About
Professional Background
Dan Styles is a seasoned stunt coordinator, fight arranger, sword master, and action designer, enjoying over 300 productions across film, television, theatre, mocap, and live events, and performing in many more. His credits are rich with experience in fight choreography, coordination, wire work, burns, vehicle stunts, and the traditional bumps, trips and falls of stunt work.
Notably, Dan's role as stunt/fight coordinator for 'Avengement,' starring Scott Adkins, earned high praise and a Taurus World Stunt Award nomination for Best Fight.
Early Influences and Training
Dan's journey into the world of stunts and action design began in his childhood. Inspired by iconic shows like ‘Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' and 'The A-Team,' he recreated fight scenes and shootouts in the playground, unknowingly setting the stage for his future career. His passion for history, particularly military history, and combat, saw him train in fencing, reenactment fighting, and with the air cadets, where he learned firearms handling, military drill, and even flying planes.
Acting, Filmmaking and Combat Arts
Dan's formal understanding of choreography began when he was introduced to stage combat in high school. He choreographed his first fight scene for a GCSE drama project at 15. He continued his studies in Media at college, writing, directing, editing, and performing in various video productions, all featuring some form of action. His weekends were often spent shooting fight scenes and short films with fellow students.
Initially pursuing a career in acting, Dan began performing in theatre at 16, complementing his interest in combat arts with training in stage combat, boxing, martial arts, historical European martial arts (HEMA), and firearms handling. His extensive and diverse training allowed him to excel and incorporate these skills into his acting work across film, theatre, and live events, many of which he also choreographed.
Professional Developmen
Dan's career evolved through a two-year apprenticeship with the British Academy of Dramatic Combat (BADC), where he trained under various fight directors and stage combat instructors. This period enriched his understanding of stagecraft and storytelling, working with actors, and a variety of weapons and styles, equipping him to create authentic and meaningful physical stories. As a BADC-qualified instructor, Dan began coordinating fights and stunts across all media. He continued to expand his skills in high falls, fire stunts, vehicle stunts, and wire work.
During this time Dan continued to write and produce his own short films. He also spent many years as a theatre director’s assistant and often directing scenes and even entire shows himself.
Career Highlights
Dan's impressive resume includes performing in major productions like 'Vikings,' 'Vikings Valhalla.', 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,' 'The Witcher: Blood Origin,' 'Mary Queen of Scots,' 'Thor: The Dark World,' 'Kingsman,' 'Captain America,' 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' 'Avengers: Age of Ultron,' 'Guardians of The Galaxy 2,' 'Maleficent,' 'Cinderella,' and 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.'
Leadership and Directing
Recently, Dan has transitioned into roles as an Action Director and 2nd Unit Director, with aspirations to further his career into directing. His background in acting, directing, writing provides a robust foundation in character development and storytelling. This unique perspective enables him to approach scripts with a keen understanding of narrative arcs and beats, discussing action in terms of its purpose and contribution to story development.
Dan’s experience as an actor provides a unique insight into an actors’ process and language to be able to effectively communicate blocking and choreography in terms of intention and motivation and help the actor achieve those deep and heightened emotions of violence and action.
Instruction and Training
As a stage and screen combat instructor, Dan has had innumerable hours of experience training actors, focusing on safety, effectiveness, and empowering them to perform confidently and authentically. He has developed countless choreographies, in a variety of styles, with and without weapons, all adapted to the actors' unique needs. He has then directed many of these fight scenes including blocking, dialogue, and physical performance. Dan's expertise as a fight instructor also led him to training actors on ‘Underworld: Blood Wars’, 'The Woman King' and 'Renfield.'
Dan is also co-director of ID Fight, a training provider specializing in action performance for actors and stunt performers. ID Fight offers training in stage and screen combat, firearms, wire work, driving, horse riding, and falls and reactions.
Expertise in Historical and Modern Combat
Dan's deep knowledge of history, weapons, battle strategy and tactics, cultural fighting styles, and weapon employment and handling, allows him to offer directors and writers authentic and historically accurate action design options. His expertise spans from ancient civilizations to modern combat, providing depth and authenticity to historical battles and duels.
Industry Collaboration
Dan has collaborated with major studios and networks, including Universal, Tristar, Netflix, Sony, WWE Studios, ITV, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Yesterday Channel, FitBit, Ninja Warrior, Surf, Listerine, One Plus, UniLad, KSI, The Sidemen, Lilly Allen, Eliza Doolittle, LadyHawke, A$AP Rocky, The National Theatre, The RSC, The Globe Theatre, The Royal Festival Hall, English National Opera/The London Coliseum, and The Soho Theatre.
Comprehensive Services
Dan offers detailed script breakdowns, budgets and risk assessments. He can provide stunt pre-visualization, and action design from script level where required. His experience with new technologies and challenging locations equips him to handle creative troubleshooting and collaborate effectively with creative teams to achieve desired effects efficiently.
Professional Associations and Certifications
Equity Member
£10 million Public Liability Insurance
ITV Approved Contractor
Trained in Health and Safety and Risk Assessing
First Aid Trained
DBS Checked