Peter Parker got bit by a radioactive spider. Watching Spider-Man films, junior Ryan Peters got bit by the filmmaking bug.
After seeing director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Peters began shooting short films with his friends, using a camera he had gotten for Christmas. In the years since, he has won awards for his filmmaking, started a YouTube channel to showcase some of his work, and become a producer for the morning announcements.
“The most fun videos to make are my short films,” Peters said. “I love narrative cinema above all else.”
Peters has won two awards for filmmaking: the artistic vision award from the i5 digital video competition for his film I Want to Make a Movie, and an award for top narrative from Steel Town Entertainment for his film The Edge.
“I was really happy with both awards.” Peters said, “I Want to Make a Movie was kind of surprising because it was my first video to win an award and I didn’t really follow all the rules of the contest.”
Peters has also recently entered two more competitions.
Peters has used many people in his works, but one actor has been the star of his films more often than anyone else. Junior Thomas Meyers has helped hone his filmmaking skills, Peters said.
“I greatly appreciate it,” he said of Meyers’ participation in his projects.
Meyers is one of Peters’ oldest and closest friends. When Meyers first saw Peters’ new camera, though, he was more annoyed than intrigued.
He “grew fast and had big ideas but (unlike others) he knows how to carry them out,” Meyers said.
Meyers is a part of the project that Peters started known as “The Loser Club.” The name comes from a ragtag group of kids in the original TV mini-series It.
“The name stuck with me,” Peters said. “I decided I’ll name my YouTube channel that because I’m a loser,” he joked.
Peters also is a producer for the morning announcements. This means he oversees most of what happens during the announcements.
“Live broadcasting isn’t what I have a passion for but I’m capable in the job,” Peters said. “Plus it clears up some time for writing and editing.”