MANTRA:

"When you can't get your foot in the door," writer-director Jim Keller says, "build the door."

With this spirit in mind, Keller, with fellow Marylanders Pateric Storck and Alexander Gradet have pooled their creative energy to form the DangerSeekers Film Collective.

HISTORY:

In 1993, Jim and Alex met while performing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in Crownsville, MD. The two became fast friends, and the following year, both pursued film studies at Towson University, where they met fellow student, Pat.

The three shared a common passion for well-made movies, and it didn't take long before they began to collaborate on ideas, some of which they went on to produce, while others continue to languish in that region in the back of the mind where good ideas go to die.

In 1998, after graduating, Alex relocated to Manhattan to pursue his fortune and glory, as did Pat for a brief year, while Jim headed for San Diego the following year.

In 2000, the three, now spread across the map, started a simple website, on which to post their snarky pop culture smear campaigns, which then grew into www.danger-seekers.com, which now features movie reviews, comedic essays, political commentary, celebrity profiles, and soon, web comics.

COLLABORATIONS:

The first official collaboration of the trio was Jim's 1994 script, VAN MOVIE TO BERLIN, on which he and Alex share story credits. VAN MOVIE went into production in 1996, and features Jim, Alex, and Pat, as well as Steve Allen, Mike Flynn, Jessica Ford, and Garret Wright.

In 1995, the three began development on an independently financed cable access sketch comedy show, CHANNEL 68B. Unfortunately, the studio in which this show was to be produced burned down before the first episode could be completed.

Also in 1995, Alex and Pat collaborated on an as-yet-unproduced horror/comedy, SNIPE HUNT MASSACRE.

In 1997, Jim and Pat co-wrote the Star Wars send-up TRILOGY: THE SPECIAL EDITION.

Later that year, Jim was featured in a music video Alex directed as a student project for the Afghan Whigs song "When We Two Parted".

The year 2001 finds the DangerSeekers in preproduction on their first feature-length project, THE DRIVER, written and directed by Jim, with cinematography by Pat, and executive produced by all three.

INDIVIDUAL PROFILES:

JIM KELLER

Born in Maryland in 1974, Jim is a co-founder of the theater group East Pole Productions, and is a former writer and performer for the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

In addition to THE DRIVER, his written works include DSFC's debut production VAN MOVIE TO BERLIN, as well as future projects FOR THE LOVE OF DREW and THE DETERMINATION OF MORTALS.

Jim has also done extensive extra work in such films as MAJOR LEAGUE 2 and the Academy Award-winning FORREST GUMP.

Jim currently lives in Baltimore.

PATERIC STORCK

An avid movie buff and comic collector, Pat Storck has appeared in numerous regional theater productions, as well as in the films CECIL B. DEMENTED, BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2, THE REPLACEMENTS, and FIRST KID.

His written works include SNIPE HUNT MASSACRE, ZOMBIE HIT SQUAD, and AFTER THE PROM, which received favorable reviews upon its submission into HBO and Miramax's Project: Greenlight screenwriting competition.

In the works are TOMORROW WE'LL DIE, LAWN GNOMES, an untitled web cartoon, LIL' DANGERSEEKERS weekly strip, and the novel IMMORTAL. He is also currently the webmaster for the DangerSeekers' websites, in layout, design, images, and maintenance.

Pat also lives in Baltimore.

ALEXANDER GRADET

Born and raised in Baltimore, Alexander Gradet spent many years onstage, performing with the Baltimore Opera Company and the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

His screenplays include an adaptation of John Sayles's short story CHILDREN OF THE SILVER SCREEN, and the award-winning HORN. He also co-wrote, with Bill Hardy and Sean Soth, the script for the award-winning short film, THE TAYLOR PREDICAMENT. In 2000, his script THE MAKERS OF MANNERS was selected as an alternate to the top 250 submissions in the HBO/Miramax Project: Greenlight screenwriting competition.

In addition to his screenplays, he has also won awards for journalism and film criticism, and has recently completed scripts for two upcoming comic books, LOOSE CHANGE and THE ROUTINE ADVENTURES OF HUGH MANN, soon to be featured on danger-seekers.com.

For the past two years, he has worked in the story department of New York-based animation company Blue Sky Studios, on their feature debut, ICE AGE, due in theaters March, 2002.

He is currently in development on an as-yet-untitled independent feature film, to be shot and released in 2003.

Currently, he lives in New York City.