Waters was raised in
South Bend, Indiana. He studied at the
University of Pennsylvania in theatre arts before studying at the
American Film Institute. When studying at Penn, he saw
The House of Yes and saw things in the play that he felt he could make cinematic. He contacted the author of the play,
Wendy MacLeod, and got a manuscript copy by saying he was a film producer. He worked as a stage actor and director in Philadelphia and San Francisco before his work with AFI, where he graduated in 1994. He made a number of short films. == Career ==