March 15, 2017, Hurrdat Films released Napoli's next film, HOLY GRAIL. The 64-minute film chronicles the rise of Edmonton Impact, and follows the team as they try to win one event that really matters-and the one victory which has escaped them for 10 years-The World Cup of Paintball.
In April, 2017 Hurrdat Films enter into a working agreement with the Omaha Storm chasers, and began production on a film tentatively titled SOMEWHERE IN MIDDLE AMERICA-50 Seasons Of Minor League Baseball with the Omaha Storm Chasers.
The film will serve both chronicle Omaha's 50 seasons as the Triple A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals-the longest such distinction in Triple A baseball, and a the behind-the-scenes peak into what it takes to run a minor league baseball team.
In September, 2017, HOLY GRAIL was awarded with the laurel of "Pre-Selected" by the 2nd Annual Toronto International Independent film festival.
In October 2018, 50 SUMMERS : A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DOCUMENTARY (formerly the working Title SOMEWHERE IN MIDDLE AMERICA) would screen for VIP & Cast.
From November 2018 through June 2019, the picture would make the film festival rounds, garnering nearly two-dozen awards, including "Best Documentary" and "Best Director" for Napoli at the 2019 Austin Revolution film festival.
In the summer of 2019 the filmed was picked up by Gravitas Ventures. Originally slated for release in October, 2019 to correlate with the MLB World Series, Gravitas thought the film would get better traction released at the same time as Spring Training, moving the pictures release to Feb. 2020.
50 SUMMERS would be released on both VOD and subscriber based streaming platforms iTunes, and Amazon Prime. The film charter as in the Top 50 for iTunes documentaries the week of release, and Top 10 for sports documentaries.
In September 2020, Gravitas Ventures would also release Dan's next documentary with Hurrdat Films - BEST KIDS IN TEXAS, a film covering the history of the current NXL Professional Paintball World Champions San Antonio X-Factor, and their rise through the tournament paintball scene in Texas in the early 2000s.
Gravitas would release the film internationally, BEST KIDS IN TEXAS would also be released on VOD and streaming to strong initial success, reaching #16 on the iTunes Top Documentaries Chart, and #3 on the iTunes Top Sports Documentaries Chart.
In August 2020, production would begin on Napoli's next documentary, following the rise of MMA fighter Raufeon Stots. Hurrdat Films would officially announce the production releasing the sizzle for HEART MEANS EVERYTHING via their Youtube Channel in December, 2020. Filming would continue in 2021 and 2022 including adding prominent interviews with former WWE / AEW / & Rufus Sport Teammate CM Punk (new' Phil Brooks), former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Sergio Pettis, and capturing Shots Bellator Championship victory in Hawaii in May, 2022.
As of October, 2022, The film is still production and pursuing financing and distribution partners.
In June 2021, Hurrdat Films announced another documentary project to be director by Napoli, RECORD STORE. The movie will chronicle the rise, fall, and resurgence of the American independent record store. the film is still in development seeking financing and distribution partners, other projects have taken precedence.
In October 2022, it was announced Napoli would be writing, directing, and producing a documentary project for Hormesis and Hurrdat Films about the fabled Ironkids, the Northern California teenaged paintball movement from late 1990s that spawned San Diego Dynasty, the most successful and well known paintball team of all time.
Production began in November, 2021. "This will be monumental. This will be MOMENTUM GENERATION meets DOGTOWN crossed with BONES BRIGADE: AN AUTO-BIOGRAPHY" and will bring the deeply personal tone of Sam Jone's Tony Hawk doc TILL THE WHEELS FALL OFF" according to Napoli.
Frequent collaborator Sami Ansari is serving as Director of Photography on the film, which is slated for a Spring, 2023 release.
He grew in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado where he excelled as a student and had modest success as an athlete playing baseball.
He attended the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the Fall of 1994 on scholarship, where he pursued a degree in journalism and played baseball until an elbow injury ended his career.
Napoli DJ'd at college station 93.1 KLPR and became ingrained in the third wave punk rock revival of the 1990s, which would later become a sound signature of much of his film work.
He graduated in 1999 with a degree in journalism and sports marketing.
Immediately after college, Napoli took a job overseeing marketing and promotions for an action sports brand, where he would eventually begin overseeing video projects as a producer.
In 2002, he launched his own production company Disconnected Media with two friends from college. In 2006, he moved into the editor's chair, producing promotional brand videos, and went full time with the production company.
As was the trend at the time, the pieces evolved into higher-concept, branded documentary work.
Napoli's first feature length documentary Rivalry: The Vicious-XSV Story was released in 2010.
Later that year, he began writing & directing Artifact: Film Series, a collection of documentary films for Planet Eclipse Paintball.
In 2012, Napoli was tapped to develop a reality sports docu-series in style of NFL HardKnocks, following the creation and development of professional paintball teams.
He co-created The Roster with Antony Leadbetter. After a short 3 episode pilot season was tested online, a second season featuring five 22-minute episodes and a 44 minute finale was produced.
