Meet Andretti Dante

Thanks for sharing your story with us Andretti. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Well, I first fell in love with film back when I was a young kid in daycare and elementary school back in good ol’ San Antonio, TX. My love was summers staying at my grandma’s house in Marshall, TX close to the Dallas/Fort Worth area in northern Texas and as we called my grandma Gammy. Gammy and I will go to the video store and rent movies and she would always let me pick out a movie or two that I wanted to watch. Sitting watching those movies with her and seeing her reaction or our and family members reactions to movies was always such a thrill for me to be lost in these worlds for hours. I would get my toys and make my own films I will be moving them around as if it was a movie. But when I was in the 2nd grade and saw Back to the Future that one Saturday morning, my mind exploded. I remember running into the kitchen and telling my mom how I saw on TV this car that will go back in time and then to the future etc. My mom said and I will never forget “Boy thats movie magic they do that in Hollywood,” and that is when I just knew I wanted to move to Hollywood and do movie magic. Back in school, when we had to do reports on what we wanted to be when we grew up. Most people will do theirs about being teachers, doctors, cops, lawyers, playing major sports. But when I will do mines, I will say I wanted to move to Hollywood and do movie magic. Then I will never forget in the 5th grade we did the D.A.R.E. school play and I played the head drug dealer/bully in the play. The reaction it got from the audience(parents, teachers and fellow students) gave me a rush that was electric the way everyone was coming up to me saying how much they loved the play and how awesome my character was made me feel amazing to give people that thrill ride. Then many many MANY years later when I saw Mr. Peters for the last time he told me how he watched that play with his family every Christmas because his daughter was in the play as well and how much he loved my character and it always makes the family get excited when they knew my character was about to come on screen. That really stood out to me and made me feel so happy to touch someone in that way. So I get to high school and my freshman year 1st day of class, I will never forget being in Mr. Jeffers class and he said to turn on the TV. They turn on the TV and it was the school program called ECTV where I saw kids I went to school with on the TV doing news about my school. My mind was blown away. The whole time I am thinking they went to Hollywood and doing movie magic. I asked Mr. Jeffers “How are they doing that?” that is when he said it was a class to go talk to my counselor. I left his class in the middle of it and went to my counselor and got in the Broadcast Production class that is when I met one of my biggest influencers Mrs. Ussery who was the teacher of the program and taught me so much while giving me the tools and really opened my mind to the world of filmmaking. I talking about editing tape to tape filming on VHS cameras etc and learning about lighting and how to make things make sense on camera that are not normal everyday life things we do. It was a whole new world. It carried over to me in Orlando, FL and going to Full Sail University getting my degree in film. That was one of the greatest things I ever did in my life. I learned so much and the tools and education they gave was PRICELESS. But more importantly, was the friendships that I made that will turn into brotherhood for life with my childhood friend Ben introducing me to G-Wiz, Fleezy, Raul, Jim and a few more people who are still my homie homies till this day. I graduated from Full Sail and literally walked the stage and jumped in the car and drove back to San Antonio, TX because I had to be at work on that Monday at Fox News in San Antonio. I worked there for a few years doing everything from the nightly news to Spurs games, commercials etc. But working there was rough when you are doing news segments or got a camera in the face of friends family members talking about your friend who was murdered or getting arrested for murder etc. That really was a tough thing and I knew that wasn’t me. Thats when after a little time I moved to Orange County where Ben my childhood friend since the 6th grade and college buddies Wiz, Fleezy, Raul etc were already living and succeeding in the music world. I will go on to shoot my first film with an extreme shoestring budget and put the film on myspace and youtube this is back when those sites were more just kids and dogs on the videos. People were tripped out I put a full movie on there to watch for free but I figured that was my way of getting content out there for people to see. That is when I will go on to make my own 106 and Park/TRL with a show called Muzik Nation that will showcase underground musicians and give them a platform to show their videos and perform. This is way back in 2008 when this stuff was going on. I will go on to work on different well-known big budget projects while still working on my own personal indie projects. But it wasn’t till like 2015 when I founded my lane and knew what my way truly was and what I needed to do to keep going my way. I knew and love the Indie film world and just know that is my path.

Has it been a smooth road?
Its for sure has not been smooth it has had many ups and downs but I feel it is how you bounce back from being down what really makes you who you are. I had one film that really had me on the path with being in major blog sites and papers etc. My name was flying around and I just knew this was it. But after dealing with bad producers who made broken promises and fake dreams that made me go bankrupt and lose my apartment back in 2012. Which at the time I did not know how vicious this town can be. An with losing my grandma in 2008 who was my heart that I could call and she always knew the right thing to say to me to give the courage to keep going. She was not there for me to call when this madness was going on I had my Uncle CoCo who I could call and talk to but he struggled badly after my grandma passed away which is his mother. That day I got the phone call that he passed away that is when I just went off the deep end and was just done with living anymore. From dealing with terrible producers losing loved ones, going broke and the craziness of this expensive heartless town, I went down a very dark place where I literally had died for a moment after falling into a coma for a few days back in 2013. Lucky I came back and was giving a 2nd chance. That is why I have the tracheotomy scar on my throat. I wear it with pride because that changed my life and made me realize the blessing I have with being alive and able to still me amazing people that matter, create and chase my dream.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My close friend who like a brother since college Glenn “G-Wiz” Browder and I own KoolKamp Productions which is a film and video company. We produce all different styles of video content. I am a Director, Editor, Director of Photography and Producer. Pretty much if it has to do with film I can or have done it. I am mostly known for being the guy that gets high-quality projects done on a tight budget. I’m known as the guy who gets it done. So many times people will call me saying how they were working with someone else but the project has been sitting for like a year then I come on board and it is done in a matter of months most times shorter just depends on the scale of the project. I will have to say my newest film, “Trust Issues”(shameless plug) is my best work to date. The reaction this film has gotten from the people who have seen it is exactly why I love to create. An makes the journey all worth it. Always cool to get messages from people around the world who watch my stuff and say they are a fan of my work and they hit me about a project I have totally forgotten about is always too cool. Knowing I was apart of something that touched someone and made their day.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that we are always around other creatives and your dreams are right there in front of you. I always say where can you go where you can wake up in the city, by noon be at the beach, mid-day be in the desert then end the night in the mountains in the snow. Gotta love LA. The thing I like the least, of course, is the price of living crazy expensive but also just heartless people you can meet or deal with especially me being a Texas kid I have certain southern values that is just me. But I want to just say Rest In Heaven my brother Kevin Andre Walker aka G.I. Fleezy, Fleezy Skywalker #CatchingBlessings