At a university with more than 30,000 students, it is often difficult for students to distinguish themselves from others. However, with determination, passion and the desire to achieve goals, some students automatically stand out in the crowd.
Wayne State freshman Riggs Webb, 18, is a prime example of one of those students. Coming from Adrian, Webb is a film major with dreams of making it big time. He has always had a love for movies, and has known since childhood he wanted to have a career in the film industry.
“I always knew that I wanted to be a filmmaker,” Webb said. “I remember making films with my little sister in the backyard with my video camera.”
As a freshman, most students are just figuring out in what direction they want their careers to go. Webb has already won awards for some of his work. This summer, Webb received honors for his original music video “Missing You” at the 38th Michigan Student Film and Video Festival at the Detroit Film Theatre.
For now, Webb markets himself on Web sites such as Facebook and Youtube, but desires to be like the directors who inspire him most.
“I am inspired by many directors such as Spike Lee and John Singleton,” he said. “I also enjoy Quentin Tarantino, because he brings an old school vibe back to film.”
When Webb is on campus, he is most likely walking with his video camera or in his dorm editing one of his projects.
Webb is working on two projects on campus. One is his independent original film “Midterm Madness,” a short horror flick that tells the story of how a girl breaks under the pressure of midterms and a math book. The second is a music video for aspiring R&B singer and WSU student Jay Skipp. The music video is for Skipp’s most recent single “3 Rounds.”
“I decided to work with Riggs because he is a young, determined person just like myself,“ Skipp said. “It is very good to see more young people with a sense of where they want to go in life.”
Webb’s long-term goal is to make films that change the way African-American men are portrayed in today’s films.
“Today’s films lack the reality that every African-American male is not a gangster or drug dealer,” Webb said. “I respect Tyler Perry and his films because they give a sense of the real black family.”
Webb is a very motivated young man who is confident that he will go far in life.
“My goal is not to win an Oscar, my goal is to see how many Oscars can I win,” Webb said.
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