Trivia

In 2002, his son David, went on a vehicular rampage on the Streets of Isla Vista, a college town near the campus of the University California Santa Barbara, killing 4 people and injuring numerous others. The incident was captured on video tape. On June 12, 2002, he was found guilty of four counts of second-degree murder by a jury; however, he was ruled legally insane and sentenced to be placed in a mental institution instead of receiving a jail sentence.

His student film, "Leon's Case," won the Chicago, San Francisco, and Aspen film festivals.

Awarded 2008 Filmmaker of the Year by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

His wife, Diana, a former assistant to Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), edited Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) novelization, "The Making of The Empire Strikes Back," "The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook," and various children's books based on "Star Wars" characters. She also worked for the American Film Institute and edited a serious of "factfiles" on various film and television topics.

Has helped to fund research into the causes and treatment of mental illness through the Attias Family Foundation.

Keynote Speaker at the 2012 View Conference in Turin, Italy on the subject "Storytelling -- Making the Written Word Come Alive.".

In November, 2014, he conducted directing master classes in Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo as part of NET TV's Netlab conference.

Conducted a Masters Class in Directing offered by the Directors Guild of Canada in conjunction with the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2017.

Dan gave Keynote lectures on directing for television at the 2018 Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta Film Festivals.

He has taught acting classes throughout Los Angeles at various schools and theaters.