Dan Napoli
Dan Napoli is an American documentary filmmaker, director, producer and editor known for his work documenting professional paintball. He is associated with Planet Eclipse's ETV video productions and has directed films about teams including Sacramento XSV, Chicago Aftershock, San Diego Dynasty, Edmonton Impact and San Antonio X-Factor.[1][2]
His paintball productions include Rivalry: The Vicious–XSV Story (2010), the Artifact documentary series, The Roster (2013–2014), Fifteen: San Diego Dynasty (2015), Holy Grail (2017) and Best Kids in Texas (2017).[2][3][4]
Career
[edit]Early work and ETV
[edit]Napoli began documenting paintball during the late 1990s. According to his biography published through Film Independent, he has filmed San Diego Dynasty and members of its predecessor, the IronKids, since 1999.[1]
He subsequently established Disconnected Media, an independent production company involved in sports documentaries and promotional filmmaking.[5]
Napoli became associated with ETV, the video production project operated by British paintball equipment manufacturer Planet Eclipse.
By 2010, he was identified by the manufacturer as ETV's director and producer, overseeing tournament coverage, documentary films and other original programming.[6]
His productions frequently involved professional player and commentator Matty Marshall, who provided narration and interviews.
Rivalry (2010)
[edit]In February 2010, Napoli directed Rivalry: The Vicious–XSV Story, a documentary examining the competition between Omaha Vicious and Sacramento XSV during the 2009 Paintball Sports Promotions season.
The film followed the two organisations as they competed in the semi-professional division, contrasting Vicious's development with XSV's attempts to rebuild following its earlier professional success.
Produced by Planet Eclipse, Understood Clothing and Disconnected Media, the documentary premiered in Omaha, Nebraska, on 6 February 2010.
Matty Marshall narrated the film, which was subsequently included in Planet Eclipse's Emortal 2 DVD release.[2]
Artifact (2010–2012)
[edit]Napoli directed and produced films for Artifact, an ETV documentary series launched in May 2010.
The series followed professional paintball teams through tournament seasons, training programmes and organisational changes.
Productions included films featuring Chicago Aftershock, San Diego Dynasty, San Antonio X-Factor and Omaha Vicious.
One of the series' productions, One Night in November (2012), documented Chicago Aftershock's experiences following the 2010 PSP World Cup and during the subsequent tournament season.[7]
Napoli also directed #RedSunday (2012), which followed Omaha Vicious as the organisation attempted to establish itself in professional competition.
The production involved more than a year of filming and was produced through Disconnected Media in association with Planet Eclipse and Deep Elm Records.[8]
The Roster (2013–2014)
[edit]In 2013, Napoli directed The Roster, a documentary series developed with Planet Eclipse.
The programme followed San Antonio X-Factor during its preseason recruitment and preparation for professional competition.
The initial series documented tryouts involving amateur players seeking positions within the organisation.
It was narrated by Matty Marshall and released online through Planet Eclipse's media channels.[3]
Additional episodes followed the team's 2013 season.
A subsequent production focused on Chicago Aftershock during 2014.[5]
Fifteen: San Diego Dynasty (2015)
[edit]Napoli directed and produced Fifteen: San Diego Dynasty, a feature-length documentary following San Diego Dynasty during its 2015 professional tournament season.
The film examined the team's attempt to maintain its record of winning at least one professional tournament every season since its establishment in 2001.
It featured players including Ryan Greenspan, Oliver Lang, Alex Fraige, Yosh Rau and Marcello Margott.
The production was released on 28 December 2015 and involved Planet Eclipse, Digital Hero Films and Hurrdat.
Matty Marshall provided narration, while Napoli shared editing responsibilities with James Chramosta.[4][9]
Holy Grail (2017)
[edit]Napoli directed Holy Grail, a documentary released on 15 March 2017.
The film followed Canadian professional team Edmonton Impact during its 2016 campaign to win the Paintball World Cup.
It examined the team's competitive development, its relationship with the Yachimec family and its pursuit of a championship that had eluded the organisation despite its other tournament successes.
The film was produced in association with Planet Eclipse and Hurrdat Films, with narration by Matty Marshall.[10]
Best Kids in Texas (2017)
[edit]Napoli also directed and produced Best Kids in Texas, a documentary examining the development of competitive paintball in Texas.
