From Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Chuck Peebles, a Digital Worlds Institute (DW) alumnus (BADAS ’17), spends his days in Ponte Verda and St. Augustine discussing with the PGA Tour digital team what to highlight during upcoming golf tournaments.
Highlight editing is only a small fraction of what Peebles does day-to-day. He is also in charge of posting videos, podcasts and other media to their social media channels and their website. On top of that, Peebles also films the PGA Tour’s host in the studio for tournament recaps.
“It’s a ton of fun,” he said. “All of the things we use, even operating high-level ENG-styled cameras in the studio, I learned from my time at DW.”
Peebles is no stranger to busy schedules. During his time at DW, he worked full-time and still managed to graduate magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts and Sciences with a focus on media and storytelling.
“I wanted to go out with a bang,” he said.
However, it was a long road for Peebles to get to where he is now, and it wasn’t easy.
“I started as a civil engineering student my freshman year of college when I lived in Atlanta,” Peebles said. “After not doing so well adjusting to college life, I was actually in and out of school slowly working towards getting my core requirements completed and working full time. This took about 5 years to complete. Once I received my associate's degree I went to transfer to a local college in the Jacksonville area, and they informed me that I would be in school for another 5-10 years in order to get my civil engineering degree. I felt like I was completely starting over and all the hard work and hours I previously completed were a waste of time.”
This is when DW came into the picture.
“I'd always had a creative side but didn't really think I should pursue that. But once I took a tour of the classroom, the PICT, and all of their resources, I fell in love,” he said. “Not only could I get a degree that gives me experience in so many areas, I also graduate as a UF alum, which is recognized worldwide.”
Peebles applies things he learned at DW to his career every day.
“One of my favorite professors, Tim Difato, helped me get the best experience for my current role,” Peebles said.
For example, in his design and production classes, he learned how to edit videos using Adobe’s products like Premiere Pro and After Effects, Avid Pro Tools for sound design, and learned the directing aspect of putting on live shows.
Peebles also took Writing Interactive Media, a class taught at DW by Assistant Professor Kyle Bohunicky, which brought out a storytelling side of Peebles that he didn’t even know he had.
“Storytelling is key in the creative world and equipment is there just to help tell it,” he said.
“If I could give any advice, it would be to take your professors seriously,” Peebles said. “Since being out of school, I've run into many situations where I could provide answers based on knowledge gained from DW.”
To learn more about Peebles and his work, visit the links below.
PGA Tour: https://www.pgatour.com/
Peebles’s website: http://3twenty1studios.net
Peebles’s Instagram: @photo_gatr
Peebles’s Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/charlespeebles
