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Stars of ‘Fixer Upper’ help teenager get dream started
HUBBARD
Zachary Jones, a Hubbard High School student, will pursue his dream with help from Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple famous for their home renovation TV show “Fixer Upper” that ran for five years on HGTV.
In September, Chip Gaines started a Chipstarter video contest, encouraging people to submit a video that outlines their dreams and what they need to achieve it.
Zachary submitted a video detailing his love for videography. He requested camera equipment used by his idol, filmmaker Peter McKinnon, and included he wanted to meet him.
In his pitch, Zachary described how he began shooting and editing videos of his friends on his iPhone when he was 13. Then, when he turned 15, he received his first DSLR camera as a present.
The camera became part of Zachary and went everywhere with him, his mother, Michalina Jones, said. He loved to shoot funny videos of his friends.
“We could tell he was good at it and had a gift for it. It’s not just something he wants to do as a hobby,” she said.
In the pitch video, Zachary said, “I just turned 16, but I know what I want my future to look like – to go to college and become a videographer. I want to capture positivity and goodness in the world. I want to create opportunities to lift others up with film.”
Michalina heard about Chipstarter through a newsletter. When she saw a past recipient was a photographer, she knew it would be a perfect opportunity for Zachary.
After Zachary applied in September, the Jones family was invited to Waco, Texas, for the annual Silobration ceremony, where the winner would be announced.
Chip and Joanna Gaines announced that Zachary, along with 12 other finalists, would have their dreams come true.
Zachary received a $8,906 check to buy the camera and equipment he wanted. He was instructed to contact Chip and Joanna when he achieves his dreams of becoming a videographer and meeting Peter McKinnon.
“We are so proud of him,” Michalina said. “He is doing something good; he is capturing positivity.”
Michalina thanked the teachers who helped her son grow as a videographer, and said she is forever grateful for Chip and Joanna.