We create powerful, high-quality videos that inspire, engage, and drive impact
Our Team
Founded in 2017 by father-son duo Jim and Max Zarchin, Z Media Ventures is a full-service video production and strategic marketing agency based in Knoxville, Tennessee. For Jim Zarchin, the advent of Z Media comes after a successful and distinguished career in television production that spans more than 40 years. With decades of experience between our team, we’ve partnered with clients across the globe—from grassroots organizations to world-renowned brands including Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Lands' End, Trane, The History Channel, The Weather Channel, Gorilla Glue, McGhee Tyson Airport, Kohler, Stowers CAT, CoStar, University of Tennessee Vols, UT Medical Center, Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance, Rustica, and many more. At Z Media Ventures, we specialize in crafting compelling video content and developing dynamic marketing strategies tailored to all types of businesses. Our expertise spans branded entertainment, corporate storytelling, digital content, short-form media, TV production, sports, podcasting, live events, agency of record partnerships, still photography, and social media. What sets us apart is our end-to-end service model—we don’t just create videos; we build strategic marketing tools. Every project is developed with distribution and business impact in mind, ensuring our clients see real results across all media platforms.
Jim Zarchin
President
With 25 years of experience, Jim Zarchin, Founder and President of Z Media Ventures, has built a career around the power of storytelling. With over 40 years in television production, he launched the DIY Network and led Branded Entertainment for Scripps Networks, shaping content for HGTV, Food Network, and Travel Channel. Now, through Z Media, he uses his expertise to create impactful video that helps clients connect, inspire, and engage their audiences.
Max Zarchin
Vice President of Business Development
Max Zarchin brings 20 years of experience in media, content strategy, and business development to his role at Z Media Ventures, where he leads business growth, partnerships, and content strategy. His background includes roles at Scripps Networks Interactive, Athlon Sports, and Bruno White Entertainment, with a track record in branded content, digital growth, and production for major brands. Max began his media career at the University of Tennessee. Outside of work, he enjoys family time and coaching youth sports.
Carol Johnson
Chief Strategist
As Chief Strategist, Carol's mission is to ensure Z Media’s resources are allocated wisely and strategically to support growth and deliver exceptional value to clients. With over 25 years of expertise in business consulting and financial management, she excels at guiding the company’s strategic initiatives and long-term planning. Carol is a Certified Financial Planner™ and earned a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University. When she’s not strategizing for the Z she’s living her best BoyMom life on golf courses and football fields across Tennessee.
Karrie Patterson
Controller
Karrie brings more than 20 years of financial services, budgeting, accounting and consulting to Z Media. As Z Media’s Controller, it’s all about financials, making sure all the numbers are in line, and, that the Z Media crew and train are running smoothly and on time. Prior to Z Media, Karrie worked in wealth management, public accounting, and government services. Alum of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she has a die-hard obsession for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and sadly the Pirates. In her free time, you can find her spending time with her family and three dogs, camping on the lake or in the mountains.
Trevor Greene
Creative Director
Trevor brings the quiet calm to anything he works on. Whether he has a camera on his shoulder, is in the field producing, or in the edit bay, his brain is always working on how to bring the extra something to the project. With a background ranging from network content to branded entertainment to live events and television to 10 years with the University of Tennessee Athletics (VFL Films), Trevor simply knows how to make any piece of content better. When he is not being a creative force at Z Media, you can find him at home spending time with his wife and three kids.
Billy Miller
Director of Operations
Billy Miller untangles. As the Director of Operations, he spends his time untangling everything from development ideas to workflows to wires, ensuring everyone has what they need to get their jobs done. His career has included true crime shows, reality wedding shows, and hidden camera comedies. He loves working in development since it lets him work on a wide range of topics and meet a ton of interesting people. Since the start of the pandemic, Billy has acquired the skill of taking Zoom calls with his three-year-old son perched on his shoulders.
Cara Ford
Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy
Cara Ford is the Director of Marketing and Digital Strategy at Z Media Ventures and a native of Tennessee. She graduated from King University in Bristol, TN, earning an MBA with a focus on project management. As a seasoned project manager and marketing leader, Cara excels in developing and leading marketing projects that enhance customer engagement and streamline workflows to maximize efficiency.
A strong communicator with a collaborative mindset, Cara is dedicated to mentoring teams, fostering innovation, and driving continuous improvement. She is committed to lifelong learning and staying ahead of industry trends to create meaningful, results-oriented marketing solutions.
Outside of work, Cara has two sons, two daughters-in-law, and one grandson. She enjoys cooking, spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities, and supporting Tennessee Volunteers sports.
Joe Blackstock
Video Producer
Joe Blackstock is the Post Production Supervisor and Z Media’s resident hard drive czar. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Joe brings a unique blend of creativity and efficiency to the table, as well as the ability to drink 6 cups of coffee a day without his heart stopping. He’s been with Z Media since 2018, and can usually be found organizing footage, archiving media, and making sure the internet doesn’t break. Outside of the office, Joe spends his time tearfully wishing the Orioles would win a playoff game for once and hanging out with his teddy bear-masquerading-as-a-puppy, Kupo.
Claudia Russell
Lead Editor
Claudia is an Emmy-award-winning Senior Editor at Z Media Ventures. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's film school, she spent over a decade being harassed for wearing the wrong color orange in Knoxville, home of the other UT. (Don't get her started.) Claudia now works remotely from Jersey and is an avid reader and an avid sports fan. She and her husband and their two kids watch way too much television and they refuse to apologize for it.
Ernie Ingle
Producer/Editor
Paul Lewis
Producer
Paul Lewis is a producer at Z Media Ventures. He is a former programming and development executive. Paul spent twelve years at Warner Bros. Discovery and the former Scripps Networks, working at several networks including HGTV, DIY, Travel Channel, and Great American Country. Prior to joining Warner Bros. Discovery, he worked in international television for Fireworks International as head of programming and acquisitions. Paul previously worked in children's programming as an executive at Nickelodeon in live-action programming. Prior to that, he served as a current programming executive at Fox Broadcasting, overseeing comedies, dramas, and animation, including That '70s Show, Family Guy, and Party of Five. Paul started his career at Viacom, working in creative development at MTV Productions. He enjoys free time with his wife and eleven-year-old son.
Josh Wilson
Assistant Editor
Josh Wilson's origin story began with a dream to be involved with the creation of TV and movies but landed in the mud of the insurance industry. Once he decided that world wasn't for him, his beautiful wife convinced him that his dream was worth chasing. After graduating from the video production program at Pellissippi State, he was welcomed into a new home with Z Media as an assistant editor.
Kyle King
Director of Sales and Business Development
Kyle handles corporate Director of Sales and Business Development for Z Media. His sales experience began in Dallas, first as a TV station Producer/Production sales rep and later selling advertising for TV shows with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. He soon expanded into the corporate sector, landing deals with Coca-Cola, American Airlines and numerous healthcare providers.
Along the way, he fielded numerous requests to help produce custom music for these shows and projects, so he pivoted into music licensing for Corporate branding, marketing, advertising and TV programs, later directing sales teams for Universal and Warner-Chappell. Recently, he's managed media projects for Warner Bros/Discovery, where the Z Media connection ensued.
He and wife Deb have also lived in Atlanta, Houston and now happily reside in the Nashville area near two married daughters and their first Grand-baby, Kaley. Passions include BBQ, the beach, cool music venues, and UT sports (the "burnt orange" one.