The executive vice president at Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden has been awarded an OBE for services to the UK film industry, it was announced at the end of December.
Dan Dark, who has been in his current role since January 2020, has had his career rooted in the film industry where he started in production and then moved into special effects (working as part of the team who won an Oscar© for special effects on James Cameron’s Aliens).
In 1992 he oversaw the construction and management of a 30-acre site in Spain creating and operating a new television studio facility.
Two years later Dan was approached by Eon Productions to develop Leavesden Aerodrome into a studio for the production of Goldeneye.
He continued to run the site as a film studio which became home to all eight Harry Potter films.
Over the 20 years that Dan has been based at Leavesden he has played an active role in the community.
He is a co-chair of Visit Herts, a member of the Watford Cultural Leaders Forum, a founding member of Skillmakers and an active contributor to the Chamber of Conscience.
Dan is fully committed to skills development for the creative industries; working with the University of Hertfordshire he has developed many opportunities for students from mentoring and work-shadowing to a bursary programme.
His contribution was recognised in 2017 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the University.
Dan works with numerous charities in the community and has found ways to engage with organisations at many levels through fundraising, volunteering, skills support and donations.
The work that he led with Warner Bros. and the Collett School for children with additional needs which was recognised in 2018 with a Careers and Enterprise award for Innovative Partnership of the Year.
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