Dan Neves just might be on his way to Hollywood. The Hazelwood resident is part of the production team that was recently honored by the Chicago International Film Festival's television division for his part in producing the pilot episode for a new independent children's television series called Tracking Andy.

A former freelance composer who has studied under the likes of Academy Award winning sound mixer Mark Ulano, Neves currently makes his living doing audio work and recording educational sessions at conferences. He continues to do video and film work in his spare time.

Neves worked on the pilot with the show's producer and star, Andy Meyer. Meyer, a fellow St. Louis County native, said the idea for the show occurred to him during his previous career as a flight attendant.

Whenever he landed in a new city, he explored it and discovered all of the fun and unique family-friendly attractions it had to offer. And since he comes from a family of educators, Meyer figured that Tracking Andy would be his way to contribute to academia.

"It's great for kids and families," Meyer told Patch. "It educates kids, but also entertains them. A lot of teachers love it."

Neves said he met Meyer while they were both production assistants on a shoot for an instructional video.

"We didn't know a lot about each other, but we liked each other's work ethic. Then one day he told me about his idea for a children's television show and said he wanted me to work on it," he said. "That's how I first got involved in the 'Tracking Andy' project."

The show, produced by Aunt Max Entertainment, won the "Best Educational Youth" program award from the Chicago International Film Festival's television division. The pilot episode, shot on location in St. Louis, features area landmarks like the St. Louis Zoo and the City Museum.

An interactive website is being developed as a companion to the show. The site will offer free lesson plans that can be downloaded by teachers and taught in classrooms. Meyer noted that the site's interactive content may also come in handy on family vacations as kids will be able help plan family outings in new cities through information they can download to their handheld devices.

Neves' latest project, a 2009 documentary called Small Town Boy: Real American Hero, is dedicated to the heroes who serve in the United States Military. Neves worked on the film with Meyer and former Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of Ceremonial Detail for the U.S. Marines in the St. Louis area, SSgt Jay Sweet.