midwest born. la based.
There’s a sweet spot in cinema. When awe and wonder, fear and pain, all collide with genuine human emotion. A moment when we suspend our disbelief and are transported to new worlds and new ideas.
Sam Shapson is a writer-director and editor with a focus on dramatic & suspenseful character driven stories that push beyond the everyday world. He is also a 1st AD & 2nd AD, working on union & non-union features, commercials, and music videos since 2014.
As a writer-director, his award-winning short film THE TREEHOUSE played internationally at Austin, Fantasia, San Jose, BendFilm, as well as featured on Short of the Week and Omeleto. In 2015, his short film REFUGE was acknowledged as the world's first narrative film lit exclusively by natural moonlight in articles by Gizmodo, Indiewire, Vice, Nerdist, & No Film School. In 2021, Sam’s latest short film, THE OFFER, played at Fantasia, San Jose CineQuest, 2020 DeadCENTER, Ojai, FilmQuest.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sam developed an early love for illustration, music, and photography while also feeling drawn towards physics, psychology, and philosophy. Then he discovered film -- a medium that bridged the divide between creative and analytical disciplines. Sam received a BA in Film & Television from Columbia College Chicago in 2011 before moving to LA where he works for various studios and networks.
In 2014, Sam joined the Directors Guild of America as an Assistant Director and has since worked for companies including Magnolia Pictures, Google, Disney, and Hulu as well as projects premiering at Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW.
samshapson@gmail.com
