Why is the film called “Haynesville”?
This question has been asked countless times in countless ways (“I live in Haynesville, is this a film about my hometown?” or “My last name is Haynesville, are you trying to make us famous?”).
The film is, of course, about the largest natural gas discovery in the United States. The formation where they are finding the natural gas is a shale formation called the Haynesville Shale (it’s a huge area in northwest Louisiana and East Texas, at a depth of 12,000 feet). The find found quick status on a local, national and international level. As the local and energy traders started buzzing about the discovery, it came to be known simply as “The Haynesville.” From there, I decided on the name.
I don’t mean to make the naming sound so easy. As Mark, Chris, Hank and anyone else in my immediate circle can attest, the naming of the documentary bordered on excruciating. One day, I’ll post an entire list, but a truncated look at the list of names included: “Boom”, “The Find”, “Drill Deep”, “Squirrel Hunt”, “The Best Fried Chicken in the South”, “Why Can’t I Think of a Name?” and “I Think I Got It!”.