Currently, I’m a senior at Sandwich High School in Massachusetts, counting the days until I can escape the peninsula of Cape Cod. I cherish and adore my community, though. I’ve had the utmost support and guidance of my family, friends, and teachers in being and expressing myself, and I truly have learned so much from the people I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with.
Aside from the peculiar and embarrassing iMovies I made with my friends in elementary school (there was a vision, I swear), I first picked up a camera with seriousness during quarantine, when I was 12 and bored. I started by taking pictures of flowers in the yard with a cheap digital my sister used to use on trips, focusing on the small things. Drawing and painting was never my strong suit, so I thought, “This’ll do.”
Emerging from the shadows of COVID, as well as my childhood, I brought the camera with me, using it to capture moments of anything I found beauty in, which was almost everything. It felt liberating to be outside again.
I bought a real camera, and began to create promotional videos for my high school’s theater company in 8th grade, and will continue to do so through graduation. This comprises the bulk of my videos, which may sound limited, but with each show I had a new story to tell, and did my best to find a different way of telling it.
As I started to become known as “the promo guy,” people hired me to take senior photos and such. This year, I’ve finally made room in my schedule for a broadcasting class. Before I graduate, I hope to produce as much as I can for my community. But whether it be for business, learning, or fun, I’ve always been happy just to do what I love.
That’s the technical perspective. When I reached junior year, however, I started to gain more of an interest in writing. I conducted an independent study to educate myself. I read and analyzed Get Out, adapted a few scenes of King Lear, and finally, wrote an original short film. I’d never done much creative writing, so I focused more on being authentic than perfect. I learned to write from the heart, and was able to make something that, even if it appeals to no one else, was special to me.
I hope to strengthen my versatility even further with whatever I do next, and to continue to learn as well as teach others. I’ve met so many people with genuine passion. Passion for filmmaking, singing, athletics… I’m always inspired. I gave the camera I made my first promo with to a friend of mine a while back, hoping that he’ll continue the tradition after I leave. And to anyone else in my community with a desire to express themselves, I hope to leave them with the following statement: Do it. Do it for you, and do it for others. But most of all, do it unapologetically.
Peter Milburn 