Teen of the Week: Patrick McNamara

To discover young artists, look for their paintings on the walls of a hot gallery or museum. To find up-and-coming filmmakers, click on www.youtube.com.

Or, more likely, some of the best music video directors around: Spike Jonz, David Fincher and Mark Romanek.

The past year, this teen has filmed and uploaded 35 videos to YouTube. Eleven of them are remixes of popular music videos. In his version of KT Tunstall's song, 'Suddenly I See,' two of his cousins, Caroline and Anne-Marie Coe, lip synch the words while strolling near a fountain at DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C. The camera cuts seamlessly between the two women as they sing, the result of good editing.

'A year ago, there was a music video contest sponsored by the band Coldplay. They wanted a music video to go with their song ‘Lost.' I made my first video,' said Patrick. 'My submission didn't win, but it got a lot of positive response.'

Patrick does a lot of remixes of songs, short films and makes videos for the Youth Ministry, like a promotion for the Catholic Heart Work Camp.

For the school's Environmental Club, he made a video titled, 'I Think I Should Recycle.'

When creating a film, Patrick writes an outline, along with the lyrics, site of each shot, props and a costume list. His small company named Leppy JD Productions is staffed by two of his younger brothers, Christopher, 16, a junior; and Timothy, 15, a sophomore. 'The idea for the music video comes from listening to the music,' he said. 'The song picks me and I get the ideas for the mood, locations and characters.' Each video usually takes two days to shoot and at least six hours to edit down to 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Afterward, his classmates — the real critics — weigh in. He listens to their comments and incorporates them into the next project.

This past summer he worked as an assistant to Brooks Moore, co-owner of the Baltimore production firm, Bonnemaison. The company was shooting an educational Web site video for Verizon at the Baltimore Convention center.

Patrick's filmmaking earned him the XEROX Award for Innovation & Information Technology from the University of Rochester. And, for the first time since 2000, he is the only St. Mary's student to simultaneously earn the school's Awards for citizenship, leadership and service.

Recently, the nascent filmmaker got an early acceptance notification from his first choice college, Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. There, he plans to major in communications and minor in film.

Noting that Patrick is leading his classmates at a November Kairos retreat, a three-day program for high school seniors, Ginny Dauses, his campus minister, said: 'Patrick is a dedicated young man who goes out of his way to help others whether at church, school or in the community.

'He knows who he is and isn't afraid to be himself. This is a young man who puts Christ first, then his family, and then his friends. He has his priorities in check.'

'One of the things that make Patrick so remarkable is the fact that he manages to balance just about everything,' said Matt Martelli, who has served multiple roles as Patrick's teacher, director, club moderator and retreat leader.

'Patrick stands out among his peers not just because he is remarkably talented, but also because he has no desire to stand out.

'He is the model team player, sidelines supporter and behind-the-scenes wizard as much as he is the very capable team captain and leading man.'

Patrick has trod the boards at the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre in 'What Do You Mean By That?' a six one-act play series written and directed by St. Mary's students. Patrick was cast in four of the plays. He tested his acting wings as Rooster in the school's spring musical production of 'Annie.'

He is captain of the varsity swim team, and is a team member on the varsity tennis and soccer teams.

For the past four years, in season, he's scooped the competition with a job at Rita's Italian Ice. 'Even with his hectic schedule, Patrick somehow finds time to work two to four days a week, making him one of my most reliable employees,' said manager Luke Roppel.

'He has a personality that allows him to talk to all of our customers with an ease that is not usually seen.'

Patrick lives in St. Margarets with his parents and five younger siblings. In addition to Christopher and Timothy, there is John-Paul, 13; Ana, 12; and Kristina, 10. All are St. Mary's students.

Since 1986, his father, Ronald McNamara, has served as a policy adviser for the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, a government agency responsible for monitoring human rights compliance in 56 countries in Eurasia and North America.

His mother, Beatriz, a native of Madrid, teaches Spanish at St. Mary's Middle and Elementary schools.

Beyond becoming a music video producer when he graduates from college, Patrick wants to 'inspire teens through my music videos with productions that are meaningful and tell a story.'

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Anyone may nominate a Teen of the Week. If you have a nomination, send an e-mail to Wendi Winters at Teen@quantumstep.com.