The Story · 2011 → Now

I graduated DePaul in the fall of 2011. Nine weeks later I was standing on NHL ice with a camera. I never really put it down.

I am a producer, director, and content creator with nearly fifteen years behind the camera. Nine and a half of them were spent leading production for the Detroit Red Wings. Since 2021 I have run my own company, dmanproductions LLC, making commercials, brand anthems, documentaries, and podcasts for apparel, non-profit, and wellness clients.

Portrait of Dan Mannes in a black sweater against an olive backdrop

The record

2021–now

Owner & Operator

dmanproductions LLC
Detroit, MI

I launched and run a full-service production company, handling every part of the work: strategy, shooting, editing, color, and delivery, for a small group of long-term partners.

  • Greyson Clothiers · December 2021 to present. Contracted, preferred production vendor for the lifestyle and apparel brand: commercials, brand anthems, collection films, and corporate requests. See the work
  • Morgan Hoffmann Foundation & nekawA · June 2022 to present. Helped build the business plan and branding for nekawA, a health and wellness facility in Nosara, Costa Rica, then directed the photo and film documentation of its growth and covered the foundation's fundraising events. See the work
  • I Can Fly Podcast · August 2023 to present. Co-founded and produce the show hosted by Morgan Hoffmann and Jeg Coughlin III, from inception through its January 2024 launch and nearly 30 episodes since.

Highlighted clients

NRS, Inc. · Asombroso Tequila · BodyArmor · GVN Performance Gym · Michigan Central Station · PEP Hockey · KO Sports Agency · Larkin Hockey School · TYP

A crew member holds a gold reflector beside a golfer mid-swing on a desert course
On set · Golf campaign
Jun 2017–Jun 2021

Coordinating Producer

Detroit Red Wings
Detroit, MI
  • Directed the concept and production of video content across the Detroit Red Wings, Little Caesars Arena, and The District Detroit.
  • Pioneered and produced The Winged Wheel, the first documentary series in club history. Watch it
  • Managed departmental budgets and capital expenditures alongside the VP of Entertainment Services.
  • Built the live in-arena show and broadcast elements: team opening videos, "Gladiator" features, and green screen personality pieces.
The Red Wings production crew posing on the ice with camera rigs after a game
The crew · Little Caesars Arena
A monitor shows a Red Wings player filmed on a gimbal in a lettered tunnel set
Player intros · Tunnel set
A lone Red Wings player lit on dark ice beneath a giant illuminated logo
Gladiator feature shoot
Three people in hard hats and safety vests on the Little Caesars Arena construction site
Little Caesars Arena · Construction
Dan watching a field monitor during a locker room interview setup
Locker room interviews
Film crew setting up cameras around a Detroit Tigers player at spring training
Detroit Tigers · Spring Training · 2020
Mar 2013–Jun 2017

Multimedia Producer

Detroit Red Wings
Detroit, MI
  • Managed every team digital platform, including DRW.com, social channels, and the team apps, to grow brand awareness, fan participation, and sales.
  • Led all photo and video production for the Red Wings social channels, from hands-on shooting through oversight of all team-branded digital content.
  • Produced and directed a full-length documentary on the final season at Joe Louis Arena. Watch Farewell to the Joe
Dan interviewing a seated Red Wings player in the locker room
Locker room sit-down
Dan filming a player interview in a crowded locker room
Postgame coverage
Dan on an outdoor rink between two Red Wings players
Outdoor game
Dan crouching on the ice with a camera and shotgun mic
On the ice
A lit interview setup with a player on camera and a monitor in the foreground
Interview setup
Two-camera interview setup against a wood wall with a seated subject
Two-camera interview
Jan 2012–Mar 2013

Production Assistant

Detroit Red Wings
Detroit, MI
  • Pioneered the team's digital footprint by launching and running the official Detroit Red Wings Instagram account.
  • Shot and edited a high volume of photo and video: game coverage, player interviews, corporate partner videos, and daily website content.
2007–Fall 2011

DePaul University

Chicago, IL
Graduated Fall 2011

B.A. Digital Cinema Production

  • Pre-production and story. Scriptwriting, storyboards, and production plans, including budgets and schedules.
  • Production and directing. Directing actors, running a set, and leading a crew from concept to completion.
  • Post-production. Non-linear editing, sound design, color correction, and visual effects.

B.A. Cinematography & Photography

  • Visual theory. Composition, color theory, and building mood and tone with light.
  • Camera and lighting. Digital cinema cameras, lenses, and support, plus studio and location lighting.
  • Image capture and processing. Still and motion capture, photo editing, grading, and asset management.
A young Dan photographing on a wide sandy beach lined with palm trees
The early years · 35mm
A silhouette filming over a hazy coastline from a clifftop
The early years · On the coast
Philosophy

How the work gets made

P–01Sun-faded, not distressed

Color and texture feel weathered by light and salt, never grunge. Warmth over wear.

P–02Club, not clique

Insignia, roundels, and index numbers give the archive structure and belonging, with open doors.

P–03The work leads

The system frames images; it never competes with them. Generous whitespace, hairline rules, quiet type.

Skills & Software

The toolkit

Production & Strategy

  • Video production
  • Commercials & brand anthems
  • Documentary production
  • Live streaming
  • Content strategy & branding
  • Business plan development
  • Budgeting & capital expenditures

Software

  • DaVinci Resolve Studio
  • Adobe Premiere Pro & After Effects
  • Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Figma & Notion
  • Google Workspace & Microsoft Office
Behind the Camera

Fifteen years of call times

An operator with a gimbal rig filming a player walking through a red-lit LED tunnel
Red tunnel · Gimbal walk
Dan in a suit walking the red carpet with a camera rig as fans line the barricades
Red carpet · Home opener
Dan monitoring a camera rig beside the ice as a Red Wings player is lit by spotlight
Motion headshots · 2017
An operator on a gimbal films a Red Wings player skating against a green screen on the ice
Green screen · On the ice
Two crew members in safety vests filming the Detroit skyline from the arena construction site
Downtown · Construction years
Dan Mannes operating a cinema camera on a gimbal inside the arena, lit in red
Gimbal work · Little Caesars Arena