It’s Wednesday night in the IUP-TV television studio and in walks the producer of the Urban Superior show. He’s an excited, gesturing man that demands perfection from everyone there. Those who are unfamiliar with him may think he’s over-dramatic, but those who have had the opportunity to get to know him understand that he has grown and matured in his craft. So if he’s demanding, it’s only because he knows he’s capable of perfection and refuses to settle for anything less.
His name is Louis Peluyera, known around campus as simply “Lou”. Lou, who is extremely proud of his Puerto Rican heritage, was born and raised on the North Side of Philadelphia. His first encounter with video production came about when he took a sculpting class his sophomore year at Central High School. However, when the class was canceled he ended up in a film class. This is where he began to develop a deeper interest into the field of video production.
He entered into Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a Business Major but soon realized that his heart was in video production. He changed his major to Communications Media and has been happy ever since. Lou says that he enjoys video production because it’s the best of both worlds. He loves it because it’s hands on- where he can express his creativity, but it is similar to a desk job because of postproduction. Postproduction is the work that is done once filming is completed. It mainly involves editing—something that takes patience, attention to detail, and long hours at a desk.
While he has amazing talent and potential to make a lot of money in video production, Lou says:
“At the end of the day I’m doing this for me, not for the money. I want to be known for the quality of my work, not for how much money it can make me. The most rewarding feeling is to know that I have inspired someone, or impacted a life with my work.”
Though he has taken every measure to ensure that he is one of the best in his field, Lou says he can’t take all the credit. He affectionately recalls that his motivation and dedications started off with two very important people, his mother and his brother who passed away five years ago. His mother raised him and his three siblings as a single parent, and he recalls her overcoming different struggles to provide for her family. He uses his late brother as inspiration as well, saying:
“I remember growing up living in his shadow, everything he did I wanted to do just like him. He would always tell me to just be myself and be great at everything I do. I realized that I had to find my own path, and blaze my own trail to make them proud.”
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Since he has been in college, he has created thirteen short films/videos. Two of those helped to raise $57,000 for Philadelphia Gas Works in the United Way Campaign, and one has received 1,020 views on You Tube. He has also worked his way up from camera man, to editor, to now being the producer for the Urban Superior Show that airs on IUP-TV. He is doing more than just making his family proud. He is building an astounding record for himself that will give him the credibility he needs to be a success story.
Lou notes Spike Lee as his professional idol because he does whatever his heart tells him to do, all of his films are controversial, and he isn’t afraid of the possible criticism he may receive. Lou’s favorite Spike Lee films are “Do the Right Thing”, and “When the Levees Broke.” His campus idol is a Communications Media professor named Eric Lauber because he demands perfection, and he spares no feelings when giving criticism. He pressures you to give him A+ work. Lou, has a lot of respect for Lauber saying:
“I appreciate his honesty because it allows me to recognize my flaws and gives me the drive to improve myself. If he never criticized me I would have stopped improving a long time ago and I would have been mediocre”
Lou mentions that while he loves producing videos, he becomes the most frustrated when he is in the postproduction stage = editing is the most tedious and stressful part of the production stage. In editing he may realize mistakes or disruptions that unnoticeably occurred during the filming stage. This can sometimes cause a change in the overall tone of the video, meaning they might have to re-film it or work harder to blend it during the editing phase. This is when he gets the most discouraged, but his support team comprised of his mother, girlfriend, sister, and close friends encourage him to keep going.
When the final product is complete and is released for viewers to see, all the frustration becomes worth it. While all of his films are dear to his heart, the short film he is most proud of is his most recent entitled “By All Means.” He worked very diligently to improve his props, the details of the script, and he even used his theatre minor background to help and encouraged his actors to invest more of their feelings into their roles so that the viewer can relate to them more emotionally. He was even more careful to chose his actors to play the characters that most mirrored their real personalities. He says this is the project that gave him the most personal reward because it displayed his growth and talent in a new light.
His upcoming film ideas include a documentary about the Divine Nine sororities and fraternities. He wants to display their lives outside of their respective fraternities and sororities. He will be working on a music video for IUP rapper/student, Natasha “Baby T” Norman. Also, he will be working on a film to honor the memory of his older brother over the summer.
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His goals are to continue to maintain his good GPA, Make Urban Superior the number one show on the IUP-TV network, graduate with honors, obtain a masters in video production from New York University, make a successful career out of his love for video production, and to continue to make his mother proud.
Lou is driven by his love for video production, ambition to be the best in his field and the hope to impact the lives of his viewers. He is also inspired by working with people who are creative and know what they want. He says that he knows that he has the potential to exceed great standards, and he wont give up on that dream. His advice to his younger peers in video production is:
“Have patience and enjoy it. Know that this major is not just an easy way out there is much unseen work that goes into it. This is a field for passionate, creative, and competitive people and the more hands on you are, the more you will learn. There may be times when you may have to figure things out on your own, but it makes it that much more rewarding.”
Lou is passionate about video production and is willing to help share his knowledge with anyone who is interested in learning. He is known around campus as kind of quiet, but can easily get animated when the topic of video production is brought up. He is a dedicated student who spends most of his time in class or creating short films. When he has a little down time he likes to spend it at home.
To keep up with Louis Peluyera you can add him on Facebook (Lou Peluyera), follow his videos on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/lpeluyera), or watch Urban Superior every Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday at 1:30 pm and 8:30 pm.