Life & Work with Sam Rogers

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

Hi Sam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in a country town in Australia called Mackay but moved to Brisbane when I was eight. I’ve always had eclectic interests; growing up, I played rugby, rowing, aussie rules and I also played the bagpipes in my school’s pipeband. After high school, I did my bachelor’s of business but never felt drawn to an office job. So I moved to Scotland for a year after uni to “find my passion”. I’d always been obsessed with movies but never really considered pursuing it until I saw Brokeback Mountain. The performances, cinematography and particularly the direction by Ang Lee ignited something inside of me. I didn’t know exactly what job it was but I wanted to do something or make something of my life that inspired that same feeling in other people. So I moved back to Australia, completed a bachelor’s in film and started making music videos for local bands like Emma Louise, Cub Sport and Ball Park Music.

After working in various agencies around Brisbane including directing a musical about a teenage crossing-guard and production management on the kids show Polly Pocket, I visited the states to immerse myself in the culture that I’d been obsessed with my whole life. Right after my 30th birthday, I fell in love with California and was given the opportunity to join a branding agency in Orange County. Since moving to the US, I’ve had the chance to produce content for brands like Delta, Dreamworks, and Budweiser. Although I’m not exactly the next Martin Scorsese like I envisioned when I moved out here, I’m firmly living The American Dream.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been fortunate to have a very supportive family. They championed me when I announced I wanted to be a filmmaker and move to America out of nowhere. Not everyone has the opportunity to galavant around the world and rely on your family when you’re broke living off 2-minute noodles, and hopefully one day I’ll return the favor somehow. Moving to a new country at 30 came with its own setbacks, I was leaving everything I’d ever known and built for some massive unknowns. I had to start again with friendships and work contacts and it was pretty lonely in that first year, but six years later, it was all worth it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m currently Director of Video at a branding agency in Orange County. I specialize in telling visual stories in a way that suits their personality and will engage with their consumer to tighten that relationship and build brand awareness. I guess I’m known for looking at projects from both angles, creative and business. I love to come up with ideas for videos but then my business brain kicks in and works out how we can do it on time and on budget. Maybe that’s also a hindrance on my creativity, I don’t know… I’m most proud of the projects with the most freedom. It’s really satisfying seeing something through from concept to finished project. Probably my musical ‘Lollipop boy‘ and my music videos because it’s crazy what we achieved on such modest budgets. What sets me apart from others is my yin & yang brain, I’ve never really fit in a category even when I was a child, like when I was the only boy to enter the grade 4 fashion show and me and my mum designed a wedding dress out of white trash bags. Too soon to say if that’s a pro or con though, haha.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
The pandemic has taken a massive toll on the world, but it did give me a chance to sit back and really consider the important things in life. It completely shut down the film industry but on the other hand, it’s given the film unions a platform to improve worker conditions with the strike proposals going on right now. It’ll be interesting to see in what other ways humanity will learn from Covid.

Contact Info:

• Website: slincinc.com
• Instagram: itsamesamrogers