Meet Julia Byers | Filmmaker, Writer, & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia Byers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Pursuing a creative career honestly wasn’t even really a decision – I’ve always loved the arts and I filled my childhood with as many creative activities as there was time for. My mom talks about how, back before I knew how to write, I’d follow her around with paper and a pencil to force her to take down my stories for me. Creating art is the closest thing we have to magic and it has always been so intrinsically a part of my life, I can’t imagine working in a non-creative field. I made my first career in children’s book publishing, where I had the honor of working with a number of brilliant authors and illustrators. When I decided to change careers, I chose filmmaking because it’s such a group project; the only thing cooler than making magic on your own is making magic with other people. I’m currently in the final year of my MFA in Film & Television Production at the University of Southern California – School of Cinematic Arts and I can’t wait to move into working on professional productions once I graduate.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The thing that sets me apart as a filmmaker is the fact that I got my start in books. I wrote my first novel when I was thirteen and once I grew up I spent nearly a decade working on the business side of publishing. Along the way, I picked up a camera and started doing photography as well. This background has given me a keen understanding of how to tell a story both on the page and visually, which has been crucial in my development as a screenwriter and filmmaker.

What I’m both most proud of and most excited about are the three capstone short films I’ve had the privilege to write while at USC. Two are about to begin their festival runs – “The Things I Leave Behind” (a drama) and “Dear Mr. Hitman” (a comedy) – while the third, “Catch Me If You Can” (another drama), will go into production this fall. I just got the news yesterday about the third film being selected for production and I am absolutely mind-blown that USC is giving me this many opportunities to see my work come to fruition. I also have been and continue to be so lucky to get to work with such talented directors, producers, crews, and casts on each of these projects. One of my best friends, Yu-Hsuan Ting, and I even got to sound design “Dear Mr. Hitman” together, which was probably the highlight of my entire time at USC.

It definitely hasn’t been easy to get to where I am today. My life’s dream for as long as I can remember was to be an author. I had a number of near misses, but in over a decade of trying to get published, I never quite got there. Making the decision to temporarily shelve that dream in order to pursue my MFA in film production was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It also was the best decision I’ve ever made. Because of that, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is resilience. I’ve learned that if you keep working hard despite the setbacks and heartbreaks, you might not get to where you originally intended to go, but you’ll still end up somewhere pretty amazing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite part of LA is how accessible outdoor activities are. We’d probably spend the better part of the week hiking, exploring areas like Culver City and Old Pasadena, going to the beach, and relaxing by the pool. I’d also make sure to take my bestie to at least one museum – the Academy Museum is a personal favorite – and we’d probably try to hit a comedy show or two. My favorite dinner spots are the outdoor mall at Little Tokyo, the Farmer’s Market at The Grove, In-n-Out, or (if you’re celebrating a special occasion) Bacari Silverlake. You can never go wrong with a little dessert from Salt & Straw, too! If there’s still time after all of that, we’d head to Disney.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my film school friends! I’ve learned so much from their knowledge, talent, and drive and it has been a joy to grow as a filmmaker alongside them the past few years. I’d be remiss to not also mention my incredible support network at large, from the friends who have been there for me since my publishing days, to my ever encouraging family, to the rock that is my new dog Beatrice. Finally, the biggest thank you to the ones who loved and supported me until we lost them: my grandparents, aunt Rachel, and dog Sammy. I wouldn’t be here without them and they are there in every decision I make.

Website: https://www.byjuliabyers.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/byjuliabyers

Image Credits
Hollings Rankin, Sebastien Chiu