Peter Johnston
john2950@msu.edu
517-884-4441
C637 Wells Hall
619 Red Cedar Rd
East Lansing, MI 48824
FacultyEnglishFilm Studies
Digital Media/Film Production Manager
Film and Media Studies; Film and Media Production
Biography
Peter Johnston specializes in teaching digital media and film production methods and manages the Film Studies program’s lab space and equipment. Since graduating with a BFA in Photography in 2007, Peter worked in the photography industry in Chicago before returning to Michigan to pursue his graduate degree. As a filmmaker he has created dozens of short fiction, documentary and experimental pieces. As an educator, he teaches both the introductory production course as well as the capstone fiction filmmaking course.
MA, Michigan State University 2010
Projects
2018 Producer/DP/Editor, What Happens To A Dream Deferred
2016 Director/Producer, Ka-dy Comes Home
2016 Editor/Post-Production Supervisor, Hmong Memory at the Crossroads
2014 Editor, Migrations of Islam
2014 Editor, Within
2013 Producer/DP/Editor, On the Open Road
2013 Director/Producer, We Are Never Eating Bad Together
2012 Editor, Olivia’s Cross
2012 DP/Editor, Inspired
2011 Producer/DP/Editor, Mr. Henderson
2010 DP, The Kings of Flint
Courses
Intro to Digital Film and Media
Creating the Fiction Film
Cinema and TV Projects
The Digital Image
Story, Sound, and Motion
University News
College Receives National Award for Innovative Policies and Programs Supporting Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Delphi Award for its dedicated work to include non-tenure-track faculty as full partners…Read now »
Fiction Filmmaking Capstone Class Premiers Short Film on April 24-25
After two semesters of immersive learning in film production, editing, and marketing, the 2023-2024 Fiction Filmmaking Capstone Class at Michigan State University will premiere its film, Feast Your…Read now »
FILMETRY Festival Will Celebrate ‘Poetics of Cinema’ APRIL 19
FILMETRY, a film festival that celebrates the union of film and poetry, will give extra emphasis to that union in this year’s festival, when poetry goes to the movies on the page and the screen….Read now »
CREATE! Micro-Grant Virtual Exhibit Displays Winning Projects
The completed projects of this year’s CREATE! Micro-Grant recipients can now be viewed online as part of the 2023 CREATE! Micro-Grant Showcase. This virtual exhibition includes photos and…Read now »
2023 CREATE! Microgrant Winners Announced
Encouraging critical engagement through art with the past, present, or future, the CREATE! Microgrant program recently awarded $500 grants to 13 Michigan State University students to fund their…Read now »
‘Afrofantastic:’ Science Fiction, Technology, Black Culture Explored in New Documentary by MSU Professors
Afrofuturism has entered more mainstream conversations in the last decade thanks to its influence on fashion and art, notably in the music of Janelle Monae and in the film “Black…Read now »
Fiction Filmmaking Capstone Class Premieres Short Film to Sold-Out Theatre
After two semesters of hands-on experience in film production, editing, and marketing, the 2023 Fiction Filmmaking Capstone Class at Michigan State University premiered its short…Read now »
Graduating Senior Reflects on Film Studies Education at MSU
Madeline Strong is graduating from Michigan State University in Spring 2023 with a B.A. in Film Studies. During her time at MSU, she gained experience working as a videographer for MSU’s Culinary…Read now »
CREATE! Micro-Grant Virtual Student Exhibition Launches
The 2022 CREATE! Micro-Grant Student Exhibition is now live! This virtual exhibit showcases the 12 student projects that were created based on the winning…Read now »
Film Students Take Inaugural Study Abroad Trip to Toronto International Film Festival
The MSU Film Studies Program completed its inaugural study abroad trip to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with 12 student filmmakers participating.
Kaveh…Read now »
Film Studies Graduate Accepted to UCLA’s MFA Screenwriting Program
Garrett Boudreaux, who is graduating from Michigan State University this spring with a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies, was accepted to the School of Theater, Film, and Television’s…Read now »
MSU Filmetry Festival to be Livestreamed with Film Adaptations of Poems Informed by COVID-19
Reading a good novel often prompts readers to wonder what the story would be like as a feature film. This tendency isn’t just a marker of the importance of what is digital and visual; it’s a…Read now »
Two Faculty Win Awards for Academic Leadership
Two MSU College of Arts & Letters faculty members are being recognized for their outstanding leadership, performance, and excellence in their respective fields.
Ann Folino White,…Read now »
MSU Latinx Film Festival Back with Expanded Program and Live Music
The MSU Latinx Film Festival (LxFF), scheduled for February 12-16, will offer five days of film, music, and art at various venues across the Michigan State University campus as well as…Read now »
MSU College of Arts & Letters Marketing Team Wins 10 National Awards
The MSU College of Arts & Letters Marketing Office has earned 10 national awards as well as a local American Advertising Award (ADDY) over the past year for their work as it relates to…Read now »
‘Walking For Ded’ to Premiere April 12
Walking For Ded, a film about an Albanian immigrant who has lived and worked in the United States for 17 years after being denied political asylum, will premiere on Friday, April 12….Read now »