Bio
Sam Friedlander is an American reality TV contestant on the reality filmmaking show On The Lot.
Sam's On The Lot Q&A:
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Hometown: Mount Vernon, NY
Occupation: Web Producer
Age: 28
Why am I here?
To make movies, entertain people, and win.
A quick tour of my life
I was born and raised in Westchester, NY. My mom's family is from Iowa so I visited there every summer. I went to college at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
I moved to LA in 2001 to pursue filmmaking. I worked at NBC for 9 months, then attended USC graduate film school. I finished in 2006 with thesis film "Lucid."
Over the last year, I have been showing it at film festivals worldwide. I have also been writing, making web videos, and doing miscellaneous film jobs.
Describe yourself in one sentence...
A fun, creative guy that loves friends, family and dogs.
Your theme song?
"Wake Up" by Arcade Fire or "Alive" by Pearl Jam
First movie you ever saw?
Superman
Favourite line from a movie?
"There are only two things I can't stand in this world; people who are intolerant of other cultures... and the Dutch." -Austin Powers 3
What made you want to be a filmmaker?
I love entertaining people, telling stories and exaggerating.
When you make a film what do you want the audience to leave with?
Their heads, full of ideas
When I'm behind the camera...
I'm having fun.
What do you think it will be like working with other Directors?
50% collaboration, 50% a battle of control-freaks
Favourite joke about Directors/Actors?
An actor shows up on set. The director says, "You just wasted an our of our time." The actor says, "What are you talking about? I'm one minute late." The director replies, "There are 60 of us waiting around for you. Do the math."
Movie that best encapsulates who you are?
It's a TV show, but... "Six Feet Under" (The Complete Series)
While On The Lot you have a week to make a film every week. What's the biggest challenge?
Getting adequate sleep
When you get the power, how will you use it?
Share it with all those that helped me on the way to get it
What's more important talent or ego?
Talent gets you work. Ego gets you fired.
Sam's favourites:
FILMS
Annie Hall, Heat, Back to the Future, Groundhog Day, The Game, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Insider, There?s Something About Mary, 12 Monkeys, Baraka, The Truman Show, The Matrix, Memento, Jurassic Park, Solaris, The Shawshank Redemption, Being John Malkovich, Friday Night Lights, Magnolia
DIRECTORS
Michael Mann, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Jay Roach, David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Farrelly Brothers, Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, Doug Liman
PRODUCERS
Steven Spielberg, Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Ted Hope, Jerry Bruckheimer, George Lucas, Rob Reiner, Steve Golin
WRITERS
Charlie Kaufman, Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Lawrence Kasdan
ACTORS
Michael Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Jeff Bridges, Christian Bale, Peter Krause, Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Jim Carrey, Jimmy Stewart, Jeremy Piven, Gael Garcia Bernal, Ed Norton, Djimon Hounsou, Luis Guzman, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling
ACTRESSES
Kate Winslet, Madeline Stowe, Naomi Watts, Rachel McAdams, Monica Belluci, Diane Lane, Cate Blanchett
SOUNDTRACKS
A River Runs Through It, Dances with Wolves, Gladiator, Gattaca, 21 Grams, Whale Rider, Friday Night Lights, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotlight Mind, The Mission, Requiem for a Dream, Last of the Mohicans, Virgin Suicides, Solaris, Schindler's List