Genre screenwriter, experimental filmmaker, and dark sky advocate, Gavin is best known for co-writing the macabre found footage horror film THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3D: THE GHOST DIMENSION for Paramount / Blumhouse, and an upcoming supernatural horror feature film produced by Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures, to be co-written and directed by Heffernan's frequent writing partner Adam Robitel. Heffernan and Robitel are currently creating THE CRAVING for Netflix, a gritty, grounded genre show using addiction as allegory, produced by Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures.
Gavin has also found success directing visual works, most notably creating HD Jumbotron videos for THE ROLLING STONES "ZIP CODE" stadium tour and also their 2016 Desert Trip shows. Heffernan and his former AFI classmate Harun Mehmedinovic also contributed psychedelic visuals to PINK FLOYD's ROGER WATERS 2016 Concerts, PAUL SIMON'S 2018 "Homeward Bound" shows, THE BAND PERRY, and most recently, JOHN MAYER'S epic 2022 "Sob Rock" Tour.
Photo by Peter Konerko
Gavin's innovative time-lapse work has been featured on BBC Earth, the Emmy Award Winning SUCCESSION, Virgin America, HBO's ICE ON FIRE, BRAVO's GIRLFRIENDS' GUIDE TO DIVORCE, and media outlets like Time, National Geographic, New York Times, CBS News, and Wired, to name a few. Borrego Springs, CA named the 2014 edition of their annual festival after Gavin's BORREGO STARDANCE astrophotography time-lapse and October 25th was named "Gavin Heffernan Day" in San Diego County.
In 2017, Heffernan and Harun Mehmedinovic completed SKYGLOW, a crowdfunded book and Blu Ray project to tackle the rising danger and damage of urban light pollution. The campaign generated significant publicity and ended up as the fourth most successful Kickstarter ever in the Photobooks category. With the aid of the International Dark Sky Association, Gavin and Harun crossed the continent in a grueling quest to raise awareness by photographing the most endangered skyscapes.