Today we’d like to introduce you to Kamaya Walker.
Hi Kamaya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started a YouTube channel when I was in 8th grade because I knew I wanted to be famous. My mom saw this and signed me up for a STEM high school with a Broadcasting Pathway. My teacher (Ms. Mamane) gave us a research project for careers in the entertainment field and she assigned me to the Film Director job. I was researching it and realized that it was perfect for me. When I got to college (North Carolina A&T State University), I DMd Tracy Twinkie Byrd on Instagram and told her what I wanted to do. I was hoping that she would mentor me, but, instead, she said, “I can’t tell that you want to be a film director because you haven’t made anything”. She was right! In the next two weeks, I got a notification that a scholarship was open through a film festival. It was called “Girls in the World Film Fest”. They basically told me to make a short film about an issue affecting girls and women across the world. This inspired me to make my first short called “And That’s On Period”. It’s about a girl who has cystic fibroids and I really just wanted to discuss that the high mortality rate of black women in hospitals and other topics that can easily be misconstrued. I did not win or get showcased in that festival but I am happy to have that as my debut. It really set a standard for my future work. I have a short film that I just put out called “It’s That Season”. It is about the personification of depression and some who someone who is physically fighting it. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/
Then, during quarantine, I got overwhelmed because I had not made anything since then. I went to a directing class with the Atlanta Film Society and my homework for that class was to make a short film under two minutes. I made “Squeaky Clean Quarantine” which is about me cleaning my room. Even though I made it so that I would finally get up and clean my room, I wanted to give my audience something to do during the pandemic. I figured cleaning is definitely a project that would make people want to stay in the house and not go to super spreader events. When I got back to school for the FALL 2020 semester, I made commercials for random things around my room and that gave me a lot of exposure on campus. Suddenly, people were coming up to me saying “Hey aren’t you that girl that makes commercials? I love your work!”. It was so gratifying because I would hear these compliments most when I was down in the dumps and I really needed that. Lastly, for a school project, I made my first documentary called “Rolling Stare”. My school has a pretty large skate scene and I wanted to give them their credit. I often see people staring and pointing but I never see them getting any recognition. One of the people in the film even said that she gets nervous to skate on campus, so I wanted to relieve and others of that stress. I am the CEO of Kamera Ready Productions now. My production company is made to showcase blackwork and educate black people and big topics that need to be heard. Currently, I am taking a pause on production to focus on pre-production and my studies.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has NOT been a smooth road. However, I will say my road has been smoother than others. I was Salutatorian of my high school, which gave me a lot of scholarships. I had to keep up my good grades for these scholarships while also coming up with content and my teachers picked up on that. As a result, they gave me all these resources and sent to me to so many people to network with. Physically, it has been amazing. However, mentally, it has been draining. I suffer from generalized anxiety, so I am always panicking about what will come next and occasionally, I will get depressed if I see no end or outcome. The film festival and internship rejections don’t necessarily make it better. But I have learned to really appreciate the little things. The small wins have gotten me through!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a filmmaker and I specialize in editing. I have been editing for six years now. People at school know me for taking their ideas to the next level with my editing but I am mostly a director. I organize everything!! My teachers can attest that I am not the one that settles in the back. If I see a project that needs to be done, I am the one leading. I even lead other people’s projects if I am asked because people know that I’m not gonna shy away being an efficient leader. I am most proud of my film festival showcases. I was showcased in Gary International Film Festival, PVAMU Festival on the Hill, and SE Pennsylvania Teen Film Showcase. It makes me even happier when I realize that I’m only 19. I have done so much, so I can only imagine what my future holds. The thing that sets me apart has to be my gumption. I am so positive yet determined. I try not to back away from a challenge. Once I’m in, I’m in 100% and I’m gonna do it with a smile no matter how difficult it may be.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
This is great question considering I am also just starting out. I would say keep your head up. Shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. You’ll never know if you never try. All of those corny cliches actually hold some weight. Believe in yourself more than anything because if you don’t? Then who will? At the very beginning, I did not believe in myself because it didn’t seem plausible, but I am blessed enough to have a village behind me who is always going to look out for me. They all believed in me before I did and that’s what helped me. I wish I had known that sooner, but I don’t regret not knowing.
Contact Info:
- Email: walker.kamaya@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kamerareadyprod?igshid=v5b380m163w1
- Youtube: twitter.com/kamsayshi
- Other: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Q5lZ0C_Oy57uPfS6Qc_XI0jZn9zK4iSU
