Meet Sam Thompson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Thompson. 

Hi Sam, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been interested in theatre and the performing arts from a very young age and I’ve been an ardent reader as well. As a youth, I had aspirations to become a novelist or a movie star Those dreams stayed as I matured into adolescence. I was heavily involved with music and theatre throughout high school but never really found myself with plans for college. Academically I had struggled, and the thought of more struggle didn’t appeal very much to me. 

Nonetheless, I enrolled in Red Rocks Community College because it seemed to me, they had a quality theatre department. Although I only studied there for a year, I must give credit to the school because it allowed me to forge lasting relationships with many other like-minded creatives. The most significant of these was Myles Juniel, an actor, and poet with whom I immediately felt deep kinship. We both had very similar ideas about who we wanted to be as artists – as men – and we had similar outlook as to how one should endeavor to become successful in what proved to be a highly competitive and ruthless industry. 

Myles and I moved to Los Angeles to pursue the Hollywood Dream in 2015. I lived out there for about a year before I started to encounter some serious frustrations with the industry. I felt confined by a gatekept system which forced me to place my destiny in the hands of fate. I never liked that. 

I’ve always wanted to create things myself and champion my own ideas. In LA, I kept up with my reading and writing but never found that sense of purpose or direction that inspired me. To be an artist of any kind is a difficult life, and one must really believe in the righteousness of what they’re doing for it to be worth the struggle. 

When I moved back to Denver (late 2016) I became good friends with film director Luke Ostermiller. We had met previously on other local projects, and there was a mutual respect there. He was trying to get his company Loste Films off the ground. I had moved back to Colorado because I had grown weary of cold rooms and wanted to sit on the other side of the table. Luke and I grew very close over the next few years and I owe more to him than I could ever thank him for. 

At the time, Luke was very interested in music. He wanted to make a film about a band, which was an enthusiasm I shared. He urged me to form a band with musician/actor Adrian Eledge. This was a powerful time in my life. I was closely associated with a plethora of artists, and we all knew we had something really special. We shared a mutual dream of making a film – a great and powerful work of cinema, inspired by our exploits together. Of course, things never quite work out the way you want them to. 

In 2020, the Covid Pandemic laid low our plans to make our movie. Still, we all lived together in the same house at the time and we shared determination that the show must go on. I had written a short film, which I titled ‘Sick’ due to the subject matter regarding a group of people confined in a house during an apocalyptic pandemic. Luke and I produced, and Adrian, Myles, and myself starred. We premiered the project on June 30th, 2021. 

We were able to achieve fantastic success with Sick. We sold out our red-carpet premiere and funded the event through sponsorships with local businesses. It was such a hit that we added a second screening before sending the film off to festivals. As of now, we’ve won three awards and we’re hoping for more in the future. Not that it matters too much, because ‘Sick’ has already fulfilled a far more important ambition for us, which is opening doors for more outside financing. 

After the premiere of Sick, we were approached by Agapi Petra and Kingg Double, who had a script titled ‘Shooting Guard.’ I immediately saw potential in the project and was eager to sign on as a producer. One of the biggest things that appealed to me was simply the fact that they wanted to make a feature film from the script, which was a step that I considered necessary in my own career. In later 2021, I produced and appeared in the film, which is directed by Luke Ostermiller and stars Myles Juniel. I keep a close circle. 

‘Shooting Guard’ will be premiering in Denver later this year, and I’m indescribably excited to see what people think of it. I am personally so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with this project, but it’s far from the end. I have other ventures with Luke and Loste Films, and I can say that people can definitely expect another new project from us kicking off this year, although I can’t mention any titles yet. 

Other than that, I’m hoping to publish some writing and take whatever opportunities come my way. I’ve found that working hard and being smart and specific about what you want to do is the best way to attain success. I’m grateful to God and all my family and friends every day because it’s them who enable me to keep pursuing my dreams. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles. People lie to you, take advantage of you because you’re desperate, all that stuff. There’s also eternal politics and backroom statecraft involved in a collaborative art such as filmmaking. It can be exhausting. There are lots of people involved in these projects, but they’re involved for different reasons. To make all of those reasons align for the common good of the film is the job of the producers, and it’s not always easy. Money is a huge factor as well. Working on limited budgets forces us to be creative, but like most things, it’s both a blessing and curse. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an Actor/Writer/Producer. A few of what I consider to be my ‘career milestones’ are listed below 

‘Mr. Smile’ — Novel, self-published in late 2014 (Published under Samuel Thompson) 

Lead singer of the rock band ‘Salvation’ — Performed from 2017-2020, writing credits on 25+ songs. 

‘Sick” — Short film, written/starring myself, produced with Loste Films and Luke Ostermiller. Sold-out premiere on June 30th, 2021. 

‘Shooting Guard’ — Producer, with a smaller part in the film. A feature-length production to be released in 2022! 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
The most important thing is having good relationships with other people. That’s how I stay fulfilled. A man needs friends and family to support him. I also place a lot of significance on faith. It is through God that I am able to do all I do, and I find myself eternally comforted and empowered through my religious beliefs. 

Pricing:

• Screenplay Rights/Purchase — $1,000.00
• Screenplay Development — $500.00
• Film Production Work — $5,000.00
• Acting Appearance — $250.00/day
• Production Consultation — $15/hourly or $500 for pre-prod. flat rate

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samthebossman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008741053373

Image Credits
Loste Films
Sam Thompson
Luke Ostermiller