We recently connected with Dane Morck and have shared our conversation below.

Dane, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Growing up, the arts were more of an outlet and just what I gravitated towards in my free time. So there was always a sense of wanting to do something later in life, but I’d say athletics were consistently at the forefront. I’d enter art contests during the summer, design the covers of my friends binders with comic panels, and my Mom even helped me write the company Hasbro when I was 10 because they hadn’t built a certain Star Wars toy just yet. Full blue prints and all.

As a lot of athletes experience, I had somewhat of an identity crisis once sports ended, knowing something would need to fill this new hole in my life. This took me back to the arts fully and that’s when I would say I really committed. I was exploring courses and college with a better sense of direction, not knowing sports would still play a critical role in my creative career in the future. My oldest sister worked on the show “Hollywood Squares,” and I remember always thinking how special that was at such a young age. That always stuck, and when I got back to LA I reached out to some of her old connections to help steer me through the early industry days.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m an LA native, graduating from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in 2005. Sports were the focus for most of us who grew up in that community; but my parents always kept my sisters and I involved in any creative endeavors we took interest in. I’d go on to attend and play football at Washington State University, but when athletics came to an end after a couple years, I became committed to try and understand the larger creative canvas and where I fit in; taking a range of journalism, film, and theater courses. I’d graduate in 2009 and move back to Los Angeles.
My first job was as a production assistant for Vin DiBona on two seasons of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” I’d eventually go on to become development coordinator at DiBona’s production company Fishbowl Worldwide Media, which is where I truly learned how to produce. I left that job with a much better understanding on how to develop formats, cut sizzles, cast, and frankly how to just navigate an ever evolving business.

I went independent in 2016, and it was then I co-developed and sold Animal Planet’s “Into Alaska,” a nature documentary series putting a focus on the Alaskan wildlife refuge system. That same year I would also meet NFL veteran and my future producing partner Spencer Paysinger. We spoke about growing up in Los Angeles, Bay League football, and the stark difference in neighboring communities across LA. Although the first night we met, it was through this conversation we would conceptualize the general idea for what would become The CW’s and Netflix’s #1 show “All American.” Development on the show would then last for two years, premiering in fall of 2018 and now entering its sixth season with a spinoff entitled ”All American: Homecoming.”

We formed Moore Street Productions in 2019. Our vision since day one was always to be a leading production company at the intersection of both sports and community. Sports content has clearly been a north star, but through our work I feel we’ve used sports more as a catalyst for social progress, bridging divides, and for telling stories that put an emphasis on raw human connection. We’ve been able to produce content across film, TV, and digital; including the recent HBO documentary “BS High,” Sublime’s music video for “Smoke Two Joints,” and the 2022 Oscar shortlisted film “Panorama” with our frequent collaborators The Sunflower Pictures. Our follow up film  “Leaves of Glass” is set to make its festival debut this fall.

Most recently, we were tasked to create and teach a creative arts curriculum for the Los Angeles Unified School District alongside Forest Lake Community Club. We will host a series of workshops throughout the 2023-2024 school year, as well as provide a list of art resources accessible to the students throughout the greater Los Angeles area. This fall we will also be co-producing a new sports and entertainment podcast alongside iHeart Media and sports personality Michael Smith’s Inflection Point Entertainment; as well as an upcoming collaboration with world renown soccer club Real Madrid and former NFL star and current personality Julian Edelman.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I decided to go independent, my general routine and life in general required a drastic shift.  I was a mid level development executive at that point, and the choice wasn’t ideal professionally or financially – but was necessary.

I became a dog walker and task runner across Los Angeles from 2016-2018. I’d use the mornings and evenings for just that, while opening up my mid-day for development. This gave me creative freedom when it came to my own projects and pursuits, but was also barely enough to go month to month that long in Mar Vista. My main goal was being able to work on what I really cared about, and thankfully some projects got to where they did – but I think most within this business would agree it’s quite a humbling experience when trying to gain and then maintain that sense of creative freedom. I’ve learned to sit in every little win just a bit longer now, knowing nothing has come easy with such an unconventional trajectory.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I co-wrote a stage play my junior year of college. A joke hit, and the audience responded. That reaction alone was a new but also euphoric feeling. Even if it was just a one liner in a play, seeing your creative work being appreciated in real time is a very human moment. It’s been a true privilege to be able to continue to tell stories and experience that at this level.
One thing I have never taken for granted are the stories and personalities that fill my day to day. Each project brings its own sensibility, and with that comes a new world experience. These are the conversations you often don’t see, and although some of these shared ideas are fleeting, it’s still the inception of a common goal and in some cases the start of a new friendship. Perspective is both essential and specific when it comes to telling stories in the most organic way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moorestreet.co/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/danemorck

Image Credits
Josh Telles Kyle Braaten.