It was just a weekend gig, but it didn’t matter.

For a half dozen Saturdays this December, 17-year-old Zachary Broyles of Clinton was a star.

“Black Top Dreams,” produced by T-Town Productions, directed by Matthew Scott and written by Blaine Scott, follows Broyles’ lead character Jay Redding as he battles virtue and family drama.

Set and shot in Tacoma, the 40-minute movie follows Redding as he dreams of using his basketball skills to get out of Tacoma and make his dream a reality. While Jay is dreaming, however, his brother Jason returns from jail and brings back some of his old troubles with him.

The plot thickens. Will the brothers be able to resist the temptations of drugs and violence? Will Jay Redding be able to out shine the city that his father was never able to step away from? Only a little envelope and the question of believing in miracles can tell.

In watching the movie, it’s evident why Broyles was cast. Even in his acting infancy, Broyles shines above the production. While the camera work is shaky, the editing somewhat sloppy and the sound levels are off kilter, Broyles shows hints of definite promise.

“We watched the film in our advocacy class and I could tell that he really has a future,” said Jean Shaw, a Bayview teacher and veteran drama teacher for the South Whidbey School District. “He’s very real in this. He gets totally into his character without going over the top.”

Broyles said the movie’s director and producers made the most of what they had. Much footage was lost after the film wrapped, so post-production went better than expected, he said.

“I know there were probably better shots out there somewhere, but I know we’re lucky to have what ended up on screen,” he said.

When not acting, Broyles is doing double duty attending Bayview School in the mornings and South Whidbey High School in the afternoons. He’s playing catch-up on credits to guarantee he can graduate with the class of 2006 this June.

“It’s really important to me to graduate with my class,” Broyles said.

Previous to “Black Top Dreams,” Broyles’ acting credits have been limited, but he says he’s just getting warmed up.

“I really want acting to be a part of my future,” he said.

His previous roles have predominantly been on the community theater stage. He’s had parts in Whidbey Children’s Theater’s “The Music Man,” “The Wizard of Oz,” up at Whidbey Playhouse, and a couple of Bayview School productions including “Murder at the Banquet.”

The play experiences, and a taste for acting on screen in Jordan Albertson’s “The Standard v.15” and full-length “The Standard,” taught Broyles a preference for film.

“There’s just more of a connection in film because I can convey my feelings in a more intimate way, versus having an audience that is shouting distance away,” Broyles said.

The young actor said that since finding “Black Top Dreams,” and an acting stint on the November indie shoot “Meet the Professor,” he’s especially smitten with the independent film format.

“It’s more relaxed and flexible,” he said. “There’s more opportunities for creativity.”

Acting has always been an ambition for Broyles.

His uncle, Walter von Huene, who works in California as an actor, producer and child acting coach, helped give Broyles the acting bug.

“I’d always heard of his work and always known I’d wanted to do that, too, so I began to look into it,” Broyles said. “There’s just something about being able to become another person or thing when you take on a role.”

The Clinton actor landed his film roles after his mother, Linda, spotted the gigs on an all-call actors board.

“My mom’s great, so supportive. She’s basically my manager with how much she helps me to find jobs and get me to auditions and the shoots,” Broyles said.

It was actually during an audition call for a different Matthew Scott-directed film that Broyles was cast for the lead in “Black Top Dreams.”

“I wasn’t really fitting the other film, but he told me about ‘Black Top Dreams,’ and how it was a drama and a bigger part,” Broyles said. “I really connected with the story early on.”

The movie was shot on Saturdays in December and January. It was an educational and extremely cold time for Broyles.

“Most of the time it was so cold. But it was really cool being able to see it all come together,” he said. “I really tried to make this script my own.”

“Black Top Dreams” premiered Jan. 18 at Portland’s Hollywood Theatre.

It was a whirlwind affair with Broyles and his mom, who drove down for the showing and premiere party before scurrying back up I-5 to make the 1:30 a.m. ferry. Zachary had school the next day.

“It was really encouraging being a part of it all, and I learned a lot about myself,” Broyles said.

Post “Black Top Dreams,” Broyles said he will continue to search out roles to help diversify his acting experience.

“When I first got into it I was being picky and wouldn’t try out for things, but now I really wish I had tried for more because I realize I limited myself,” he said. “Right now I’m enjoying being able to get feedback and build up my resume.”

The auditions are also helping Broyles narrow that screen acting focus even more.

“I can really connect with dramas more than comedy,” he said. “But I see how gaining experience in a lot of different types of acting is important. I hope to keep it up, maybe even go to the bigs and make it in Hollywood.”

Until those suntanned directors start calling, Broyles is keeping a level head about things. He’s strict about finishing high school and plans to enroll in cosmetology school after graduation.

This week he had an interview with the Milan Academy and is waiting to hear back from others, such as the Aveda Institute. The new learning process and career is a smart move Broyles is eagerly anticipating.

“It’s a good way to make money while I’m pursuing acting and have something to fall back on in case it doesn’t work out — plus I’ll always have work because who doesn’t need to feel beautiful?” he said.

Broyles is waiting for his girlfriend to graduate from high school and then the duo plan to travel down to California together. In the mean time, look for Zachary Broyles’ name to grace the cast lists of more local films and for one Clinton teen to keep asking, “Do you believe in miracles?”