Meet Jack Walterman

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jack Walterman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Jack with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Looking back on my life thus far, I can attest that my work ethic has come from how my parents raised me. Over the years I watched as they balanced working together, as co-owners of a logistics company, in the office and at home. I witnessed their commitment to each other, the company, and our family which instilled a positive sense of hard work in me and influenced how I see the world today. From a young age, my parents were generous enough to expose me to as much as possible to explore what I would be interested in. I tried art, athletics, music, going to events, traveling, and so on. Eventually this culminated into my love of storytelling because art forms such as movies, TV, theatre, literature that tell stories could be about any of the experiences I was exposed to and more. Since I was allowed to discover what I cared about at a young age, I found it easy to work hard because it was always towards something I valued. I could follow through commitments and see a project from beginning to the end because of the teamwork my parents showed daily. The love they fostered within our home gave me the encouragement needed to stay patient, tenacious, and optimistic about my goals, which in turn strengthened my work ethic. I am grateful for my parents and would not be where I am as a filmmaker today without them.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a filmmaker. When writing/directing, I focus on the horror genre. In my opinion, I am not a scary person, but I have taken interest in exploring what audiences (including myself) find frightening through the safety of stories. Personally, the horror genre can be an exciting break from reality, where we are both entertained and learn something new about how different characters cope with terrifying obstacles in comparison to ourselves. I am currently developing two horror feature screenplays that both have characters with heart, fighting against horrifying odds. Sometimes I like to sneak comedy into my stories to offset the scares. What’s a friendly amusement park without the large, intimidating, roller coaster? Outside of narrative films, I also create music videos for artists like Courtney Govan (I Can See Your Voice, American Idol 21) and Sain Levrad (owner of Levraddigans Studios in Chicago).

When I am producing/assistant directing, I work mostly as an advocate for female filmmakers and collaborated on several short films including: AFF Finalist FATHER BY LAW dir. Maria De Sanctis; DGA student film award winner LA RUTA dir. Star Victoria; PAFF winner CODE_SWITCH dir. Sigin Ojulu; BREACH OF TRUST, a documentary acquired by Women Make Movies, centered around USC’s $1.1 Billion sexual assault case, which was released by the LA Times, dir. Mishal Mahmud; and currently raising funds for AGG, a debut feature film to be directed by Shaina Ghuraya.

I wanted to be a lifelong learner and filmmaking allows me to be just that. Stories can take us anywhere and be about anything. Because of this, I find them to be a fascinating way to get to know more about myself and how I want to live. Filmmaking also gives me an opportunity to travel and live outside of what I already know. I never feel stagnant. Instead, I get the opportunity to grow as an individual and as an artist with each new story.

Currently, I am on the road as a documentarian capturing the heart of LETTERS FROM HOME, a high energy, USO style, tap dancing duo that is traveling across all fifty states in hopes of uniting the nation through music. It is an exciting opportunity to blend my love of film, theatre, and travel into one gig. Between stops, I am raising funds for AGG, which will be the debut dark comedy feature film for my dear friend writer/director Shaina Ghuraya. On top of those two projects, I am also developing my own debut horror feature film, titled ORACLES, as the writer/director.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Compassion One night, during my sophomore year of college, my roommate was feeling overwhelmed and needed to open up about something he had been grappling with for several years. The uncertainty in his voice was evident as he disclosed his musical aspirations out loud for the first time. Right away, I stopped the homework I was doing and listened intently as he explained how he believed his artistic dreams were unreasonable due to growing up in the south side of Chicago. In an attempt to support him, I offered to direct, shoot, and edit his music videos. Regardless of the fact that I was a theatre arts major who had not touched a video camera in a year, he eagerly agreed. Together we purchased two inexpensive cameras and shot eighteen music videos during our undergrad career. Our schedules were full causing us to film thirteen of them in four days at the end of our junior year. What we lacked in budget, I made up for in creativity, making sure each video would be unique from the others. By our senior year, we recreated Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” music video – zombie backup dancers and all – which caught the attention of faculty who suggested I should consider a career in film/tv. After contemplating their recommendation, “Thriller” was used to apply for the University of Southern California’s Film/TV Production MFA program. My admittance letter read, “The Cinematic Arts faculty identified you as one of the more talented applicants in this year’s applicant pool.” This affirmation of my filmmaking potential was exciting. Two years prior when my roommate felt comfortable enough to share his musical aspirations, I had not intended to go to film school – filmmaking as a career felt out of reach – but in the end my dreams were now becoming a reality all because I had compassion for another friend’s dream.

Leadership
In middle school, a good friend of mine asked me to join Boy Scouts. Apprehensive, I decided I would give it a try. Starting a year behind the rest of my patrol, scouting quickly highlighted my capacity to have a strong work ethic. Leaning into my adaptability, tenacity, and kindness, I caught up to — and surpassed — my peers in rank. Eventually leading my entire troop with confidence, empathy, and humor. Over the six years I was on the hike to Eagle, I developed leadership skills and patience for teaching; a strong appreciation and respect for nature; along with a sense of friendly attentiveness to community, volunteering and giving back.

Tenacity
During my final semester at USC, the pandemic hit. As everything began shutting down, I made the difficult decision to leave Los Angeles and return to Minnesota and stay with family. With the world needing help, I wanted to make a positive difference and felt the medical field was the best option, so I began working as a pharmacy technician. For nearly two years I filled prescriptions, administered COVID-19 tests, and assisted with vaccinations. My innate gift for storytelling stayed alive as I got a second job working in health insurance and invested the money earned into purchasing my own film equipment. I went back to my roots of writing scripts and gathering my friends and family together again to tell stories like I did in elementary school, but now with the experience of USC’s MFA program. I ended up creating a web series (link to watch the episodes will be below) and wrote two feature screenplays. Although my plans changed and I had to pivot, my tenacity allowed me to stick with filmmaking while working two jobs until the world opened up enough to start freelancing.

Advice
The through line of the three qualities is determination. Inspirational speaker Alexander Den Heijer once said, “You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks a light in you.” If filmmaking is that spark for you, my advice is to keep making films no matter the quality. Write scripts, grab your phone/camera, and tell stories over and over and over again. You will learn by doing and as you gain experience be tenacious and push yourself to try something new with each project. Work hard, but do not forget to be a compassionate leader to the people you bring on your projects. Filmmaking is a collaborative art form and there is a world full of talent that loves storytelling as much as you do. Fan each other’s flame so that you may improve together.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am available and open to travel as a Writer/Director/Producer/Assistant Director/Production Assistant and looking to work with… …other filmmakers who are creating new works (Narrative or Documentary).
…artists/bands who are looking to make music videos.
…clients that would like a storyteller to help tell their product/services’ story in a clear, inviting, and entertaining way.
For business inquiries please contact: jmwaltermanpro@gmail.com

Contact Info:

Image Credits
“Center of Attention” and “Serotonin” Music Video Collages, Cinematography by Luke Sargent

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