Zach has over 10 years of experience working in church media. We are excited for the new perspective and expertise he brings to our video production team. Please join us in getting to know a little bit more about him in this short interview.
Over the past 10+ years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to use my skills in ways that support people, communities, and ministries in bringing about positive and healthy impact to the world around it, and I believe that this is a company that aligns strongly with that mission. I see this new role as a chance to make media that matters, to partner with a community of creatives who strive for excellence and positive impact, and to contribute to and learn from a team that’s founded on those values.
I was born and raised in Hagerstown, Maryland, and I spent most of my life in the area until my time at the University of Valley Forge where I discovered my love for media production and content creation. College was an amazing season and it instilled in me a love for the great potential that media has to be used not only as a tool but also as a form of art that can genuinely make the lives of others better.
For the past 9 years, I’ve worked at Lifehouse Church as their Video Director alongside an amazing staff and Creative Team, and I genuinely learned and grew so much during that time. Now, I’m excited for all that’s ahead in this new season with the C&C crew!
I’ve been married to my amazing wife, Katt, since 2015, and we live in the area with our horribly spoiled dachshund/chihuahua/terrier Juno. I love kayaking, play too much Destiny 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3, and pretty much every Thursday night you can find me playing D&D with my friends.
In 2020 alongside some great college friends of mine, I co-launched a media ministry, agency, and podcast called Blackbar whose purpose is to educate, encourage, and inspire church and Christian creatives! Since our launch, we’ve released over 200 YouTube video and podcasts episodes, we’ve spoken at several conferences, and made a lot of great connections around the world! We’ve been going strong these past 4 years and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for us in that avenue!
My wife and I share a deep love of Seattle and the surrounding region, so I think that would be a pretty great place to capture footage! I mean, it’s got cityscapes, beautiful bodies of water, gorgeous mountain ranges, iconic landmarks, and the vibe is just so great. Really, we’re just big fans of cities in general because there’s just so much character and culture contained in different pockets of the country. You just have to get out of your comfort zone to find it!
Outside of that, I’ve been blessed enough to see a lot of unique places around the world (India, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Philippines, the Bahamas) and each trip left a lasting impression on me in its own way. Some of the best experiences, sights, foods, and inspirations of my life can be traced back to traveling and the things I got to do overseas—10 out of 10 highly recommended.
I am a big emotions kind of guy, so whenever music, movies, art, podcasts (whatever) resonate with me on a deeper level, they usually stick around in my mind and make a lasting impression. If it moves me, it’s worth paying attention to. But, as is the case with any modern consumer, there’s always something new and different that’s at the forefront of my mind for what’s impacting me the most.
Like any good millennial white dude with glasses and a beard who loves movies, Wes Anderson and Christopher Nolan are at the forefront of memorable directors through my creative journey, and specifically impactful movies and/or shows that come to mind are Everything Everywhere All At Once, Barry, Bojack Horseman, What We Do In The Shadows, and the Spider-Verse films. Both Levi the Poet and Scott the Painter (Scott Erickson) have been huge creative inspirations and encouragers in the realm of faith and writing. Emery and Kings Kaleidoscope have musically resonated with me in casual listening, reflective experiences, and live in concert. And, also, seeing The Starry Night in person at the MoMA last year was really, really awesome.
There’s not enough room here to go into what each of these really mean to me, but this is the stuff that fuels my creative fire. Inspiration is vital to growth because, without it, we’re limiting our access to the beauty the world has to offer and the potential we have yet to realize. From comedies about vampires to tragedies about the human condition personified by anthropomorphic animals and in everything (and everywhere else) in between, life is experienced in the vulnerable spaces. I consider myself fortunate that I get to share in creating things for others in those spaces with the skill sets I’ve been blessed with.
Here’s the thing…I love food. Period. It’s rare that you put a food in front of me that I won’t be happy with. I try to eat at local places whenever possible and I love trying food from different cultures because of the amazing personality and tradition that it brings with it! But also, Chipotle, Mod, and Sheetz are regular places on rotation for my wife and I, so you won’t see me complain there. However, if you’re traveling and eating at a chain you have at home? Come on man…what are you doing?
Admittedly, I’m a very present focused individual, so a lot of my intentionality goes to making the best of the moment and being present and embodied in the here and now. That being said, I think my core motivation will always be to create media that matters and that helps make the lives of the people around me better. While I may not know how that’s going to happen 10 years from now, I see the things that I can do well today that align with those values, I pursue the avenues and opportunities I can grow myself toward, and I invest my time into the things that will pave the path for the days ahead.