Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Rocco.
Hi Sam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, my story starts in Stockton, New Jersey. I grew up loving Jim Carey and Ninja Turtles, so from a young age I knew I wanted to be either a pet detective or a turtle – maybe a ninja if I could find the right sensei, but this was before New Jersey became a Ninjitsu hotspot. After high school, I tried giving acting a shot in New York – clearly I was going to be an awesome actor, I did the best Mask impression in town.
I took classes at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and I was able to get some bit parts in indie films and background work here and there, but nothing substantial. There are only so many times a person can walk from point-a to point-b in the background of a Casino commercial. My friends and I eventually just started making our own movies. They weren’t great by any means, but they undoubtably changed the course of my life – this is when I realized I was meant to write and direct. I had already dropped out of about four schools, and I had no idea how to get started directing for real. I cold-called Marvel, but they put me on hold and must have forgotten about me. I decided to enroll in a film program at a local community college to see what I could do. Shortly after enrolling, I got it in my head that to be a filmmaker, I needed to go to USC, but I was so broke I couldn’t even afford to get pepperoni on a slice of pizza, let alone tuition to a University on the other side of the country. I remember this one time, I had to give my jacket to a gas station attendant as collateral because my card was declined after I already pumped gas. Joke’s on him though, because the gas was more expensive than the jacket.
At this point, I thought the only way to move forward was by joining the Military. I laid out a ten years plan – join the Navy, finish my Bachelor’s Degree in Screenwriting online, then when my Navy contract is up I’d go to USC to get my MFA in Film Production using the Military GI-Bill. And that’s what I did. Now, my new ten years plan involves me directing a bunch of blockbuster action movies and TV shows. Maybe some episodes of The Mandalorian, a Ninja Turtles reboot, who knows!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Lots of people have had it way worse than me, so it feels weird to talk about my struggles, but it definitely wasn’t a smooth road. My first struggle was a financial one. I was always pretty broke most of my life, and It’s hard to figure out how to make movies when you can’t afford rent. I had a ton of weird jobs that never ended up working out (I was the worst mailman in New Jersey for two weeks). This is ultimately why I joined the Navy. The Navy helped me get on my feet financially and got me to a point where I could put time and energy into filmmaking. As great as this was, the Navy was another big struggle… In the Military, I ended up as an Air Traffic Controller at a Test Facility. It was a super stressful job – one of the most stressful jobs you can have. If you say “left” when you’re supposed to say “right” you could cause a plane crash.
During training, if you caused a crash on the simulator they made you write letters to the imaginary-pilot’s family – that was super fun. I was honestly terrified for a long time, but I was determined to be the best Air Traffic Controller I could be and I quickly climbed the ladder to Supervisor. For five years, I did this job to the best of my ability while working on filmmaking and school-work in my off time. It was nuts. I had no time for anything else, and I barely ever slept. This was all in order to get out to LA and direct. The Navy offered me a huge bonus and a promotion to stay, but I chose to drive my two cats to LA and see what happens.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a director/writer, and I specialize in action-comedies. I particularly love dark comedies. I am known for making crazy, stylized action films that you can watch over and over again – at least that’s what I want people to know me for, and I’m not just the guy who’s hair fell out at 23. I’m really proud of my USC thesis film, The Bee. Out of anything I’ve made so far, that film most conveys what I’m all about – It’s funny, the colors are vibrant, the music is great, and there’s a lot of cool action in it. It’s very much my own personal style. What sets me apart from others is the energy and style I bring to a film. Nothing I make will ever be boring (at least I hope not), I can’t stand boring. Boring sucks! But that being said, everything has to serve the story. You can’t do off-the-wall stylistic things just for the sake of it. That’s what really sets me apart. I always make sure everything serves the story and the characters. Story and character always come first.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
It’s hard to say if I’ve learned anything important, most lessons I’ve learned are video game-related. I guess finding a way to stay busy has helped me the most. I try to write as much as possible and I’m always planning out new projects. I’m trying to have a ton of film and TV-Show scripts ready to pitch once things go back to normal – whatever normal is.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.samrocco.com
- Instagram: @squarebones
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.rocco
- Other: https://vimeo.com/samrocco
Image Credits
Personal photo and additional photos with me in a baseball hat taken by Marissa Mooney www.mmooneyimages.com Two on-set photos taken by Nicole M. Evalle
