VIDEO
ESCAPE FROM EAGLE CREEK
The harrowing journey of 150 trapped hikers who escape a wildfire. Directed and co-produced by Danny Peterson. Co-producers: Tony Hernandez, Jay Kosa, and Ben Mitchell. 2019 Alliance for Community Media's Best of the Northwest Award Winner for Documentary; 2019 Alaska International Film Festival Awards for Northern Lights Emerging Talent Award, Dir. Danny Peterson; 2019 Oregon Independent Film Festival Best Environmental Documentary Winner; 2019 accepted at Portland Film Festival. Read a review of the film here.
PEDPDX: WALKING WITH GEORGE
George Mayes relates his experiences and challenges getting around as a pedestrian in Portland. Created in conjunction with the University of Oregon's School of Journalism PDX and PBOT's PedPDX Pedestrian Plan. Read more about George Mayes here. (Solo video producer).
LOCAL 'NUTCRACKER' TO FEATURE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEAD
At just 10 years old, Aanaiyah Jones is already making waves as a ballerina, becoming the first African-American to star as Clara in southeast Portland’s Classical Ballet Academy children’s production of “The Nutcracker.” Read more about her story here. (Solo video producer).
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: VISITING HOMELESS CAMPS AROUND PORTLAND
KOIN 6 News visited various homeless camps around town to get their point of view on their day to day experiences and what they were doing to prepare for the coming heat, facing a weekend of triple digits. Read more about the story here. (Solo video producer).
'BORN TO HELP PEOPLE': WWII VET STARTS SCOOTER FLEET
Mel Hays, a 97-year-old former World War II fighter pilot, has started a scooter club at his retirement home that’s a hit with residents. Read more about the Laure Parc Scooter Club here. (Solo video producer).
MAN BEHIND 'KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD' SAYS CITY NOT AS WEIRD ANYMORE
To find out more about Portland’s weirdness, and just what that was supposed to mean in the first place, we spoke with the originator of the slogan, “Keep Portland Weird,” Music Millennium owner Terry Currier. Read more about what makes Portland weird here. (Solo video producer).
WRITING
KOIN 6 NEWS
DIGITAL TEAM
2019-PRESENT
PORTLAND OBSERVER
NEWSPAPER
2017-2019
KTOO NEWS
RADIO
2006-2013
ANIMATION
HOW TO VOTE IN OREGON IF YOU'VE BEEN DISPLACED BY WILDFIRES
As Oregon continues to recover from a historic rash of wildfires that began on Labor Day, many who have been displaced from their homes may wonder how they can still cast their vote. This explainer video gives all the information voters need. Read more about the specifics of how to cast your vote after you've been displaced by wildfires here. (Solo video producer).
HOW TO WRITE A CITIZEN'S TRAFFIC TICKET IN OREGON
It’s a little known fact that in Oregon, regular citizens can issue traffic tickets to motorists violating the rules of the road. This animated explainer video tells you everything you need to know about the ins and outs of the process. Read more about how to file a citizen's traffic ticket here. (Solo video producer).
YOU SEE A COYOTE ON THE STREET. NOW WHAT?
This animated explainer video explores the history of urban coyotes in the Portland area and what you need to know about what to do--and what not to do--when you see one in the street. Learn more about urban coyotes here. (Solo video producer).
WAS WILLIAM BLAKE SCHIZOPHRENIC?
In this short animated documentary, the filmmaker explores trying to better understand the art of his late uncle with schizophrenia by examining work by other schizophrenic artists in history. Learn more about the award-winning artist, the late Tom Wetzel, here. (Solo video producer).
ABOUT DANNY
When I was a kid growing up in Juneau, Alaska, I bonded with my many siblings through making videos. I moved around a lot as a teen and I made new friends through making videos with others my age.
In college I co-produced a documentary about homeless advocates in Alaska, an issue personal to me. A woman cried after the screening, recounting her own experiences being homeless. She thanked me and my classmate, Nicole Dahl, for our interest in the topic. This moved me to realize stories can connect people and for a greater purpose.
Since then I’ve been pursuing being a storyteller, both to continue feeling a connected to others, and to pursue a cause bigger than me. I worked for many years at KTOO Public Radio in Juneau covering stories about homeless issues as an intern.
In 2017, I moved to Portland, Oregon to further my pursuit of being a journalist and filmmaker and in 2019 gained a Master's Degree in Multimedia Journalism from University of Oregon.
In 2019, "Escape From Eagle Creek," a 20-minute long documentary about the 2017 Eagle Creek wildfire that trapped 150 hikers won an Alliance for Community Media "Best of the Northwest" Award for Documentary, an Oregon Independent Film Festival award for Best Environmental Documentary and others. I co-produced and directed the film with three other classmates for a graduate-level course, but worked well beyond the scope of the course to get the film to completion.
After working as a community reporter at The Portland Observer newspaper from 2017-2019, I moved on to working in my current position as a digital enterprise reporter at KOIN 6 News in 2019.
I have covered breaking news stories relating to housing and homelessness, the coronavirus pandemic, historic 2020 Oregon wildfires, and racial justice protests during what were often dynamic and rapidly changing situations in the field.
TESTIMONIALS
"'Escape from Eagle Creek' is an incredibly exhilarating and thought-provoking documentary that takes the audience on an emotional, relatable journey with the survivors. "
-Grant Liberman, writer with The Pioneer Log
“What a fine and inspiring portrait Portland Observer reporter Danny Peterson presented in his cover article on Jo Ann Hardesty (front page, Aug. 22 2018 issue).”
–Mark McLeod, Southeast Portland
“Just finished reading your cover story on young Mr JT Flowers (Portland Observer front page, Dec. 5 2017). It’s inspiring/comforting to see a young man with enough emotional maturity to realize life after basketball does exist and that it can offer some truly amazing rewards- like a Rhodes Scholarship. Thank you for making my day much brighter.”
–Ron Joy
“There’s no life without video. Call Danny, worked for me.”
–Ramsay Embick, Bridge City Soul recording artist