LMGI:
THE NEXT
GENERATION
BY PAUL MESSANA
They're young, smart and enthusiastic about
what they do. In this occasional column, KALM
Paul Messana, a Gen Xer himself, talks with the
upcoming generation of location professionals
on the rise.
PROFILE ON: DAVID ZACHARY HEINE
HOME BASE: Austin, Texas
POSITION: Location Manager
PAUL MESSANA: So let's start from the beginning.
Tell me about where you are from and what got you
interested in the industry.
DAVID ZACHARY HEINE: I grew up in Austin, Texas, and
am still based, at least part of the year, in my hometown. I
remember when the famous "Austin City Limits" sign read
population: 200,000. Today, Austin has nearly 1 million
residents. We used to drive by that sign on the way to our
family farm just outside of town.
I was raised in the small neighborhood of Travis Heights
and our family farm. I was into movies and music and
Austin has always been a major cultural hub. I think it
was that combination that led me to a career in location
management.
After high school, I left Austin and headed to Los Angeles
for college. I got into photography at a young age using an
old Canon AE-1. I liked being in the darkroom developing
film. It was a good meditative hobby. That's when it became
a passion for me. I was 1,300 miles away from home with
no real social network. The photographic process became
all-encompassing in my life, and I began to see my horizons
through a creative lens.
Photography led me to UCLA where I studied
anthropology, film & television, and design media arts. At
UCLA, I met a group of colleagues that helped inspire my
love of storytelling. After graduating, a few of us spent
several years writing, directing and producing our own
films. I returned to Texas when I heard the TV series
Friday Night Lights was filming on my family farm.
Photos by David Zachary Heine/LMGI, except where noted