Peter Atencio is a writer, director, and producer you should know.
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If you’re a fan of the ground-breaking sketch show Key & Peele, you’re a fan of Peter Atencio’s work. He was a key creative voice on the show – directing virtually every single episode and heightening the comedy of each and every sketch through his amazing visual storytelling.
Throughout the show’s five seasons, Peter virtuosically recreates the look and feel of an array of film and tv genres, crafts worlds that complement the wide range of characters on the show, and adjusts tone from reserved to bombastic in service of the material.
Peter’s “collective work has been viewed over 1.5 billion times on streaming services, making his work some fo the most widely recognized pop culture in the world.”
In 2016, Peter collaborated with Key & Peele again to direct the hilarious action-comedy Keanu about two-friends who infiltrate a gang in order to retrieve their stolen kitten.
He also directed and produced the Amazon series Jean-Claude Van Johnson — a self-aware comedy show in which retired martial arts and action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme (playing himself) returns to life as a private undercover agent.
Peter is currently developing the feature film version of Fraggle Rock for The Jim Henson Company. We can’t wait to see what he does with our favorite subterranean singing muppets!
More Good Work from Peter:
Key & Peele – Alien Imposters
Peter directed this moody, post-apocalyptic world where “the survivors of an alien invasion come up with a way to tell whether someone is really a fellow human.”
Key & Peele – Noice
In this sketch, “a breakdance circle regular gets confrontational when he feels that his role in the group is threatened.” Peter creates an atmosphere that goes from vibrant and neon-rich to rainy and melodramatic.
Key & Peele – McCringleberry’s Excessive Celebration
Peter perfectly recreates the look and camera movements of an NFL broadcast for this sketch where a player can’t control his need to celebrate.
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