J.R. Bookwalter's filmmaking journey began at the tender age of 11 years old in Akron, Ohio, where he was raised on the classic soap opera Dark Shadows, which his mother watched religiously. Born on August 16th, 1966, Bookwalter's early life was marked by his fascination with the world of filmmaking.
After graduating high school in 1984, Bookwalter took photography classes at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he honed his skills for two years. However, a robbery at his apartment just a week into his second year led him to reconsider his future, and he soon found himself returning home.
It was during this time that Bookwalter made contact with filmmaker Sam Raimi, who would go on to finance his first feature-length film, The Dead Next Door, which took nearly four years to complete. The production finally wrapped in Los Angeles, where Bookwalter crossed paths with producer David DeCoteau, who was in the early stages of starting a distribution company.
Between 1989 and 1992, Bookwalter wrote, directed, produced, scored, or mixed the sound for nine features and four special interest videos for DeCoteau. In 1991, Bookwalter used the skills he had learned from DeCoteau to start Tempe Entertainment and began self-distributing his features, including the critically-acclaimed Ozone in 1993.
Throughout his career, Bookwalter has demonstrated his versatility by taking on a wide range of roles, from acting to explosives work, makeup effects, lighting, and cinematography. He has also had the opportunity to work with a variety of talented individuals, including Raimi, DeCoteau, John A. Russo, and Charles Band, which has taught him when to cut corners in the name of a low-cost movie and when to work harder in the name of art.
Bookwalter's experiences have given him a unique perspective on the world of low-budget filmmaking, and he continues to be a driving force in the industry, always pushing the boundaries of what is possible with limited resources.
