Daniel studied animation at the West Surrey College of Art, graduating in 1980. After graduation he worked as a freelance animator before founding Tandem with his business partner, Nigel Pay. His third film, Manipulation (1992), won the Oscar for Best Animated Short and the Cartoon d'Or. His follow up film, a co-production with the BBC, Flatworld (1997), was nominated for a BAFTA and won over 30 international awards; Little Things (2004) was nominated for a BAFTA and won over 25 international awards. During his long career, Daniel has produced and directed hundreds of commercials.