05/20/2026
The inaugural Dan Heffner Producing Award was launched to fund student productions pitched and led by rising seniors.
Dan Heffner '78 is a producer most well-known for his work on the SAW movie franchise. He spends a week each semester on campus as a guest lecturer in classes and personal mentor to students. It was his wish to acknowledge and uplift student producers with this award.
Rising seniors were asked to apply by submitting a project they wished to produce (written by someone else). To be eligible, students must have either a) project management; b) program development; c) producing experience at the 300-level.
After reading many applications, three finalists were asked to make a formal pitch to the award committee.
Payton Adams '27 is the recipient of the inaugural $5,000 Dan Heffner Producing Award.
Payton Adams is a Television, Photography, and Digital Media Productions major with a minor in Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing Communications.
"Farida Abdul-Wahab’s production management class sharpened my producing skills and prepared me for the industry in a way no other class has before. She’s also incredibly straightforward about the realities of the industry, which gave me a much more realistic understanding of what it takes to succeed."
Her project, "Circuit" (written and directed by Rocco Barone) is a film is about a tech store employee who fixes a mysterious corrupted hard drive for cash, only to uncover disturbing footage tied to a cryptic message. As he digs deeper, curiosity pulls him into a dangerous situation he can’t escape.
We look forward to screening the final product!
