DAN
Born in 2003, Daniel Aleksic was raised in Melbourne, Australia. Growing up he loved watching cartoons, playing on his DS and 3DS, drawing characters from his favourite games, and being with his family.
In 2022, after he graduated high school, he decided to pursue the arts. Specifically his love for illustration and animation, by studying a Bachelors of Animation at the Swinburne University of Technology.
UNIVERSITY
During his initial years of studying animation, he grew a new appreciation for film. Seeing how incredible stories could be told through the medium of animation inspired him, and raised a fire in him to one day be a part of an animated feature film.
Though during his university he grew quite detatched from his work. Feeling as though he had no one around him he could talk to about his interests and motivations.
GAMES
While Dan was studying animation as his major, he took upon some games, and interactive medium, related electives. To Dan, these classes felt very thought-provoking as he was able to engage with topics he was never able to talk about before.
Coming towards the second last year of his degree, Dan found himself in a group project with a few people he had had classes with prior. The course was centred around making a video game with your given group during the entire semester.
During this semester Dan was able to practice his skills he had learnt through his animation course in a group of people who were equally as passionate about their own work.
This inspired him to no end. Making him realise that this is what he really wanted. Not a name on a list of credits, but to work alongside incredible people and create work he can be proud of.
CAPSTONE
At the end of his second last year, after he had finished making his game with his team, Dan was at a crossroads. The group of friends he had made during the year were mostly completing the Bachelors of Games and Interactivity, and were planning on doing their respective capstone next year. Though, as Dan was only doing his Bachelors of Animation, he would've had to work on his own animation capstone next year.
To Dan, this meant having to let go of the group of friends he had been waiting for. A group who would inspire him to be his best. Who would actively push him to work as hard as he could.
So, after an afternoons deliberation, Dan changed his degree from a Bachelors of Animation, to a Bachelors of Games and Interactivity. And since he had already completed the pre-requisites as electives during the past three years he was on track to be a part of the 2025 Games and Interactivity Capstone.
FEED THE DUNGEON
2025 was spent by Dan and his team working together on their Capstone project titled, "Feed the Dungeon".
There was a shared philosphy between the members. Each of them had spent the past three years of their degree learning how to work within their specfic niche, tho majority of them didn't have any physical work that would showcase their skillset, for Dan that meant he didn't have any work he would put into his portfolio. So each of them agreed that this project would be the culmination of their best work. So that everyone woud leave the project feeling personally proud of their own work. In the end, this led them to create Feed the Dungeon.
TOO MANY COOKS and beyond...
After the year was over, and Feed the Dungeon was finished. Dan and his group of friends realised how well they were able to work together and decided that they wanted to hold on to this team they've made.
After a while of consideration, the name "Too Many Cooks" was coined. And under that name the group plans to create many more independent games projects with one another.
As for Dan, he plans to continue to work with his friends at TOO MANY COOKS, as well as working independently on his own work, and helping other creative projects wherever he finds them.