The film explored the origins of San Antonio X-Factor and the relationships between the young players who formed the organisation.
Its subjects included Archie Montemayor, Alex Martinez, Grayson Goff, Ryan Brand and other figures associated with Texas tournament paintball.
The film was originally released in October 2017 and later received wider digital distribution through Gravitas Ventures in 2020.[11][12]
Other paintball films
[edit]Napoli's additional documentary work includes:
- HB10: Surf City Dreams (2013), a film examining the development of the NPPL Huntington Beach tournament and its influence on the presentation of professional paintball.[13]
- The Blue Man (2016), a documentary concerning Michael "Blue" Hanse and his final participation in a tournament associated with his paintball career.[5]
We Could Be a Dynasty
[edit]Napoli is the director, co-writer and executive producer of We Could Be a Dynasty: The Story of the Iron Kids, a documentary about the young Northern California players who subsequently formed San Diego Dynasty.
The project examines the relationships between the original IronKids players and their development into professional competitors.
According to Film Independent, producers include Napoli, Alex Fraige and Oliver Lang.
The production also involves former Dynasty player Brad Maughan, writer Christopher Hass, cinematographer Sami Ansari and photographer Christopher Dilts.[1]
As of October 2026, Film Independent listed the documentary as being in post-production. A confirmed public release had not been established.[1]
Production companies
[edit]Napoli's paintball films have been produced through several companies and partnerships.
His early work involved Disconnected Media and Planet Eclipse, particularly through the ETV and Artifact projects.
He subsequently worked with Hurrdat Films on documentary productions, including Fifteen, Holy Grail and Best Kids in Texas.[4][10][11]
Napoli later established Cinema Hero Films, a documentary production company developing feature films, short films and documentary projects.
The company is associated with We Could Be a Dynasty.[14]
Selected paintball filmography
[edit]| Year | Production | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rivalry: The Vicious–XSV Story | Omaha Vicious and Sacramento XSV |
| 2010–2012 | Artifact | Professional paintball documentary series |
| 2012 | One Night in November | Chicago Aftershock |
| 2012 | #RedSunday | Omaha Vicious |
| 2013–2014 | The Roster | San Antonio X-Factor and Chicago Aftershock |
| 2013 | HB10: Surf City Dreams | NPPL Huntington Beach Open |
| 2015 | Fifteen: San Diego Dynasty | San Diego Dynasty |
| 2016 | The Blue Man | Michael "Blue" Hanse |
| 2017 | Holy Grail | Edmonton Impact |
| 2017 | Best Kids in Texas | San Antonio X-Factor |
| In production | We Could Be a Dynasty: The Story of the Iron Kids | IronKids and San Diego Dynasty |
The table lists selected paintball productions and excludes Napoli's work outside the sport.
See also
[edit]- ETV
- Planet Eclipse
- Matty Marshall
- Patrick Spohrer
- Sina Azmoudeh
- San Diego Dynasty
- Sacramento XSV
- Chicago Aftershock
- Edmonton Impact
References
[edit]- Film Independent – We Could Be a Dynasty: The Story of the Iron Kids. Production information and filmmaker biographies.
- Planet Eclipse – Rivalry. 16 February 2010. Contemporary report identifying Napoli as director.
- Social Paintball – The Roster Featuring San Antonio X-Factor, Episode 1. 21 January 2013.
- Planet Eclipse – Artifact Film Series: Fifteen. Official film credits.
- IMDb – Dan Napoli. Professional biography and filmography.
- Planet Eclipse HQ Blog – October 2010. Contemporary announcement identifying Napoli as ETV producer and director.
- Paintball Dirt – The Top Paintball Films. Brandon Olson. Retrospective discussion of Napoli's Artifact productions.
- Planet Eclipse – ETV's #RedSunday. 25 September 2012.
- Hurrdat Sports – Fifteen. Official production details and film credits.
- GuideDoc – Holy Grail. Documentary synopsis and director credits.
- Hurrdat Sports – Best Kids in Texas. Official production information and original release date.
- Apple TV – Best Kids in Texas. Film credits and 2020 digital release information.
- IMDbPro – HB10: Surf City Dreams. Film credits and release information.
- Cinema Hero Films – Official Website. Information concerning Napoli's documentary production company.