The 27 year old screenwriter moved out to Los Angeles with a handful of scripts and a dream, but when the harsh reality of his dream set in – he decided to do things a little differently…
“I had representation at the time I came out to LA, so I ignorantly thought I had made it. Then, a few years and a bunch of empty production developments later, it finally hit me. I want to make films, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
So, he took to the world of independent filmmaking – where he wrote a one location script that he figured he and some colleagues could go out and shoot. But, as always, it’s never that easy. His project still needed a budget, albeit small in the filmmaking world, but nothing he could pay out of his pocket. But that didn’t stop him.
“I had some solid pieces in place, but I was hit with another roadblock – a $10,000 roadblock. But, at this point, I was just so hungry to finally make a film that I was going to do whatever it took.”
Eventually, through social networking, Sam was able to allocate his budget. Since then, after a week long shoot of 14 hour days and a COVID-derailed post-production – “A Walk in the Park” was born. The film has since won numerous film festivals, picked up distribution, and has further sky-rocketed Sam’s career – as he now has two feature films and three pilots under his belt; with two more feature films currently in pre-production.
“After ‘A Walk in the Park’, I knew nothing was impossible. With hard work, passion, and faith – you can do anything. It’s been a really groovy roller coaster ride so far, but it’s funny how it’s only just beginning.”