Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Westwood.
Peter, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I actually started in the industry as talent first on a dating show. Truly making my father proud, instead of heading to law school, I decided to jump on a reality dating show on CMT and three days after graduating, I was in Mobile, Alabama.
I ended up just falling in love with the creative process of it all and how a show can genuinely affect the temperature of a society. So I aimed to become a sponge, from casting talent to developing stories, segments, and ultimately shows.
Alright, 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?
Is this where I tell you I am still waiting for a rich relative to show up?
Like any industry, finding your voice and working within a collective that you feel comfortable and confident in is absolutely key. I have been fortunate to have many “lessons learned” along the way, from the team environment that I know brings the best out of me to the exact concept I want to put my name on.
I believe that with anything in this world, the biggest challenge is understanding your personal boundaries within an industry and how to excel at mastering the space. We are inherently social creatures but we do have bubbles that help us the most. While navigating your personal bubble, you’ll definitely come in contact with some folks wanting to pop it. JUST let folks poke around — they are only curious about what you got going on, just be on guard. When you know, you know.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I consider myself a “creative exec” which is really just a way to make my job sound important. I am not risking my life on a front line or molding minds at an institution. I just create and develop unscripted content for networks and streaming platforms. The work that I do and the opportunity I offer is the ability to create something that I want everyone to feel will ultimately lend its hand to a legacy. This isn’t just my own but to any of the “talent” that I develop around or with. I personally want to work with people who are down to shake things up for the POSITIVE! Isn’t that what the world needs?
I label my work as “Edutainment” – in the sense that everything I want to put my name on as a creative, I want an audience to learn and grow from while being entertained. I will be the first producer to tell you I hate TV because selfishly, I want to make it better. Don’t get me wrong, I have had the pleasure of producing content that is definitely viral worthy, like Catfish on MTV or 9 Months w/ Courtney Cox on Meta. However, what truly drives me is what is to come.
I am fortunate now to have an opportunity with a company to develop thought-provoking content that again selfishly, will make my niece and nephews think I am cool. On another level, the opportunity allows an avenue to disrupt this industry for the better. My career has allowed me to develop a way to utilize the world and issues around us to engage awareness and change within the content. It’s the “Edutainment” of it all that has allowed me to bridge the gaps on creating content with A-list celebrities all the way to government entities.
What’s next?
While the world is burning, I am trying to do my best to help in 2022. As a Development Producer now for a respected production company, I have been fortunate to help shape the next wave of content under their umbrella. Just to elaborate on something I said previously, finding the right team that accepts your voice is crucial. Having your said voice then align with that team’s mission is just the cherry on top.
We have started taking out some really powerful projects with talent that I know the world will respect. With missions and stories that I am confident society needs to see and hear, we are onto the next stage of selling shows. The odd dance with networks all in hopes that they get on board with the bigger picture. The landscape of the entertainment industry, more specifically content, is changing for the better. Society is wanting to see more positive content we can pull and learn from, not just individuals competing on a superficial level. With all the shit going on in the world, it is a wonderful time to be a creative… This is because now more than ever, we all need to see some shit that makes us want to go out and contribute to the world… in a positive way and especially for our own legacies. That gives me hope for my work. That gives me hope for humanity. That gives me hope for the future.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepetewestwood/
Image Credits
Dog – Indi Ana Joan Westwood
