Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Kelly.
Peter, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Movies have driven my actions and imagination for as long as I can remember. From wanting to play football after watching “Remember The Titans”, wanting to be a treasure hunting archaeologist just like Indiana Jones, or taking up taekwondo as a kid because I thought that was the closest I could get to being an actual Jedi.
As I grew, I began to realize that I just wanted to live in the world that these characters lived in. I wanted to feel what they feel, be where they are, and see what they see. As a high school kid in small-town Mississippi, armed with a mini-DV camcorder, my friends and I began making shitty skateboard tapes that mostly consisted of us failing at tricks that were way above our paygrade. This was the first step towards pursuing a career in film.
Somehow we managed to realize that we would never get anywhere by making tapes of us falling, so we moved on to documentaries. My first documentary was a terrible short called “Hauntings of the Mississippi Delta.” We traveled all over North Mississippi in search of proof of hauntings in the delta. In hindsight, I am pretty sure we mostly just scared ourselves, but this helped push me to expand my comfort zone and helped me to develop my skills as an interviewer.
Jump forward to my freshman year of college at Ole Miss. I was studying broadcast journalism and anchored the sports segment for the student news station. While not working at the news station most of my time was spent chasing the next party. I ended up getting married as a college sophomore and moving to Mobile, AL. I knew I didn’t want to be a broadcast journalist, so I started spinning my wheels and decided to drop out of college.
The next year and a half were spent attempting to decipher my life while digging myself into a hole. I got a job as a car salesman (for three weeks), worked as a food and beverage supervisor for a Marriott hotel (I was totally underqualified), and did sales for my father-n-law’s company (…). Mobile killed my soul.
I moved to Jackson, MS and shortly after, got divorced. In an attempt to salvage what little self-respect remained, I enrolled at Hinds Community College, got a job as a waiter at Another Broken Egg Cafe (A job that I will always be so appreciative for), and attempted to reignite my football career on a semi-professional team (The Jackson Juggernauts).
While bartending one day at the restaurant, a man came in and was talking to me about movies. I didn’t think much of it, but he said his friend’s dad worked in movies and he needed a hand on a shoot. He asked me if I would volunteer for a shoot and it sounded fun so I said yes. I worked as a freelance PA for them for about six months before graduating from Hinds CC and making the decision to move down to Houston, TX for film school at the University of Houston.
While in Houston, I began producing all sorts of projects ranging from corporate content to short films. After spending a few years here in Houston, I was offered a job as a producer in Mississippi with the same company I was a pa for, so I took it. While in Mississippi I produced, directed, trained as a grip and gaffer, and began designing props and sets.
In July of 2017, my partner, Maddie, and I took the year off, built a bed in the back of our car, and traveled around North America until April of 2018 when we decided to go to Australia for a month before getting back on the carousel. We moved to Houston in May of 2018 Where I briefly worked with a local non-profit before taking the step to work for myself as a full-time freelancer.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The speed bumps in life are, more often than not, the soap opera moments. The moments that cause struggle and strife, but make for great stories. I’ve definitely had my fair share of Soap Opera moments.
– My original goal was to play professional football after college, but I tore my ACL’s four times. Once in high school, twice in college, and once playing semi-professional football.
– I got married at the age of 20 and divorced at the age of 21. That was one hell of a credit score ruining ride.
– I’ve been fired, dumped, bullied, kicked out, and beaten up. At the risk of sounding like a pretentious ass, I’ve always seen these events as opportunities for improvement, change, and inspiration.
Every past moment is a key ingredient in the life we are currently living, and I am so thankful for the opportunities that my speed bumps created. I love my life, and I wouldn’t be here without the soap opera scenes.
PK Production Services – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
PK Production Services is a full-scale media production house offering workshops, producing, writing, shooting, editing, web and graphic design, and media buying. We produce documentaries, music videos, short films, help companies share their story through visual media to build brand recognition, and we are currently developing a feature film to be shot in 2021. One thing we do differently is we don’t only provide video production services. We also provide prop and set design, grip & electric crew, and directing. You would be hardpressed to find a production house anywhere that has as much experience working on artistic pieces as it does working on corporate pieces.
As an organization, I am most proud of our work we have done with non-profit organizations. We have worked with a few Houston based non-profits to help them produce video marketing content and share their stories. Our team’s tenacity and drive are second to none, and that is a big part of my elevator speech. I consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such incredible people who are so passionate about film making.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have had many victories, and I have had many defeats. There is something very humbling about pursuing your passion and the moment I quit my job at the non-profit to pursue a filmmaking fulltime was the best feeling I have ever had.
Contact Info:
- Address: 336 West 22 St. Ste. 1/2 B Houston, TX 77008
- Website: http://www.pkproductionservices.com
- Phone: 7692574385
- Email: pckelly1369@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/pckelly1369
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pckelly1369
Image Credit:
Madison Klim, Joe Smiley, Javier Paredes
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