Director
| Executive Producer
Brandon Wade |
Originally
from Davenport, Iowa and raised minutes from I-80, Brandon
Wade began his adventures in documentary filmmaking with
the three-year production of LET IT SHINE, which premiered
in the spring of 2007.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Colorado in
Denver, Brandon founded Visionary Reflections—a
multimedia and marketing company. He is also the owner
and founder of Depth of Field Productions, a documentary
film production company.
Brandon is inspired by the past and hopes to inspire others
with the rich and varied history of the world around us.
His favorite pastime is the road trip, and finding the
beautiful, hidden places of the American landscape.
“I
grew up in the middle of the country and spent all
of my summers on road trips. I have some great memories
of driving through the West, seeing mountains, forests,
exploring our National Parks. As a filmmaker, I’m
most interested in personal stories, the lives of
people throughout history, how those experiences
relate to my own life, how they relate to other
peoples' lives today.
So when I found this story about the National Park-to-Park
Highway tour, how it pioneered the idea of Interstate
Highways and spread awareness of the National Parks
at a time when most people hadn’t seen them
before, plus the fascinating stories of people like
Stephen Mather and Anton Westgard and the others
who made the inaugural tour, I knew I had to tell
this story.”
-Brandon Wade |
|
|
Executive Producer
Jennifer Wade |
| Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, just off the I-70 trail, Jennifer Wade has always loved a good adventure. Jennifer loves the outdoors and has signed up as Executive Producer with her husband, Brandon. Her addition has been a wonderful gift to the production. Jennifer is a graduate from the University of Kansas and she currently lives with her husband, Brandon, and dog, Sonic, in St. Louis, Missouri. |
 |
Producer
Jessica Potter |
Born
in Denver, Colorado and raised just off of Highway 40—the
U.S.’s longest continuous street—Jessica began
her career in media production while cutting her teeth as
a crew member at radio station KPCC in Los Angeles, an NPR
member station.
Jessica earned her Bachelors Degree in Politics at Occidental
College In L.A., where she gained a taste for the Sunset Strip
and year-round tans, though the beauty of the Rocky Mountains
eventually drew her back to Denver.
Jessica enjoys ping-pong, crossword puzzles and wine tasting
and has always loved road trips. Her love of the outdoors
and production experience bring a valued contribution to the
production team. |
 |
Writer
Kendra Willey |
An Iowa native, Kendra grew up close to I-35 and I-80 before moving to St. Louis. She loves the open skies, rolling fields, and wooded hills of the Midwest, as well as just about anything else nature has to offer. For her, the love of the road trip lies in not just the exploration of new places, but the comfort of familiar ones as well. Among various other hobbies, she enjoys rock climbing and crocheting. She signed onto PAVING THE WAY to write grant proposals, but has moved on to writing script.
Kendra graduated with a degree in German and History from the University of Northern Iowa, where she worked at the university’s writing center for three years. Creative writing is also a significant interest for her, enough for her to earn a minor in it. She is currently attending a masters program in European history at St. Louis University.
|
|
Narrator
Bill Painter |
His early years as a Navy junior had Bill changing schools eighteen times before graduating High School in Japan. In trying to fit in wherever he happened to be, he became something of a verbal chameleon. It’s no wonder he earns his living as a voice actor, providing voices for radio and television commercials, industrial videos, e-books and the like.
Bill also has several decades as a stage and on-camera performer and – he claims – the psychic scars to prove it. “I’m a Gemini. Schizophrenic. I never know who I am until someone hands me a script.”
Of “Paving the Way,” Bill said he is reminded again what an amazingly big and varied country this is, and of our great good fortune to simply have been born Americans.
When asked about his involvement in Paving the Way he said, “My good fortune at being involved with a project like ‘Paving the Way’
is surpassed only by being associated with some really talented people, whose
input has made the project such a richly-textured and viewable work.
It’s been a learning process for me, too, and I’m grateful to Brandon for
his steady hand at the helm – despite a certain proclivity for perfection.
My hope is that this leads to bigger and better things for all concerned;
it’s a wonderful saga, well-told, and an outstanding PBS offering. I am
delighted to have been included in the creative process.”
Bill also provided the audio post-production mix.
Check out his web site here: www.VoicePro.info |
|
Composer
James Hersch |
For
over twenty-five years acclaimed writer, singer and guitarist
James Hersch has been quietly building a repertoire of work
that puts him squarely on the edge of acoustic music’s
importance in North American culture.
James has a rare mixture of straight forward musical talent,
humor and sensitivity that allows him to create songs that
speak to what is common in all of us. James is one of those
few performers who allow his listener to experience his music
through intimate images which confront and celebrate today’s
human condition.
