Annalee Walton

Unaffiliated

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
Does a commercial for my dad’s work count? Gotta start somewhere!

How did you get into directing?
I’m an only child of two very loving and anxious parents who didn’t really know what to do with me and my fabulously random talents. Out of an abundance of caution, they took me to an aptitude testing place to see if THEY knew what to do with me. After a couple days of analyzing things like my finger dexterity and how many objects I could envision a Q-tip to become, the psychologist suggested my ADHD would fit well in the film industry. I went to film school and it had my attention span in an absolute chokehold. I didn’t have the patience to specialize in anything like Production Design or Editing, so figured bossing everyone around as a director would be more fun.

What is your most recent project?
I just finished a comedy commercial that I fabricated a giant monster worm out of plastic bags that explodes and pushes the actor out of frame. Fabricating my own VFX and figuring out exactly how they will be executed on set has become a big part of my process. I’m endlessly curious about how stunts and gags will work physically.

My poor fiancé lived with hundreds of bags in our apartment for a month. We’ve use old props I’ve made as home decor pieces (the broken arm from Freeze Tag holds our remote controls).

I’m also revisiting narrative and currently writing a short about a 20-something aspiring actress who becomes desperate for the attention of the beloved neighborhood stray cat who has chosen to reject her. It is loosely autobiographical…

What is the best part of being a director?
Working with people who are way better than me and like to tell me so. Keeps me humble.

What is the worst part of being a director?
Being the final decision maker. We all go into this industry to entertain people, but being a director is balancing what you think an audience will enjoy and what you personally enjoy. If I asked what everybody else thought about a joke or storyline I’d drive myself insane. And you could be (and probably will be) horribly horribly wrong in a creative choice; we all know that crushing silence when a joke doesn’t land in a theater. But as a director, you gotta own your choices, learn, adapt, and know when to let go of your ego (…Even though that joke was actually really funny and they just didn’t get it maybe they were just in a weird mood IDK it’s fine).

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
I’m currently zoned in on commercials and branded content. I specialize in physical comedy and in-camera VFX. I’d say my humor style is quite quirky, but very wholesome. I want to make content that a mother and son can watch together and both laugh equally as hard.

Making commercial content right now is such an art because we as consumers have gotten really good at tuning a lot of it out. Making refreshing content that breaks the noise, feels genuine, and also tells the story of the brand is a total blast to me.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
My editor and fiancé ((cringe, but awwww)) Sylvan. I loved film school but honestly didn’t learn a lot of practical advice on how to survive in the industry and keep making work while you have a day job. He’s been my life coach for so many years at this point, thank goodness I locked him down for life because I really can’t afford to pay a life coach. It really matters to have someone in your corner who “sees the vision” of the career you want and is rooting for you at every step.

He’s a big tech guy and early adopter so I’m constantly learning new technical tools from him that make my crazy ideas possible. I’m the bonkers dreamer and he’s the dream maker. Like recently, I wanted to record 10-15 unique voice over lines from different characters/ages/dialects but couldn’t afford to hire 10-15 people. He already had subscribed to Eleven Labs that uses AI to manipulate voices into different personalities so I acted the lines and then the program spit it out as an 80 year old Brooklyn man. Who the heck knew!

Oh and also another mentor is YouTube. God bless YouTube.

Who is your favorite director and why?
I can’t just give one answer so….

• Narrative: Spielberg (I mean duh), Elaine May (and her entire non-directing career), Christopher Nolan (shooting his first movie on weekends over the course of a year is so real), Noah Baumbach, Rob Reiner, Nancy Meyers, Frank Capra, the Daniels (fellow YouTube alums)
• Commercial/TV: Autumn de Wilde, Alex Prager, Kim Gehrig, Shawn Levy, Michelle MacLaren

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?
Favorite Movie: It’s A Wonderful Life
Favorite TV: Key and Peele
Favorite Commercial: The Bear & The Hare for John Lewis 2013 and HomePod – “Welcome Home” by Spike Jonze

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I grew up in Texas with very creative parents who really fostered my individuality. My parents always committed to the bit—I believe in Santa Claus until I was 13 because they were so good at elaborate stunts. When I lost a tooth, my mom would write a tiny note from the Tooth Fairy and sprinkle “tooth dust” on a silver dollar. I’ve had a hard time growing up, childhood was so much more fun. I went to SMU in Dallas my first year and learned Dallas wasn’t weird enough for me and transferred to NYU Film School. Ended up being a Producer and AD for years. BEWARE: when you’re a woman who can get s*** done, you might get pigeonholed into producing everyone else’s films but yours. I built a Producing career in commercials and animation. I learned so much from animators-like the importance of animatics! I make an animatic for almost everything I do now. It makes shot listing and the edit much less stressful cause you know what you exactly what you’re going for and there’s less risk.

My first job in the industry was at The Weinstein Company and I was there when it imploded so that was…crazy. I’ve done all types of bonkers gigs like stilt walking in the East Village Halloween Parade and produced overnight challenges for giant YouTubers.

Have you had occasion to bring your storytelling/directorial talent to bear in the Metaverse, tapping into the potential of AR, VR, AI, NFTs and/or experiential fare? If so, tell us about that work and what lessons you have taken away from the experience?
I’d love to shoot virtual production someday!

I have utilized creative AI tools like Runway, Midjourney, Eleven Labs, etc.. As a DIY filmmaker who really prefers to get things in camera, I’m also usually on a tight budget. Some of these tools have really allowed me to achieve things I didn’t think were possible for less than a fortune. I know there is a big aversion and apprehension of some of these AI tools available, rightfully so, but I really am hopeful that if we master these tools (rather than they mastering us, beep boop bop) we can unlock the next chapter of creativity and storytelling.

Contact

Website: annaleewalton.com
Contact Annalee via email here