Checking Out

Adam Karlson is an Arlington, TX native who developed his love of film from YouTube videos of movies in the public domain. Chaplain and Keaton gave way to Lang and Eisenstein, and things just snowballed after that. An intense Turner Classic Movies love affair followed, but his obsession really took off when he turned 17 and could drive to art house films none of his friends wanted to see.

However, his pretentious phase is “so over”, thanks to a formative experience at the Bare Bones Film Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma. There, on the dancefloor of a dusty honkytonk, Adam saw regular people risking their personal fortunes and reputations for the chance to tell stories with film.

Inspired, he volunteered at the Dallas Film Festival and enrolled in his high school’s only A/V course. He also befriended some drama club actors and agreed to work sound on “Moriens Amore”, their entry for the Texas UIL Film Festival. Adam ended up co-directing that film and later used most of that cast and crew for “All Along the Watchtower”.

A teacher found out about “All Along the Watchtower” and submitted it to the AISD Digital Media Fair, where it won Honorable Mention, despite being “too edgy to show a single frame”. ‘Watchtower also screened at the Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase, Arlington Frame4Frame, and Downtown Tyler film festivals.

Adam was recently accepted into Baylor University’s Film & Digital Media program, and hopes to take a leadership role in its Black Glasses Film Festival. "Checking Out" is his first project as a Baylor student. He can be reached at adam_karlson@baylor.edu.