ABOUT

Dan Counihan is a writer-director whose work focuses on character-driven storytelling, with a particular emphasis on romantic comedy and intimate, human-scale narratives. He's currently based in Los Angeles and developing feature and series projects centered on sharp dialogue, emotional realism, and stories about people at turning points in their lives.

Across his projects, Dan is interested in men at inflection points: stalled careers, unresolved relationships, and the tension between who they were supposed to become and who they actually are. The tone is grounded, performance-first, and built around emotional accountability and unfinished business.

Alongside his writing and directing, Dan is the Head of Production at NativeFour, where he oversees the company's commercial production department and manages a slate of domestic and international shoots. He has led production for campaigns for brands including Apple, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Jeep, Ram Trucks, Lincoln, Rivian, Kia, Nissan, Mazda, Genesis, Land Rover, Air Canada, Equinox, Mandarin Oriental, Corona, Stella Artois, Anheuser-Busch, Jägermeister, Sony, DJI, and more - work that spans large-scale automotive, lifestyle, and global brand storytelling.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dan brings a blue-collar approach to filmmaking, shaped by a deep respect for logistics, crews, and the realities of getting ambitious work made. He is a graduate of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he began developing his voice as a filmmaker before moving into high-level commercial production and freelance filmmaking.

While he continues to lead production at scale in the commercial space, Dan's primary focus is writing and directing, with a growing body of work centered on emotionally precise, performance-driven storytelling - and a long-term shift toward directing features and series full-time.

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