Background
Dan Kolen is a writer and video producer. Each story is approached with ambition and an eye for detail, making projects work no matter the constraints.
For more than a decade, Kolen has worked in film, TV, and advertising as a Producer. From PBS documentary programming on aging and retirement, to CNBC documentaries on financial crime, to political advertising for candidates nationwide, to work premiering on Showtime, Kolen has worked on large-scale, big budget productions with national and international distribution.
In 2012, Kolen applied this production experience to businesses and non-profits. They needed a high quality look, and they needed it on budget, and he started DKMedia. Creating material for a wide array of clients, DKMedia has creating lasting relationships and produced work that’s screened and streamed across a wide array of platforms and published in a variety of publications.
Email address: dkolen@gmail.com
Film, TV, & Advertising Experience
American Cancer Society - Documentary shorts (2019) - Yellowing Productions - Producer
BIO - The Abduction of Jaycee Dugard (2012) - Kurtis Productions - Associate Producer
CNBC - American Greed: Deadly Rich, 6 episodes (2018) - Kurtis Productions - Story Producer, Field Producer, Associate Producer
CNBC - Crime Inc.: Stolen Goods (2011) - Kurtis Productions - Co-Producer
CNBC - Crime Inc.: Illegal Gambling (2009), Counterfeit Goods (2010), Human Trafficking (2011), Prescription Drugs (2011) - Kurtis Productions - Associate Producer
History - Gangland: One Blood (2008) - Towers Productions - Associate Producer
The Onion - EDGE (2015) - Onion Productions - Production Manager
OWN - Development (2012) - Kinetic Content - Casting Associate
Political - US Senate, House, and State Senate Races (2012, 2014, 2016) - AL Media - Producer
PBS - Retirement Revolution (2008, 2009) - Boyer Productions/WTTW - Producer and Assistant Producer
Showtime - Dead Draw (2017) - Rocket3 - Producer
Weather - Weather Changed History: Nagasaki (2008) - Towers Productions - Associate Producer
Writing
AGD Impact - The Latest in Eco-Friendly Dentistry - May, 2020
Mountain Rose Herbs - Our Story - October, 2017
Chicago Gazette - Law Makes it Difficult to Recall Governor, pg 1, pg 2 - June, 2016
AGD Impact - Dream Team - August, 2019
Social Media Projects
Ada S. McKinley (produced by Rick Roberts, Horizons Communications Group) - Whatever He Wants to Be (2018), Thank You (2018), Head Start PSAs (2017), People’s Gas Days of Service (2016), Revey Sorey Trunk Scholarship (2016), HSBC’s Rebuilding Chicago (2016)
AgArts - Farm-to-Artist Residency (2019)
City of Eugene, Oregon - (sub)Urban Projections (2015)
Council for Library and Information Resources - OpenLab: Ignite (2016)
Degerberg Academy of Martial Arts - 10th Degree Promotion Ceremony for Grand Master Fred Degerberg (2015)
Hutchinson, Cox - More than a dozen videos about the firm and the attorneys (2012-2019)
International Herb Symposium - Promo video for virtual herbalism platform (2023)
Lake Forest College - Digital Chicago (2016-18)
Mountain Rose Herbs - How We Do Sustainability (2018), Protecting At-Risk Botanicals (2018), Essential Oils (2018), Life of an Order (2017), Our Story (2017), Our Farms (2017), and Our Quality (2017)
Maine Township High School District 207 - More than 100 storytelling, profile, and news videos 2019-ongoing.
Sacred Space International (produced by Rick Roberts, Horizons Communications Group) - Sacred Spaces (2014), Parliament of the World’s Religions video (2015), Six Models of the Parliament (2018)
United Security (produced by Rick Roberts, Horizons Communications Group) - United Security Services, Inc. Trade Show Group (2015)
W.W. Norton - More than 100 videos for Psychology in Your Life, editions 1-3 (2013-2019)