Growing up immersed in the New York City film industry through his family’s business, producer Sam Epstein developed an early fascination with storytelling that has since evolved into a thriving career.
With projects like Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time and the Sundance-premiered DEVO documentary under his belt, Sam continues to foster his love for the work and find any opportunity to hone his craft.
In this interview, he shares insights into his creative process, the challenges of balancing client expectations, and the tools that help him bring stories to life.
FILMSUPPLY: What initially sparked your interest in video production?
Sam Epstein: Growing up, my dad and grandfather worked at a multi-generational family business in Manhattan. Selling paint, wallpaper, flooring, etc., they catered to the New York City film industry. The biggest movies and shows being filmed in New York would always come to us.
As a kid, I would get to go on deliveries to the biggest studios in the city like Silvercup and Steiner. I especially liked making deliveries to Law & Order at Chelsea Piers, where I got to walk around those iconic sets.
Being able to experience those TV shows and films from both sides, albeit briefly, was what made me want to go into video production.
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You’ve worked on numerous commercial projects for some pretty iconic brands. What are some of the most memorable projects you’ve worked on?
Sam Epstein: While I enjoy and take something away from every project I work on, the most memorable ones, to me, are the music-related documentaries.
Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time for MGM+ was an important project for me. I was part of a great team with an excellent editor, Anoosh Tertzakian, and this was the first project where I got to take the lead on the archival front, fully immersing myself in the research.
Not only did I learn an incredible amount about the topic, but the work led me to find some important historical clips and photos that made their way into the final film. It was a lot of fun immersing myself in something I was already passionate about.
Another memorable project for me was the film DEVO which premiered at Sundance in 2024. For this film, I had the privilege of working directly with band members Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale, sifting through their archives to find special nuggets to include in the film.
DEVO has been video documenting their journey from the beginning, so there was a wealth of content to sift through. Our great editor, Joey Scoma, weaved an archival web that had the same energy as a DEVO music video — for 94 minutes! I’m excited for everyone to see this film when it gets a wide release.
Is there a part of the production process you love the most?
Sam Epstein: My favorite part of the production process is the middle of post-production, where I am working directly with editors and directors to strengthen a rough cut.
Being tasked with finding that perfect clip or interview bite to fill a specific moment and then coming through is a great feeling. Turning a very rough cut of a film into a finished project, making sure all of the moments, whether they be archival or original footage, are the best ones that you can find, is the most rewarding stage of working in film and TV.
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How do you manage client expectations while pushing the creative boundaries?
Sam Epstein: I believe the way to strike a balance between client expectations and creative boundaries is to foster good relationships with your clients. Once the clients trust you as filmmakers, this allows for more creative freedom.
I’ve been fortunate to work with the director Chris Smith and his company, Library Films, for several years, where I have seen these strong client/filmmaker relationships first-hand. The trust that filmmakers like Chris fosters with these clients allows them to continue to push creative boundaries on every new project.
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How do you handle tight deadlines and high-pressure situations?
Sam Epstein: Communication is key. Every project inevitably faces “crunch time.” And it’s crucial that, during crunch time, the production and post-production teams are on the same page daily, even hourly.
In the age of remote work, it can be tougher for a team to function as a unit. It’s important to use tools like Slack and Zoom to ensure that the editors have everything they need to keep their heads down and work towards that upcoming deadline.
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What advice would you give to aspiring editors who are working their way up the ranks?
Sam Epstein: My advice to aspiring editors is to always be working on personal projects, time permitting, of course. Edit videos together of topics that they are passionate about.
This will not only keep their editing chops sharp, but as they work their way up the ranks, they never know what people they may meet along the way who share similar passions. Maybe one of these passion projects will become something bigger down the line.
It’s all about making genuine connections and fostering a love for the work.
Why do you recommend Filmsupply as a resource for editors, agencies, and post houses?
Sam Epstein: Filmsupply sets itself apart from other stock footage companies by having premiere-quality stock footage. This makes a huge difference not only for viewers but for the creative leads on a project.
For example, one of the projects I’ve been working on for a few years is 100 Foot Wave, which is led by Emmy-winning cinematographers. You need to be able to find stock footage that matches the aesthetic of the rest of your project so the storytelling is seamless. You don’t want viewers to be able to recognize stock footage while watching a TV show.
Ideally, stock footage is used and no one is the wiser.
When judging Editfest submissions, what’s the one thing you look for that will set great edits apart from the rest?
Sam Epstein: To me, what sets great edits apart is their level of trust in the material. Sometimes it is not about the cut you make, but about the cut you don’t make.
There is a delicate balance one needs to strike in regards to pacing, of course, but sometimes lingering for a second or two longer on a shot captures the emotionality of it, instead of hurriedly cutting back to another talking head.
When edits display a trust in the material, whether it be vérité footage their camera team shot, or archival materials curated by the production team, it shows. The audience can create an emotional connection that way.
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This was written as a part of Filmsupply Editfest 2025. Want to learn more?
