Meet A.M. Walters | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with A.M. Walters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi A.M., what’s your definition for success?
I define success by being happy with what you have. If you are in a place in life where you are excited to go to work, find the joy the other daily tasks, and able to have fun when you please is a dream come true. Instead of seeing things you have to do as a chore, you see it as, “i am so happy I get to do this.” Being genuinely happy with what is in front of you defines success to me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I thankfully feel I am on a good start in terms of my career. Something that I am proud of is that I recently received my bachelors degree in Television/Film and Media studies at California State University Los Angeles. Going to college is what helped me expand my knowledge in the craft and make connections with people that would lead to many opportunities to work on film sets. Another thing I am proud of is that last year, I wrote and directed a feature film of a Stephen King short story titled “The Stationary Bike” and I feel that was a stepping stone to start off my professional career. However, this was not the first film I have made. My passion for filmmaking started when I was a child. I would write stories and gather friends and family members to record little horror videos based on the stories I wrote with a good ol’ 2000’s camcorder. I have known ever since the age of nine I wanted to pursue filmmaking and I have always done everything I could to do so. With this, I am excited to take on more opportunities to work on film sets and to make my own stories come to life and make my inner child proud. Once I started college, I was able to take myself more seriously. I pushed myself to make friends and talk to people that would then turn into opportunities to work on sets. This was a challenge for me, because I grew up being very shy. However, to overcome this, I reminded myself of how bad I have always wanted to be a part of this industry and to do that I have to put myself in situations that will push me to grow. When doing this, I was very humbled. I then understood that there’s more to filmmaking than just having a camera and an actor. There are several factors that lead into making movies that I have learned. I’ve learned to stay open to ideas and possibilities on how to make something better and it is important to make on the spot decisions and be a problem solver because you never know what would come up on set. Getting out of your shell and talking to people will get you far. I want the world to know that I’m always ready for something new; I look forward to new challenges and new opportunities and to continue growing as a filmmaker.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take my best friend to Monsterpalooza. This is a horror movie convention that lasts for three days in Pasadena. One of the places we would eat it is a dine-in restaurant called Urth Caffe and go out for drinks at a bar called Grand Star Jazz Club in Downtown LA. I love places that involve adrenaline like amusement parks, arcades or hiking, and also entertaining sites like museums, the beach, or the movie theater.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my friends and family, my professor from CSULA Dalila Droege, and my mentor Walt Perez.

Instagram: amwalters12