James, a native Minnesotan, has eleven album credits to his
name and has become known for his guitar/voice-only releases
“BackTracks” and “Innerweather” (strictly
acoustic, just James, his voice and his guitar). Hersch has
been nominated National NACA Coffeehouse Entertainer of the
Year several times and has been a finalist at the Kerrville
Folk Festival.
Although James has a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical
guitar, his songwriting and performing styles are eclectic
and broadly appealing. While Hersch performs as a solo acoustic
artist, his music has taken on a life of it’s own, deeply
planted in the minds of the thousands who hear him each year. To
learn more about 'REACH and James Hersch, click here. |
|
Visual Effects
Terry Coolidge |
Terry Coolidge has been creating computer generated images for nearly two decades. After studying the science behind computer graphics as an undergraduate, Terry enrolled as an Illustration major at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Following graduation from Art Center Terry spent the first part of his professional art career with the Walt Disney Company in both the Interactive Entertainment division and the Imagineering unit. As an Imagineer Terry helped to visualize new theme park attraction concepts through 3D models, animation, and motion graphics. This included participation on the creative team responsible for Mission: SPACE, an "E-ticket" thrill attraction at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida. Terry was credited for his contribution to the concept development of Mission: SPACE when it received a 2004 Thea award for Outstanding Achievement.
More recently Terry had been helping to create the breath-taking virtual worlds of Cyan. Known for the surreal beauty of Myst and Riven, Cyan had switched gears from its pre-rendered roots and developed extraordinary real-time content during Terry's five years there. Terry served as a member of the art production team for URU: Ages Beyond Myst (2003), and then as a Lead Artist on MYST V: End of Ages (2005). Both URU and MYST V received high praise for their artistic excellence.
In 2005 Terry set out on his own and established Wellspring Digital Studio to deliver top-quality computer graphics artwork and animation to professionals and amateurs alike. Under the Wellspring banner Terry has provided computer graphics services for over a dozen different clients. While some projects have been small, others have been quite large. |
 |
Associate Producer
Bob Wade |
Born off the Highway 34 route, Robert Wade, Jr. grew
up in Monmouth, Ill. Bob has been involved in may of
Brandon’s films before signing on to the production of
PAVING THE WAY in the winter of 2007.
Bob has traveled with his family every summer for the
past 3 decades, all by car, and hopes to continue the
legacy of the road trip by contributing his words and
ideas to PAVING THE WAY.
Bob loves working on projects like this one, and
brings his wonderful talent for managing logistics and
thoroughness to the crew. |
 |
Associate Producers
Lee & Jane Whiteley |
Lee
is a retired computer programmer/analyst who now spends most
of his time researching the history of transportation in the
West. He is the author of THE
PLAYGROUND TRAIL, THE YELLOWSTONE HIGHWAY: DENVER TO THE PARK, PAST AND PRESENT,
THE CHEROKEE TRAIL: BENT’S OLD FORT TO FORT BRIDGER, and
he is the co-author of CHEROKEE TRAIL DIARIES VOLUMES I AND
II.
Jane is a retired elementary school teacher who has written
numerous articles for children’s publications. She and
Lee have traveled thousands of miles throughout the West, exploring
lost and forgotten trails and roads.
Besides their book endeavors, the also contribute articles to American Road Magazine. |
 |
Associate Producer
Eric Bean |
Eric
grew up just miles from the setting out point of the National
Park-to-Park Highway Association’s tour near I-25 in
Denver, Colorado. He brings 15 years marketing and advertising
experience to the production of Paving the Way.
Eric was educated in broadcasting and marketing at the Johnson
County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. His experience
spans many industries with stints in both print and broadcast
media. He has also worked as a voice-over artist for PBS affiliates
in Denver, Colorado.
Eric has a strong interest in documentaries and the process
of documentary filmmaking. He has a passion for the outdoors,
and counts it as a lifelong goal to one-day experience the
beauty of each of our National Parks for himself. |
|
Assistant Associate Producer
Jeremy Corn |
Born
in the Hill Country of Texas and raised just south of I-35
in Austin, Jeremy Corn trained as a musician, chef, playwright,
poet and storyteller before signing on to the production of
PAVING THE WAY in the spring of 2007.
Jeremy was educated at the Art Institute of Colorado, the
Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of
Colorado at Denver in a of range disciplines including oenology,
creative writing and business administration.
Jeremy is first and foremost a storyteller, and believes every
person, place and time contains a story worth telling—you
just have to know how to get at it. His favorite pastimes
include good books, good movies and being parted with his
money at good restaurants. |
|
|
