Experiences that made me Zack Baker

DetroitPeople

July 15, 2026

In this series, we ask Imagination talent all about the experiences that have made them who they are. This month we spoke to Zack Baker, Production Manager from our Detroit studio.

A bit about me…

I love movie theatre popcorn and always go early to get a free refill on the large size. When I’m not at a Detroit-based indie theatre or the suburban megaplex, I am riding my bike, taking photos on 35mm film, and listening to baseball on the radio.

The creative experience that has influenced me the most…

When I was in college, I planned a student film festival. At the time, I thought it was a great way to bring together disparate film enthusiasts in rural Michigan to find new collaborators; it was all of that, but it was also my first foray into experiential design and event production. I think this project is what planted the seed and is a large part of what helps me succeed at Imagination.

My industry hero is…

Every Production Manager and Production Director at Imagination Detroit and Imagination NYC who helped me learn how to be successful in this role and at this company. I like the way we do things, and these folks, past and present, helped create the processes that inform my work every day.

The piece of work I’m most proud of…

I was promoted to Production Manager in February of 2026, and the first real project that I was tasked with in my new role was the Super Duty x Carhartt Reveal at Michigan Central Station this past April. This project will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first one I completed as PM. Our office was really pushed to exceed client expectations on a short runway, and we succeeded.

The piece of work that makes me cringe…

Looking back at each project I’ve worked on up to this point will make me cringe. I love learning, growing, and becoming better at something each time I do it. Even the projects we’ve done multiple years in a row in Detroit have been significantly different year over year, and that allows me to cringe at everything I’ve done in the past, because the next time I’ll be just a little bit better.

The experience I wish I had created…

In 2024, less than a month after I started at Imagination, I was sent out to San Francisco to work with the New York Office on VPF 2024. In 2025, with a year of experience under my belt, I was sent to Houston for VPF 2025 with most of the same New York team. The Detroit Office kept me busy enough and I couldn’t join for VPF 2026, but I watched from afar and was so happy for the team who completed another successful marquee programme for Visa.

Advice to my 18-year-old self…

Take more photos! You’ll never feel like you got enough when you look back.

What’s next?

In October, the Detroit Office will go back out to Lake Havasu Arizona for Raptor Rally 003, and it will be my first instalment of this programme in my new role, but the third one I’ve been a part of at Imagination. I am really looking forward to applying learnings from the last two events to make this year’s the best it’s ever been.