Producer – Executive Producer
Daniel Jason Heffner
(818) 789-3035 - Fax: (818)
789-0213
E-Mail: DanHeffner@earthlink.net
Daniel Jason Heffner attended Ithaca College School of Communications
and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications in 1978. Upon
graduating, Mr. Heffner worked as a Stage Manager and Production
Assistant on the Academy Award winning film "Kramer vs. Kramer"
, and then as a Research Assistant to Milos Forman on "Ragtime".
In January of 1980 Mr. Heffner moved to Los Angeles and
became a member of the Directors Guild of America as a Second
Assistant Director. He has worked in this capacity on such films as: "Personal Best",
the Academy Award winning "An
Officer And A Gentleman" (cost $12 mil - gross $129.8 mil
domestic), "Richard
Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip", and the critically acclaimed "The Big Chill" (cost
$9 mil - gross $56.1 mil domestic). In 1982 he went to work for Columbia
Pictures, working on various projects as a Production Manager and a First
Assistant Director.
Mr. Heffner's Executive career began in August of 1985,
when he was selected to be the first Production Executive for the newly
restructured film division of the Walt Disney Studios. In this capacity
he was instrumental in the rebuilding of the studios feature production
division, serving on the studios New Technologies and Facilities Expansion
committees. As a Production Executive, Mr. Heffner oversaw the
production of the following projects:
"The Color Of Money", directed by Martin
Scorsese starring Paul
Newman and Tom Cruise, filmed on location in
Chicago (cost $14.4 mil - gross $52.3 mil domestic). "Tough Guys", which
was the final collaboration of Kirk
Douglas and the late Burt
Lancaster. "Adventures In Babysitting",
the directorial debut of Chris
Columbus, starring Elizabeth
Shue, filmed on location in Toronto and Chicago
(cost $9.5 mil - gross $34.2 mil domestic). "Three Men And A Baby",
directed by Leonard
Nimoy starring Tom
Selleck, Ted Danson, and Steve
Guttenberg, filmed on location in Toronto and New
York City (cost $14.7 mil - gross 167.8 mil domestic).
During his tenure at Disney, Mr. Heffner was called upon
to Line Produce "Cocktail",
directed by Roger
Donaldson starring Tom Cruise, Elizabeth
Shue, and Bryan
Brown, filmed on location in New York City, Jamaica,
and Toronto (cost $15.9 mil - gross $77.2 mil domestic). As well as "The Good Mother",
directed by Leonard Nimoy starring Diane
Keaton and Liam
Neeson, filmed on location in Toronto and Boston, Mr.
Heffner also served as the 1st Assistant Director on this
film.
In 1988, promoted to Vice President of Production,
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, a division of The Walt Disney
Company, Mr. Heffner was charged with the creation and operation of the Buena
Vista Pictures Production Division. Including both production and finance
personnel, this division started with 5 employees in 1988 and grew to over 35
employees by the end of 1991. During this period he was responsible for the
production of over 25 pictures, including the highly successful "Ernest" series as
well as "Mr. Destiny"
directed by James Orr
starring Jim
Belushi. "Deceived" directed
by Damian
Harris starring Goldie
Hawn. "The
Hand That Rocks The Cradle" directed by Curtis Hanson starring Rebecca De Mornay and Annabella Sciorra (cost $12.8
mil - gross $87.5 mil domestic), as well as "Wild Hearts Can't Be
Broken", "White
Fang", "Where The
Heart Is", "Spaced
Invaders", "Shipwrecked",
"Paradise", "Homeward Bound: The Incredible
Journey", "Green
Card", and "Betsy's
Wedding".
In November of 1991 in order to pursue a career as an Independent
Producer, Mr. Heffner left The Walt Disney Company.
Since then he has served as Co-Executive Producer and Production
Manager of "Holy Matrimony"
directed by Leonard Nimoy starring Patricia Arquette, filmed on location in Great
Falls, Montana; Co-Producer and First Assistant Director on Fred Dryer’s
"Highway 395", filmed in Lone Pine California; First Assistant Director on “Winter Break”, filmed
in Aspen Colorado; First Assistant
Director on ACI/American Cinema, Inc’s “Killer Buzz” filmed
entirely in Brazil; Co-Producer on
Walt Disney Pictures “George
Of The Jungle 2”, filmed in Queensland, Australia; Co-Producer and First
Assistant Director on Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate Films “Saw”; Producer
on Fox Television Studios MOW/Pilot “Anonymous Rex” for the Sci
Fi Channel; Line Producer on “Checking Out”
for Full Circle Productions, LP; Co-Producer
on Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate “Saw II”;
Executive Producer on Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate “Saw III”; Co-Producer on “P2” for Summit
Entertainment; Executive Producer on Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate “Saw IV”; Executive Producer on Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate “REPO! The Genetic Opera”;
Executive Producer on Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate “Saw V”, “Saw VI” and “Saw VII”
Mr.
Heffner is, currently in development for Serendipity Productions, Inc. as Producer on “The Devil Takes Tomorrow”, “The Delicate
Skin”, and “The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats”.
