Plano Profile December 2009 : Page 66
community “IT IS BROKEN” is T no excuse HOUGH THEY DID NOT KNOW EACH OTHER as young boys, James Grim and Cameron Hefty had a lot in common. At 5 years old, Grim was caught sitting on the floor amidst springs and miniscule plastic parts that initially resembled a computer keyboard, while Hefty disassembled and fixed his family’s broken microwave. Surprisingly, these former Collin College students skipped the traditional engineering career path and unleashed their creative processes behind the scenes in the theater department. “My dad and I listened to broadcasts from around the world. He had an old tube radio and the back was off. Even to this day, the cover is off of his computer. I did get that computer keyboard back together —with some help,” Grim said with a sheepish grin. Hefty said, Former Collin College students James Grim and Cameron Hefty say Collin Theatre Center experiences infl uenced their roles at ProFormance Systems, their Plano-based fi rm. Photo/Nick Young PLANO “My mother is a dance instructor, so I took tap and jazz and started dancing on stage at 4 years old. That was where I experienced the difference lighting makes. Different colors, pat- terns and light intensity com- pletely change the mood. I created a stage in my backyard with a blue- tarp curtain and Christmas lights.” Today, Hefty and Grim are co-owners of ProFormance Systems, a Plano-based firm which installs sprung flooring across the country. These special floors eliminate physical shock for theater and dance performers. ProFormance also offers lighting, sound and computer-networking solutions. Grim and Hefty first worked together in the Williams High School theater and continued col- laborating on shows at Plano East Senior High. As seniors, they showcased their skills in front of college and university representatives at a Texas Educational Theatre Association meeting. Grim was recognized for his sound presentation. Hefty’s presentation focused on lighting, but he won the overarching presentation award. “I met with universities from all over the country including Weber and Ithaca, but I liked how Collin College Chair of Theatre Brad Baker and Director of Technical Theatre Craig Erickson presented themselves. Everyone involved in the Collin Theatre Center is still active in the industry,” Hefty said. “There was no competition between Collin College and the other four-year universities. The program at Collin was the most appealing; the theater space was better and technically superior. They had a large sound board and audio booth, while most of the other colleges and universities had a sound booth in the corner,” Grim said. MacGyver rules the day Today at ProFormance, Grim serves as the technical and business consultant and Hefty serves as the project manager. Their current roles emerged early on in their college education. Grim was the go-to guy. He did everything from repairing headsets to recording two hours of cricket sounds to make a play seem real to the audience. While at Collin, Grim received several scholar- ships and college departmental awards for a variety of shows. He also received an award from the Regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF) for sound operation and an honorable mention for sound design for SubUrbia. Hefty says his best MacGyver story was during Gypsy at Collin. The character Electra had controls on her fingertips, allowing her to illuminate different parts of her costume. After intermission, he heard “One minute to curtain,” and then he was told the
On Campus
Heather Darrow
T as young boys, James Grim and Cameron Hefty had a lot in common. At 5 years old, Grim was caught sitting on the floor amidst springs and miniscule plastic parts that initially resembled a computer keyboard, while Hefty disassembled and fixed his family’s broken microwave. Surprisingly, these former Collin College students skipped the traditional engineering career path and unleashed their creative processes behind the scenes in the theater department.
“My dad and I listened to broadcasts from around the world. He had an old tube radio and the back was off. Even to this day, the cover is off of his computer. I did get that computer keyboard back together —with some help,” Grim said with a sheepish grin.
Hefty said, “My mother is a dance instructor, so I took tap and jazz and started dancing on stage at 4 years old. That was where I experienced the difference lighting makes.
Different colors, patterns and light intensity completely change the mood. I created a stage in my backyard with a bluetarp curtain and Christmas lights.” Today, Hefty and Grim are co-owners of ProFormance Systems, a Plano-based firm which installs sprung flooring across the country. These special floors eliminate physical shock for theater and dance performers. ProFormance also offers lighting, sound and computer-networking solutions.
Grim and Hefty first worked together in the Williams High School theater and continued collaborating on shows at Plano East Senior High.
As seniors, they showcased their skills in front of college and university representatives at a Texas Educational Theatre Association meeting. Grim was recognized for his sound presentation. Hefty’s presentation focused on lighting, but he won the overarching presentation award.
“I met with universities from all over the country including Weber and Ithaca, but I liked how Collin College Chair of Theatre Brad Baker and Director of Technical Theatre Craig Erickson presented themselves. Everyone involved in the Collin Theatre Center is still active in the industry,” Hefty said.
“There was no competition between Collin College and the other four-year universities. The program at Collin was the most appealing; the theater space was better and technically superior.
They had a large sound board and audio booth, while most of the other colleges and universities had a sound booth in the corner,” Grim said.
MacGyver rules the day Today at ProFormance, Grim serves as the technical and business consultant and Hefty serves as the project manager. Their current roles emerged early on in their college education. Grim was the go-to guy. He did everything from repairing headsets to recording two hours of cricket sounds to make a play seem real to the audience.
While at Collin, Grim received several scholarships and college departmental awards for a variety of shows. He also received an award from the Regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF) for sound operation and an honorable mention for sound design for SubUrbia.
Hefty says his best MacGyver story was during Gypsy at Collin. The character Electra had controls on her fingertips, allowing her to illuminate different parts of her costume. After intermission, he heard “One minute to curtain,” and then he was told the Costume was not working. Within a minute, he had jerry-rigged the costume with a bobby pin and electrical tape, and the show went on.
Hefty won department awards from the college in addition to a lighting design award for Through a Glass Onion from the ACTF. He transitioned to stage management at Collin College.
“If Professor Baker had not led me in the direction of stage management, I would probably be just lighting shows now,” Hefty said.
Temporary diverging paths Grim earned an associate of arts degree in 2001 and a certificate in commercial music in 2002 from Collin College. He went on to earn a BS in video production and is finishing up an MBA from S.E. Missouri State University.
“The Collin College business of music classes planted the seed for my desire to earn an MBA. My professor was a record producer, and we covered contracts. It was obvious to me that business knowledge would help me no matter what I did. Earning my MBA has already been helpful in our business with incorporation and taxes,” Grim said.
Working as an assistant to the Kill Shot camera crew and meeting director John Madden and actors Thomas Jane, Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, while earning his bachelor’s degree, solidified his decision to continue his education.
“I enjoyed production and video, but I didn’t want to just be a videographer.
I wanted to manage it,” Grim said.
According to Hefty, it was Baker’s persuading that prompted him to apply to Juilliard. He was one of six students, from across the country, selected as a stage management intern in 2001.
One of the highlights for Hefty was happening upon a private Pavarotti performance in a Juilliard classroom.
Hefty served as the tour manager for the Manhattan Dance Project dance company through 2004. He was responsible for equipment, booking venues, and travel arrangements, setup, tear-down, and troubleshooting.
Whether that is costume, sound and lighting designers or electricians, plumbers and painters, you have to get it done on time and hopefully under budget. If one thing goes wrong, it can snowball quickly. I’ve always liked that pressure,” Hefty said.
Although Grim and Hefty went their separate ways, they never really left Plano. They have worked for PISD booster clubs setting up theater and choir lighting and sound for years.
“It is cool to do things for PISD. It is like continuing a tradition. My grandfather, aunt and uncle played ball for PSHS, my mom was a cheerleader, and my great uncle was the chief of police.
I am a fourth-generation Planoite; my family settled this town,” Hefty said, laughing.
For details about these programs, visit ccccd.edu. — HEATHER DARROW Heather Darrow is a public relations writer with Collin College.
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