Today we’d like to introduce you to Zenon Samuels.
Hi Zenon, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started filmmaking when I was about seven years old! Let me take you back…
…this was the late 90s …the setting …my hometown of Perth, Australia…it was sweltering hot and beachy cool at the same time, full of dry suburban streets where we’d kick the football around with our mates, we’d surf to work every day, ride our kangaroos to school, and fight crocodiles every second we- wait…no that’s not right…?! Did that actually happen? Oh, no that’s right…I did none of that…because I was a film nerd!!!
In school, I was “that kid with the camera,” which back then was a big clunky Panasonic VHS. I remember filming my action figures and toy dinosaurs fighting each other in little cardboard dioramas…then filming my (reluctant) friends and family fighting each other around the garden… then cutting that footage into films!!! My early work and my first foray into story-telling and making something out of nothing! It was gritty, it was DIY, but it was a start! Now, all we gotta do is pray those films never see the light of day! That said, if Hollywood suddenly decides to make a film about kids who wear a cursed G-Shock watch that kills everyone it touches…I know who to sue!
After that, I began to take film more seriously, studying it in high school and university, where my passion continued to grow. Those characters that were once action figures…suddenly became real people! Gone were the days of pissed-off relatives and tired friends running around…next thing I knew, I was working with professional actors and people who actually wanted to be there! After graduating from university in Australia, I decided I was going to take the leap and travel to LA to follow my dream!
And now here I am…having worked in the industry making short films, music videos, and even a super indie no-budget feature! Now the next step is even more exciting, writing my first official feature script to pitch and continuing to learn and grow in this crazy world of film!
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?
Naturally, there were some struggles; it’s a tough industry to break into no doubt! But I think challenge brings greater knowledge and character growth.
One of my favorite projects of mine, Thrasher, was made two days before a deadline…after everything fell through on the original concept! Basically, the day of the shoot, the location we had booked fell through, and with two actors en route to shoot, I had to think fast and on my feet! What was meant to be a two-person improv comedy sketch about aliens…suddenly became an entirely improvised coming-of-age drama about two characters finding their place in the world…all in this crazy city of LA! Perhaps a metaphor for the situation we had suddenly found ourselves in…? But ultimately rewarding!
These little fuck-ups sometimes end up becoming the most rewarding and memorable. On that project, I learned the value of letting go, trusting my instincts, and collaborating with an entirely open mind! Despite the hardships, the journey is worth it because every time you make a mistake, you learn something new, you add a new trick to your bank, and (if you’re not forgetful like me) you remember how to avoid the same problems next time!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do? What sets you apart from others? What are you most proud of?
I’m a Burmese-Australian director, writer, and producer from Perth, Western Australia.
My passion is film. Short films, feature films, it doesn’t matter as long as there’s an opportunity to be creative and to tell a story in your voice. I strongly believe in using filmmaking to explore themes and ideas that you want to delve into…perhaps with the hopes for creating some change in the culture or giving yourself some deeper understanding of your own place in the world, but ultimately to entertain people and give them something that they can relate to!
I love sci-fi stories, raw youth dramas, and in-depth character studies. For a long time, I have been trying to develop a sci-fi film with an indie film/mumblecore vibe! But also, I like things dark; I like them a little fucked up, or maybe a little challenging. Something that explores the internal sides of ourselves as humans and asks us questions that make us think! I guess my art-film teacher must have gotten to me after showing us all those weird films…
My proudest work so far has been my first feature, Thrasher…mainly because we did it, but also because it was the first time I let go of the reigns a little and worked on instinct with full trust in my team! We were working with a gritty, dirty, DIY energy (like a garage punk band), and I liked that vibe! It meant the film was raw and a little more fast and loose…but ultimately rewarding for all of us!
I don’t know if I’m the one to suggest what sets me apart…but I do consider myself a little bit of a fancy-film-school rule breaker…someone who wants to challenge certain conventions and make what I think I’d want to see. When you’re starting out, you don’t need the most money, the fanciest gear, the most experienced crew; you just need a little gusto and the want to get it done! If you have got a good story that you like, then you should go for it! Because at the end of the day, if you make what you believe in, someone out there will want to as well and then eventually give you billions of dollars to do it?!? Right? Right?! Oh no…
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think we’re in for a lot of change…however, I don’t know how predictable it may be…
Over the last few years, we’ve seen the death of the mid-budget film (cheaper scale projects with strong casts and stronger stories) and the film world being inundated with studio pictures with overblown budgets. There are huge and significant gains in the box office…but also huge and significant losses! Post-pandemic, I was of the opinion that perhaps the mid-budget film may return, and right now, I still have maintained opinion. However, ultimately we have to see what direction audiences will go in… it appears that shorter-form content and online/streaming content still dominate the marketplace…so we shall see…
I think what we need to do is keep pushing for original stories that fuck with the system and what already exists, provide stories that make audiences think and challenge their beliefs, and we need to encourage new and unheard voices to speak up because the platform exists now! So what’s to lose!?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zencoproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenonsamuels/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenonsamuels/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zenonsamuels
- Other: https://vimeo.com/zenonsamuels
Image Credits
David Cox, Ginnie Palm, Amanda Shaheen, ZenCo. Productions
