History
It all started in February of 1995 with a desire to bring the good news of Christ to a new and different generation. An important part of connecting and communicating with history's first 'MTV generation,' was video.
Armed with an 8mm video camera and late-night access to video editing gear at a major Silicon Valley company, a San Francisco State film student from Pennsylvania and two friends who had moved west with him began making short films every week for a Friday night worship gathering in Los Altos, California, called Highway.
Just a year later, in 1996, a $100,000 was donated to launch Highway Productions—a company dedicated to creating original video shorts and films to teach spiritual truth, enhance worship, and magnify God’s voice for a post-modern audience.
In 1998, another $100,000 gift made it possible to add two employees and begin a full production schedule. The first 10-segment Video Illustration File was produced and distributed by the end of 1999 (on VHS, baby!).
In 2000, an angel investor saved the fledgling company and converted it to a for-profit corporation, Highway Video. As the demand for video and media content increased, Highway Video became an industry leader in the creation and distribution of worship-related video.
In 2005, Highway Video became a “virtual company” focused primarily on distribution, until in 2009 changes in the marketplace determined that the for-profit corporation model was not the best direction for the studio.
In 2010, Highway Video was donated back to The Highway Community—the ministry where it all started—to be re-launched as a non-profit.
Our name is new—Highway Media—but we remain true to the elements of our original vision. We’re excited to return to our roots, and get back to creating content that tells the stories of God and his world, stimulates the conversation of faith, and seeks truth by asking the big questions..
Values
Story - While God's logic is not linear, His communication to us is narrative. Jesus himself used story not just as a delivery method for truth, but as truth itself. We celebrate the storytelling tradition between God and man, and strive to tell true stories that make our viewers think, laugh, contemplate, learn, and change.
Conversation - The story of our existence is an ongoing conversation. If we can raise a compelling question, we can enter into compelling dialogues about the questions that most plague us. Life and faith are not easy. Understanding our place in the universe, and understanding the God of that universe are lifelong tasks. An honest, ongoing conversation is the communication that steers us toward the true things.
Truth - We seek truth, and seek to steer our communities toward truth. While we believe in the absolute truth of God and His scripture, we appreciate that for most of us, the search for truth is a journey. We respect that journey and pray that truth is found for all.
Our Team
Dean Smith, President / Papa Bear
Dean has been the lead pastor of The Highway Community since it's inception. His irreverence and absolute dedication to lifelong ministry are an inspiration to the HM staff, when he actually shows up to meetings.
Kevin Marks, Creative Director
Kevin left a job in corporate America back in 1998 to become one of the three full-time employees of Highway Productions, and has been involved with the studio in one way or another ever since. You know him as the mumbling guy with the sideburns in the interview videos.
Chad Myers, Operations Director
Chad has been an independent producer for Highway for years, and now runs our show. Chad does everything from web maintenance to office design, and is the cinematographer for most of our shoots. He also eats constantly, can fix anything, and drives a minivan even though he has no children.
Highway Media.
Story. Conversation. Truth.