Meet John Franklin RInehart

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Franklin RInehart. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi John Franklin , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

My purpose is to help others flourish. Aristotle used an old Greek term—eudaimonia—which means human flourishing. To me, this concept perfectly captures my life’s mission.

True purpose isn’t measured solely by personal achievements or wealth. Instead, it’s rooted deeply in helping communities, families, and individuals thrive. It’s about being present, fostering genuine connections, and finding contentment in life’s meaningful moments—whether you’re creating films, running a small business, or baking bread.

I’ve traveled the world, lived abroad, and observed many definitions of success. I’ve realized that purpose and fulfillment aren’t about becoming the next billionaire entrepreneur. Instead, it’s about nurturing relationships, honoring integrity, and contributing positively to the lives of those around us.

My purpose, ultimately, is found in helping people discover and pursue their dreams, making sure their stories matter, and leaving a lasting impact that’s measured not in profits but in lives transformed.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I never imagined myself becoming a filmmaker. Initially, my passion was music. Growing up on a small ranch in Gonzales, Texas, I was the seventh generation to call that land home. As a kid, I’d sit in the pastures, serenading cows and horses with my trumpet. Music felt natural to me, and eventually, I pursued it all the way to Sydney, Australia, where I studied formally.

However, once my career as a musician began, reality hit. The late nights, constant travel, and lack of sleep quickly wore me down. It didn’t take long for me to realize this wasn’t the life I wanted. After a couple of years of soul-searching, film emerged as my new direction. I’d dabbled casually in filmmaking before, but now I was ready to commit fully.

From that moment on, film consumed me. Every waking moment, every evening, every morning, revolved around filmmaking. This was before YouTube, so I devoured every book and resource I could find. I gathered hundreds of photography and film books, soaking up every bit of wisdom I could. I started filming anything and everything—small businesses, big companies—refining my craft along the way.

Things began to escalate, becoming bigger and more complex. At that time, my family was living in Redding, California. But Texas was always home, and eventually, we returned. Starting fresh in Texas, we initially focused on real estate. Gradually, our work expanded, attracting attention from Fortune 500 companies. As our reputation grew, so did our travels, taking us across the United States.

The pandemic, however, brought travel to a halt and forced us to refocus locally. That’s when we truly embraced our identity as filmmakers who approach each project from a place of servanthood. Our mantra became clear: “We create films from a place of solving problems.” No matter the size of the company, our process was always about diving deep into who they were. We liked to say we were digging for gold—finding dirt was easy, but uncovering the gold required effort, attention, and care.

Wanting a quiet place to reconnect with my roots, I set up a small office in Gonzales. Initially unnoticed, our presence grew when locals approached us with a problem: attracting overnight visitors. Immediately, I knew we could help. We had experience working with cities on tourism projects—our efforts in Redding even earned us the key to the city.

Gonzales was special, though. It was my hometown, steeped in history and significance—truly a place of firsts. I felt strongly that Gonzales deserved a unique story told in an equally unique way. That’s when inspiration struck. The Gonzales Memorial Museum seemed perfect for an ambitious idea I had: using projection mapping to display a film directly onto the museum. Similar to the stunning castle projections at Disney parks, we could tell the compelling story of Gonzales and the iconic “Come and Take It” message every night.

At first, it seemed like a wild idea, one that nobody would likely approve. But to my surprise—and excitement—they did.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three Qualities That Shaped My Journey

1. Genuinely Loving People
Everything starts with truly caring about people. When I learned to genuinely love others, their stories became deeply important to me. Understanding their dreams, struggles, and hopes allowed me to create meaningful stories and lasting connections.

2. Serving Others First
I found that when I approached every project with the mindset of service, everything changed. Instead of asking, “What can I gain from this?” I started asking, “How can I genuinely help?” This shift not only made my work more impactful, it made it more fulfilling.

3. Listening Deeply and Authentically
One of the most valuable skills I’ve developed is the ability to listen deeply. When you truly listen, you uncover hidden needs and desires—what I call “the gold” in every situation. This authentic listening built trust and allowed me to create stories and strategies that resonated deeply.

My Advice for Those Early in Their Journey

Practice Active Empathy
Spend time genuinely engaging with people. Ask thoughtful questions and imagine yourself in their shoes. Empathy opens doors that nothing else can.

Adopt a Servant’s Mindset
Make your work about how you can serve, not what you can gain. This mindset builds lasting relationships grounded in trust and mutual respect.

Sharpen Your Listening Skills
Prioritize listening over speaking. Listen not just to what’s said, but also to what’s left unsaid. Great listeners become great storytellers because they deeply understand what truly matters.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

There’s no such thing as a smooth road. Something is always trying to knock you down—whether it’s people, money, technical issues, or just mean girls trying to run a town. Challenges are constant, and we’ve definitely faced our share.

This project is huge, especially for a small town. It demands tremendous trust from the community, trust we’ve had to earn every step of the way. But that’s true everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Dallas, Austin, New York, or California—there’s always a group who doesn’t trust you, doesn’t like you, or even wants to see you fail.

What I’ve learned is that friction makes you better. Your critics, haters, and those whispering behind your back—they create the resistance you need to polish your skills. They’ve pushed us to sharpen our story, improve community outreach, and develop stronger marketing plans. Without friction, there’s no refinement.

Our experience mirrors the story we’re telling. The birth of Texas wasn’t frictionless. It came from disagreement, struggle, tears, and sacrifice. Incredible things never happen easily, and this project is no exception.

The challenges of creating something like Texas Legacy in Lights are immense. Technologically, we’re pushing boundaries in ways never seen before. As far as I know, this will be the world’s first narrative projection mapping film—not just in Texas or even the United States, but globally.

Normally, projection mapping involves animations or graphics—simpler two-dimensional visuals mapped onto three-dimensional structures. But we’re creating a real film, complete with actors, horses, guns, everything you’d expect from a traditional movie, specifically designed to map onto a building. It’s unprecedented, complex, and incredibly exciting. Gonzales, once again, is becoming a place of firsts.

Beyond the technology, the story itself—the birth of Texas—brings its own enormous challenges. Telling such a profound historical narrative, from the bravery of Gonzales to the Immortal 32 and the Runaway Scrape, demands meticulous research, scripting, and production. Every aspect requires careful planning and precision.

The physical infrastructure alone is remarkable. My good friend James Hurley, a former NASA employee, is helping us design an extraordinary sound system built directly into the ground. We’re talking about roughly 90,000 square feet—an area nearly 100 yards by 100 yards—engineered specifically to immerse audiences in the experience.

Combining all these elements—historical storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and detailed infrastructure—is borderline impossible. Honestly, most people wouldn’t attempt it. But we’re doing it. And precisely because it’s so ambitious, we’ve attracted remarkable talent from across Texas. For example, Allison Freer, our wardrobe expert with decades of experience, has joined us enthusiastically. We’ve brought in professionals whose IMDb credits are incredibly impressive. These talented individuals chose to be part of our project because they believe deeply in its importance.

Yes, the challenges are daunting, but with such passionate and talented people by our side, who cares how hard it gets? Doing something this groundbreaking and meaningful makes every obstacle worth overcoming.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.austinfilmcrew.com or if about the project www.texaslegacyinlights.com

Image Credits

These were taken by my wife Heidi Rinehart – With me by the wagon is Kerry Hellums ( weapon master for Texas Legacy in Lights Film ) with a wagon from the set.