Dominic Anciano
Encyclopedia
Dominic Anciano is an English
producer, actor
, director, writer
and comedian
best known for his role as Sgt. Dominic de Sade in the British
comedy television series Operation Good Guys
.
His first notable work was in the pioneering days of the pop and rock videos, when he wrote, produced and directed a significant number of award winning shorts. His first foray into feature films was with Philip Ridley
's The Reflecting Skin where he was the producer along with Ray Burdis. Dominic produced The Krays
, also written by Philip Ridley and starring Gary and Martin Kemp.
This film was one of the most successful, both critically and financially, in the UK indie industry, winning BAFTAS and The Evening Standard's best film award along with numerous other awards.
In 1995 Dominic produced The Passion of Darkly Noon
. Co-financed by the UK, Germany and Belgium this film attracted big American stars in the form of Brendan Fraser
and Ashley Judd
and went on to become a cult hit in the festival circuit, winning several awards, including Best Director at the Porto Film Festival. 1995 also saw Anciano step away from the arthouse fold to work on Stephen Norrington
's Death Machine
, where he also made a cameo appearance as a corpse is a restaurant!!
In 1997,Anciano and Burdis turned to their own creations - jointly writing, directing
, producing
and starring in the TV series Operation Good Guys
. Anciano appeared as Sgt. Dominic de Sade (the first of several productions where he would cast himself using his own forename) and Burdis appeared as Det. Sgt. Ash.
Operation Good Guys was seen as a ground breaking series for the BBC and won the coverted Silver Rose D'or and Prix de la presse at Montreux.
Dominic went on to Write, produce and direct three successful seasons.
Anciano then turned his attentions to the world of film.
Taking the award winning formula of Operation Good Guys, he then co wrote produced and directed "The Final Cut" which starred Jude Law and Sadie Frost. Using a unique approach to film making with improvisation and video techniques, the film caught the imagination of the critics and film festivals. The Guardian called the Final Cut "Genius" and the film showed at Cannes.
The next year Anciano/Burdis was approached by the BBC to write, produce and direct "Love Honour and Obey" a comedy/drama based in the dark world of London's criminal gangs.
Although not loved by the British critics the film went onto be one of the financially most successful in the Brit indie scene of that year.
Both films had a stella cast including Jude Law,Jonny Lee Miller, Ray Winstone, Rhys Ifans and Sean Pertwee.
Since 2001 Anciano has directed and written a number of TV productions. Moving away from comedy and into action/drama he has written several TV screenplays along with film scripts that have been successfully sold around the world.
In 2006 Dominic became the creative director for Warner Music Entertainment, which heralded his move into new media.
Anciano still continues to write and direct and lives in Spain and London.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
producer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
best known for his role as Sgt. Dominic de Sade in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy television series Operation Good Guys
Operation Good Guys
Operation Good Guys is a British mockumentary, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series about an elite police unit's bid to snare one of Britain's most powerful crime lords. It was first screened on BBC Two from 1997 - 2000. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, it witnesses, on camera, the total...
.
His first notable work was in the pioneering days of the pop and rock videos, when he wrote, produced and directed a significant number of award winning shorts. His first foray into feature films was with Philip Ridley
Philip Ridley
Philip Ridley is a British artist working with various media.- Biography :Ridley was born in Bethnal Green, in the East End of London, where he still lives and works. He studied painting at St. Martin’s School of Art and his work has been exhibited throughout Europe and Japan...
's The Reflecting Skin where he was the producer along with Ray Burdis. Dominic produced The Krays
The Krays (film)
The Krays is a 1990 film based on the lives and crimes of the British gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, twins who are often referred to as The Krays...
, also written by Philip Ridley and starring Gary and Martin Kemp.
This film was one of the most successful, both critically and financially, in the UK indie industry, winning BAFTAS and The Evening Standard's best film award along with numerous other awards.
In 1995 Dominic produced The Passion of Darkly Noon
The Passion of Darkly Noon
The Passion of Darkly Noon is a 1995 film written and directed by Philip Ridley, starring Brendan Fraser in the title role, and co-starring Ashley Judd and Viggo Mortensen.-Cast:*Brendan Fraser... Darkly Noon*Ashley Judd... Callie...
. Co-financed by the UK, Germany and Belgium this film attracted big American stars in the form of Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
and Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes...
and went on to become a cult hit in the festival circuit, winning several awards, including Best Director at the Porto Film Festival. 1995 also saw Anciano step away from the arthouse fold to work on Stephen Norrington
Stephen Norrington
Stephen Norrington is a British film director whose credits include Death Machine and the comic book adaptations Blade and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.-Life and career:...
's Death Machine
Death Machine
Death Machine is a 1994 science-fiction action horror film written and directed by Stephen Norrington.-Plot:The film opens in a demolished roadside diner, everyone inside has been slaughtered by a malfunctioning secret project codenamed Hardman. It was manufactured by Chaank, a megacorporation that...
, where he also made a cameo appearance as a corpse is a restaurant!!
In 1997,Anciano and Burdis turned to their own creations - jointly writing, directing
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, producing
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and starring in the TV series Operation Good Guys
Operation Good Guys
Operation Good Guys is a British mockumentary, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series about an elite police unit's bid to snare one of Britain's most powerful crime lords. It was first screened on BBC Two from 1997 - 2000. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, it witnesses, on camera, the total...
. Anciano appeared as Sgt. Dominic de Sade (the first of several productions where he would cast himself using his own forename) and Burdis appeared as Det. Sgt. Ash.
Operation Good Guys was seen as a ground breaking series for the BBC and won the coverted Silver Rose D'or and Prix de la presse at Montreux.
Dominic went on to Write, produce and direct three successful seasons.
Anciano then turned his attentions to the world of film.
Taking the award winning formula of Operation Good Guys, he then co wrote produced and directed "The Final Cut" which starred Jude Law and Sadie Frost. Using a unique approach to film making with improvisation and video techniques, the film caught the imagination of the critics and film festivals. The Guardian called the Final Cut "Genius" and the film showed at Cannes.
The next year Anciano/Burdis was approached by the BBC to write, produce and direct "Love Honour and Obey" a comedy/drama based in the dark world of London's criminal gangs.
Although not loved by the British critics the film went onto be one of the financially most successful in the Brit indie scene of that year.
Both films had a stella cast including Jude Law,Jonny Lee Miller, Ray Winstone, Rhys Ifans and Sean Pertwee.
Since 2001 Anciano has directed and written a number of TV productions. Moving away from comedy and into action/drama he has written several TV screenplays along with film scripts that have been successfully sold around the world.
In 2006 Dominic became the creative director for Warner Music Entertainment, which heralded his move into new media.
Anciano still continues to write and direct and lives in Spain and London.
External links
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0025823/