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This Life: Screen dream
DANNY Lacey is on a mission to establish himself as a respected film-maker and win an Oscar within the next three years.
He's raising 10,000 to finance his new short film Love Like Hers which begins shooting in September.
The former DJ is chronicling the ups and downs of the project on his blog, which shows the public every step of the process.
The 34-year-old was born in Tingley near Wakefield and now lives in Upper Batley with his girlfriend Jacqui Blay, a presenter on radio station The Pulse. Interview by Grant Woodward.
I'm lucky to have done quite a lot of things in my life that I'm proud of. I had a great radio career that lasted 17 years at various stations across the region and now I'm running a multimedia production company. Everything I've done is self-taught, I've never been to university or college to be told how to do it.
The one thing I couldn't live without is Twitter.
Everything I do at the moment is pretty much through Twitter, especially when it comes to raising money for the film.
James Caan from Dragons' Den has started following me on there, he heard about what I was doing through someone who knows someone who knows someone else.
He hasn't given me any money yet though. I'll have to keep pestering him.
It can surprise people when I tell them I'm aiming to win an Oscar within the next three years.
Some might think I'm living in cloud cuckoo land but those following my journey will understand where I'm coming from and believe I've got what it takes.
I'm not saying I definitely will win one, but you've got to aim high.
My first job when I left school was working for Kays catalogue in Holbeck.
It was my job to source the orders that came in, but after a day-and-a-half I realised it really wasn't for me.
A big turning point in my life was when I was walking down one of the aisles and decided I had to do something different.
I was the last voice ever heard on Radio Topshop in Leeds, although I'm not sure if that's a claim to fame or not.
Before I left school I had my own mobile disco and then did hospital radio from the top floor of a mental hospital in Wakefield.
I joined Radio Topshop just as Chris Moyles was leaving for Radio Luxembourg.
I was the last one in and the last one out when it closed. After that I started work at Radio Aire doing night-time shows and filling in for people when they were off.
My childhood was brilliant fun. It basically involved hanging out with lots of my cousins and always being outdoors, playing in the streets and stuff.
One of my favourite things when I was younger was going to the car boot sale at Cross Green every Sunday with my dad.
We'd go looking for records for my mobile disco and compete over who could get them the cheapest.
My first kiss was with our little pet dog, called Major.
He was a Collie who looked a lot like Lassie. I think we called him Major after Lee Majors, who was Steve Austin in the Six Million Dollar Man.
It was a very wet kiss as I remember.
I don't ever really relax. I'm working 13-hour days at the moment on Love Like Hers, which is a psychological thriller.
We're scouting for locations at the moment and have just found a fantastic garden in Alwoodley for one of the scenes.
When I do get the odd moment to relax I tend to sit in front of the TV with my girlfriend and watch a DVD or something.
Either that or go and catch up with my dad at Bertie's Diner, the 50s-style American diner he owns in Morley.
The best piece of advice I've ever had is probably a bit of an old clich but it's that if you believe in something you should just go for it. It's something that has rung true throughout my adult life.
My favourite joke is one I heard Peter Kay tell.
What do Mexicans have under their carpets?
Underlay, underlay!
My philosophy on life is that everything happens for a reason and there is no such thing as 'You can't'.
As a kid I always wanted to make films but other stuff got in the way. A couple of years ago I decided this was the right time to do it.
If I've wanted to do something I've always gone out and done it.
If I could meet anyone it would have to be Steven Spielberg, before he or I die.
He was the inspiration behind me wanting to become a film-maker. I remember watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind and thinking, 'Wow, that's what I want to do.'
I would just love to meet him and pick his brains.
The last time I cried would probably be the last time I checked my bank balance.
I was warned when I started this that you can't expect to make any money for a long, long time.
I've put a lot of my own money into this film but I was very clear that I didn't want to take out bank loans, credit cards and that kind of thing.
To raise the 10,000 I need to make the film we've used crowd funding, which is where you ask people to make donations.
We've just had a 5,000 donation from someone who has been following my progress for a while. He read the screenplay and liked it enough to give us some money.
It's given us a huge boost and made us believe we can do it.
l To follow Danny Lacey's progress visit www.dannylaceyfilm.co.uk.
FAVOURITE THINGS
Food: Sunday roast
Holiday: Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon
TV: Lost, Lie To Me and Dragons' Den
Star sign: Taurus
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