The show followed San Antonio X-Factor, and aired on Sky Sports in Europe, and on Vimeo On Demand worldwide.
In 2014, a 3rd season was commissioned, following Chicago Aftershock. It was released online exclusively.
In the Spring of 2015, Napoli Director WINTER IS COMING: Seasons In Entrepreneurship, for Frost Media Group, a documentary focusing on five business people- all friends- who were each experiencing the challenges of the different "seasons" of a business's life cycle.
In the Fall of 2015, Napoli took a position with b2 Interactive, a prominent Midwest digital agency, to head up a new films divisions.
In the Spring of 2016, the agency launched Hurrdat Films, dedicated to branded storytelling. Napoli was named Director of Visual Storytelling.
The first Hurrdat Films venture was the documentary FIFTEEN: San Diego Dynasty, an 86-minute action-sports documentary film which followed San Diego Dynasty -winners of 64 professional events, as they tried to keep their streak of winning at least one professional event per year alive for an unprecedented fifteenth season.
In October 2016, Napoli wrote and director THE BLUE MAN, a 38-minute film about Michael "Blue" Hanse, who's closed a 33-year paintball career by playing the event he created one final time.
On March 15, 2017, Hurrdat Films released Napoli's next film, HOLY GRAIL. The 64-minute film chronicles the rise of Edmonton Impact, and follows the team as they try to win one event that really matters-and the one victory which has escaped them for 10 years-The World Cup of Paintball.
In April, 2017 Hurrdat Films enter into a working agreement with the Omaha Storm chasers, and began production on a film tentatively titled SOMEWHERE IN MIDDLE AMERICA-50 Seasons Of Minor League Baseball with the Omaha Storm Chasers.
The film will serve both chronicle Omaha's 50 seasons as the Triple A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals-the longest such distinction in Triple A baseball, and a the behind-the-scenes peak into what it takes to run a minor league baseball team.
In September, 2017, HOLY GRAIL was awarded with the laurel of "Pre-Selected" by the 2nd Annual Toronto International Independent film festival.
In October 2018, 50 SUMMERS : A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DOCUMENTARY (formerly the working Title SOMEWHERE IN MIDDLE AMERICA) would screen for VIP & Cast.
From November 2018 through June 2019, the picture would make the film festival rounds, garnering nearly two-dozen awards, including "Best Documentary" and "Best Director" for Napoli at the 2019 Austin Revolution film festival.
In the summer of 2019 the filmed was picked up by Gravitas Ventures. Originally slated for release in October, 2019 to correlate with the MLB World Series, Gravitas thought the film would get better traction released at the same time as Spring Training, moving the pictures release to Feb. 2020.
50 SUMMERS would be released on both VOD and subscriber based streaming platforms iTunes, and Amazon Prime. The film charter as in the Top 50 for iTunes documentaries the week of release, and Top 10 for sports documentaries.
In September 2020, Gravitas Ventures would also release Dan's next documentary with Hurrdat Films - BEST KIDS IN TEXAS, a film covering the history of the current NXL Professional Paintball World Champions San Antonio X-Factor, and their rise through the tournament paintball scene in Texas in the early 2000s.
Gravitas would release the film internationally, BEST KIDS IN TEXAS would also be released on VOD and streaming to strong initial success, reaching #16 on the iTunes Top Documentaries Chart, and #3 on the iTunes Top Sports Documentaries Chart.
In August 2020, production would begin on Napoli's next documentary, following the rise of MMA fighter Raufeon Stots. Hurrdat Films would officially announce the production releasing the sizzle for HEART MEANS EVERYTHING via their Youtube Channel in December, 2020. Filming would continue in 2021 and 2022 including adding prominent interviews with former WWE / AEW / & Rufus Sport Teammate CM Punk (new' Phil Brooks), former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Sergio Pettis, and capturing Shots Bellator Championship victory in Hawaii in May, 2022.
As of October, 2022, The film is still production and pursuing financing and distribution partners.
In June 2021, Hurrdat Films announced another documentary project to be director by Napoli, RECORD STORE. The movie will chronicle the rise, fall, and resurgence of the American independent record store. the film is still in development seeking financing and distribution partners, other projects have taken precedence.
In October 2022, it was announced Napoli would be writing, directing, and producing a documentary project for Hormesis and Hurrdat Films about the fabled Ironkids, the Northern California teenaged paintball movement from late 1990s that spawned San Diego Dynasty, the most successful and well known paintball team of all time.
Production began in November, 2021. "This will be monumental. This will be MOMENTUM GENERATION meets DOGTOWN crossed with BONES BRIGADE: AN AUTO-BIOGRAPHY" and will bring the deeply personal tone of Sam Jone's Tony Hawk doc TILL THE WHEELS FALL OFF" according to Napoli.
Frequent collaborator Sami Ansari is serving as Director of Photography on the film, which is slated for a Spring, 2023 release.