Published: June 07, 2008 11:52 pm         

PEGASYS campers get creative fast

PEGASYS Summer Camp 2008 participants were busy their first week.

Campers shot two feature films, two western shorts, four commercials and two music videos at the PEGASYS studios and around town. Their work has been compiled into one show, “Summer Camp Live 2008.”

Feature films this year include “People Getting Punched,” in which camper Colton Simpson gets to take shots on all the other campers and PEGASYS staff, and “Laser Cats 3,” the third installment of what happens when summer campers get a hold of cats that shoot lasers out of their mouths.

In the film, Admiral Spaceship, played by James Craven, and Nitro, played by Austin Gigoux, fight off Mayor Tophat, played by C.J. Berry, who has just acquired all of the laser cats in the galaxy. Now, with no one to fight against him, he plans to take over. Fortunately, Admiral Spaceship and Nitro have experience defending the galaxy.

Before filming throughout Cherokee Strip Conference Center and on the lawn of Public Library of Enid and Garfield County, campers spent time at Simpson’s Old Time Museum.

“It was day one, and we had just handed them a script and said, ‘Let’s see what you can do.’ We never expected them to be so creative,” said Stephanie Wnetrzak, PEGASYS public relations coordinator. “They were given two western scripts with very little training and only one hour to shoot. Thanks to the Simpson family, the set was ready, and we accomplished the task. We are so proud of how creative they were.”

The first screening of “Summer Camp Live 2008” and an awards ceremony for family and friends of campers was Saturday. Campers were recognized for outstanding achievement over the past week. Awards included director, C.J. Berry; camera, C.J. Hughes; linear editing, Austin Gigoux; non-linear editing, Eric Pham; audio, Kenrick Guillermo; acting, James Craven; acting, Colton Simpson; and entertainment, Dakota McCollum.

Replays of this year’s film will be on PEGASYS channel 12 throughout the summer. Check the PEGASYS Web site, www. pegasys.org for dates and times or call the office at 237-0099.

“The Enid community was generous enough to step up and help summer camp succeed this year,” Wnetrzak said. “With the support like that, we are eager to provide an even greater camp next year.”

Productions were made by local sponsors Enid Kiwanis Club, Ward Petroleum, StarTek, Enid Pet Hospital, Chris Berry and Garfield County Oklahoma Home and Community Education Association

“The PEGASYS Video Camp experience gives campers an idea of what it’s like in the world of television and movie production,” Wnetrzak said. “Our goal is that at the end of camp, each student goes away with the knowledge required to set them on the right path to pursue this exciting career.”

Lunch sponsors were Wings to Go, McDonald’s, Freddy’s Frozen Custard, Chris Berry, Maxine Austin and Teresa Willems and Garfield County Oklahoma Home and Community Education Association. For information on PEGASYS or the camp or to help sponsor, contact Wnetrzak, 237-0099 or Stephanie@pegasys.org.