We were lucky to catch up with Brenda Walker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brenda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project to me was my recent short film, NAKED. The story discusses topics experienced by Black women, such as Colorism, Codependency, Competition, and Body Image.
I always knew that I wanted to write a story that was centered around Black women. So, once the pandemic hit, I had nothing but time to do so. Then the process of creating NAKED began. I conducted a research project where I interviewed a diverse group of 50 Black women ranging in different ages, tones, career paths, and economic statuses. I asked them about their personal experience with those four topics (Colorism, Codependency, Competition, and Body Image).
Of the women interviewed, 75% of the women related to all four areas. Then 100% of the women related to at least 2. It allowed me to conclude that we needed to normalize these conversations within our community. I then was fortunate to find two amazing writers/producers, Jessica Austin and Siddy Morgan, to help me tell this story.

Over a few months, we all wrote the script and then raised money to complete the film. We premiered the film this past May and are now strategizing distribution options to expose the film to a broader audience. NAKED normalizes the conversation of mental health among Black women and sends the message that we are not alone in our experiences. All women have something they struggle with; this film highlights the beauty of healing, unity, and discussing our insecurities! I genuinely believe that the project is a visual representation of the vulnerability that unifies the experience of Black womanhood.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My first exposure to visual storytelling was during my sophomore year of high school. I had the opportunity to attend a weeklong summer camp at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, MI. Before that camp, I didn’t know much about filmmaking or how much went into it. The process of writing, creating a shot list, figuring out lighting, and editing in post-production was all new to me, and it was so fascinating!

At that camp, I realized that I loved the process of creating. Fast forward to my junior year of high school, I had the idea to put on a concert production. I went to a very academic-focused school. It inspired me to want to create something that was a combination of different artistic mediums, something different for my peers to see. I assembled a concert production where the theme was a tribute to female African American artists. It consisted of dancing, singing, and poetry. Even though it wasn’t a film or television project, I was taking on similar responsibilities to those of media producers. I recruited talent, led all rehearsals, organized the performances, promoted the show, and directed the backstage activities. Throughout the process, I was overcome with a feeling of exhilaration. I loved getting things from Plan A to Plan B and ensuring everything was executed perfectly. After that experience, I realized that I had a talent for producing.

My passion for producing within film and television was confirmed later when I was given the opportunity to co-produce Season 2 of an independent web series, “Profiles in Color.” “Profiles in Color” is a series that highlights successful African Americans by detailing their journey and career obstacles through short interview episodes. As a producer, my responsibilities included choosing the interviewees, the videographer, editor, booking venues, conducting interviews, handling the paperwork, and ensuring everything were to the Executive Producer’s liking.

By my senior year of high school, I had a clear idea of my purpose. I wanted to produce stories with the intent of having an influence or leaving an impact. I soon learned that working in the storytelling business was all about networking! So, I went to different networking mixers around my city, Detroit, and began to pick up Assistant Producer/Production Assistant gigs on independent film projects.
Fast forward to college, I maintained my goal of pursuing my dream of working in the industry. I produced/created a short film, gained professional experience from amazing media internships such as Warner Media and Vertigo Entertainment, and continued networking/building relationships with media professionals.
I’m glad to say the hard work paid off. After graduating college a year early, I secured a job at United Talent Agency in Los Angeles, CA. I currently work as a TV Literary Assistant and am loving this phase of my journey.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being in a creative industry is your impact and influence on society. Art is a language that everyone can speak and easily understand. It speaks to everyone in different ways, whether through music, paintings, poetry, or film/tv. What attracts me the most about visual storytelling is the sense of community it brings to its viewers.

How many times have you found yourself crying after a movie has ended? Or feeling like a piece of you has died once a tv show concludes? We know these stories are fiction, and the characters we feel attached to are not real. Yet we form an emotional connection every time we watch our favorite movie or tv show. That is the most rewarding part of being a creative; you can build relationships with any audience through your creative work and leave an impact in a unique and influential way.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I made the decision that I wanted to work in the entertainment industry, I knew that moving to LA would be a part of my journey. The heart of the creative world lies within California. However, the thought of moving across the country with no family or friends used to scare the shit out of me. Detroit was all I knew, so living in LA felt like a fantasy. I also didn’t come from a family with the greatest financial background or attend fancy film school, so I had no idea how I would make it happen. However, that never stopped me from saying it. Whenever somebody asked me what my plans were after college, I always said I was moving to California. I didn’t know how, when, etc.; all I knew was that I would make it happen.

I first understood that I needed my resume to be up to par. I gained a lot of unique experience within independent filmmaking through my passion projects and involvement in the Detroit film scene. However, I knew I needed some internship experience from big-name companies to ensure my resume stood out. After dozens of rejections, I was finally offered two big internships during my last semester of college—one at Warner Media and the other at Vertigo Entertainment, the production company behind movies such as IT and Don’t Worry Darling.

Both offered me the opportunity to expand my network further, so I decided to do them simultaneously. However, one of them was unpaid. I knew that if I was going to move after college, I would need to save money. So on top of film projects, classes, and my two internships. I waitressed on the weekends to save up money. Some weeks were more challenging than others, but I always kept my vision and goals in mind.

Besides having money and a good resume, I knew I needed a job to make this move to LA. Even though it is possible and quite normal to move to LA with no job or exact plan, I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to see if I could land something before moving there.

After a few networking sessions and talking with mentors, I applied for an entry-level position for one of entertainment’s top representation agencies, UTA (United Talent Agency). They represent a range of breathtaking talents, including one of my favorite creators, Issa Rae.

In addition to this, agencies are indeed the center of the industry. I would be in the middle of the business side of entertainment and was excited about how much I could learn.

After three long interviews, I got the job! The next thing I knew, two months after graduating college, I moved across the country and started living the vision I spoke into existence. When you first have this big goal you want to accomplish, understand that it’s okay not to have all the what’s, how’s, etc., on how you’re going to make it happen.

Acknowledge that you want it to happen, and you will. Through patience, consistency, and resilience, you’ll notice that your vision starts to piece itself together. Then before you know it, you’ll be pinching yourself, wondering how you got there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brendamwalker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geniusb_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-walker-765364156/