Dan Nelson has always been blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit. He acted as student liaison for his high school district representing 14,000 students, was a member of the board of trustees and vice-president in the student government for college. In addition, Dan was involved in the California Jaycees and received their statewide achievement award and numerous other scholarships.

In 1984, Dan started Nelson Productions in San Jose, CA which produced over 500 shows on the West Coast, as well as booking musical talent throughout the country. Dan later developed MegaScreen, Inc., which purchased rights for the largest projection system in the world and developed new film technology. In addition to all of this, Dan has been coordinating events throughout the Bay Area for over fifteen years.

In 1988 Dan put this talent to the test when he founded GYRO, the non-profit Global Youth Resource Organization. Dan saw the need for a foundation dedicating to raising funds to fight adolescent substance abuse as well as for other youth-related programs. This need, combined with his ability to generate corporate and community support, has resulted in sixteen years of haunted attraction events. In its first eleven years as a non-profit organization, over $1,000,000 in cash and in-kind contributions for local charities were raised. Dan was able to bring together volunteers, celebrities and politicians to make these events a huge success. In addition to having the haunted attractions in the Bay Area for sixteen years and in Sacramento for seven years, he has expanded to include a haunted house in San Francisco. GYRO was hired by MGM Grand in Las Vegas to design, construct, and run two haunted houses for their annual Halloween Scream Park. The success of the operations in the San Jose area, Sacramento, San Francisco and Las Vegas has brought the organization to new heights.

In 1999, Dan's company purchased all the rights and assets of GYRO and started a for profit operation. Monster Magic was formed to expand the haunted attraction operation. In 2001, Monster Magic signed a partnership agreement with Paramount's Great America to sponsor events in the Bay Area. In 2002, GYRO had its largest attendance to date in its Sacramento location. In 2004, Monster Magic produced one of the largest haunted attractions ever in San Francisco.

In his studio, charming, and confident Make-up Effects Artist Rob Burman is surrounded by a plethora of fantastical displays ranging from twisted bodies and rotting skeletons, to the much more glamorous work consisting of ultra-realistic animal puppets, and ferocious creatures. In a large jar sits a severed head, an exact replica of the man himself.

He is one of Hollywood's beloved special effects artists and an idol to a new generation of up and coming talents looking to carve their own niche in the entertainment industry. Aspiring artists from around the country gather at his studio to learn from his twenty-plus years of experience. In addition he has written, directed and starred in his own line of training videos entitled "The Video Guide To Special Make-up Effects" to aid these young hopefuls.

His family background includes five Make-up Artists, several Propmakers and Scenic Artists. His early childhood memories consist of watching his father, Tom Burman, create work for films like "Planet Of The Apes" and television shows such as, "Lost In Space". With than kind of background he found it only natural that he should continue in the same line of work. Starting out assisting on films like "Cat People" at his father's studio he soon moved on to projects like "The Thing", "Ghostbusters" and the 1985 Academy Award winner, "The Fly".

His own mother, Sandra Burman, founded Burman Industries, Inc. There they supply a wide variety of materials to the entire Make-up Effects industry world wide. Rob, along with his wife, and business partner Jennifer E. McManus, are currently involved in creating a line of "professional quality" prosthetics for retail sale through Burman Industries and other make-up companies.

With a reputation for quality craftsmanship, Rob's talents have been utilized on well over 200 projects within the film, television, video and commercial industries. In 1994 Rob and Jennifer (who is also a Costume Designer) joined forces in founding Sticks & Stones. There they provide make-up effects, costumes, props, and puppets with a flare unequaled in these industries. Films like "Water World", "Super Mario Brothers", "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", and "Disney's Flubber" have all discovered the magic that is available to them at Sticks & Stones.

When asked what he likes to do best, this experienced professional replies, "What do you need?"