Today we’d like to introduce you to Calvin Walker.
Calvin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started creating content at a very young age. I wrote, produced, directed and starred in my first play when I was in fifth grade. Since then, I’ve been creating content within different mediums including music, books, and film.
In 2009, I founded Watchmen Media Productions. The vision was to create a company that created bold Christian content. I’d always been a fan of raw, honest and in-your-face storytelling. However, I felt that this was not happening in Christian spaces. So, I wanted to create a company that told these kinds of stories with Christ in mind. Over the years, we’ve expanded our vision to include art about social issues.
My debut novel, The Gallery, was self-published and released through Watchmen Media Productions. It became our first release. To help with marketing, a friend of mine, Victor Barnes, helped create a book trailer with still photographs. A couple of months after creating the initial trailer, Victor came back to me and suggested that we bring a portion of the novel to life with actors. Our second book trailer became my first short film. It was a beautiful accident that pushed me into film production. Furthermore, it made me an award-winning filmmaker.
Since my first short film in 2012, I’ve been blessed to work on multiple short films, webseries, and local television shows in the capacity of writer, director, assistant director or producer. In 2017, I officially opened up a new function of WMP. WMCastingGroup is a casting company that is able to cast commercials, films, stageplays, etc. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve completed six projects.
Film isn’t the only thing we do. We are, also, blessed to manage some amazing acts. We have two artists under our umbrella: Rayanna Walker (singer), and Ms. Beauty4Roots (spoken word artist). We’ve been working hard to establish their brand in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area and beyond.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it’s not been a smooth road.
I’ve had several struggles on my journey. The most profound struggle has been finances. This is true of most entrepreneurs. I started my business a month before my first daughter was born. I was an agent in a contact center. Suffice it to say, the dough wasn’t rolling in. My family has grown too. I’m now the proud father of three beautiful children.
Over the last eight years, I’ve stayed within the customer service industry. It’s gratifying. However, I can’t say that it supplies me with the kind of money that allows me to divide my earnings between my family and my company. So, what that means is I do a lot of bartering. I’ve worked to foster good relationships with other industry professionals in the area. I’ve sought out investors as well. The investor process is a beast within itself.
One of my other big struggles has been finding opportunities within the area. Austin is the place where film happens in Texas. LA is the place where film happens in the US.
Dallas is known for its commercials and industrial work. So, finding the kind of work that I wanted to be involved with has proven to be difficult. However, the solution has been simple – create your own content.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company is a production company that produces content and manages artists. We specialize in creating quality content that is thought provoking. We are known for creating intimate art house projects that allow people of color to be seen in introspective stories. I’m most proud that we are helping to change the African American narrative in film for the local Dallas community. I think the thing that sets us apart from the others is our dedication to quality content.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was interested in everything artistic. I was, also, very interested in social injustice and the law.
I was an inquisitive kid. I liked challenging the status quo. I loved church.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.watchmenmediaproductions.com
- Phone: 8068319048
- Email: calvin@watchmenmediaproductions.com
- Instagram: watchmenmedia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CalvinJWalker
- Twitter: watchmenmedia
Image Credit:
Fredonja Anderson
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