Meet samuel lock | Executive producer @ Steam Bunny Productions

We had the good fortune of connecting with samuel lock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi samuel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking is not reckless, nor is it abandonment of the sociological norms that we adhere to in terms of career goals.

risk is a tool, when done right.
tolled risk is doing the research of a thing or a movement, knowing that it could fail, but preparing yourself for every action and reaction.

Everything I’ve done for my life and career is built on calculated risk. From joining the military, to working in the entertainment industry. Knowing what your up against, and preparing for it, will always lead to success. Often times success is something different than what you envisioned, but success all the same.

As long as you remain adaptable to forces out of your control, you can manage to maintain control.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work has taken me into interesting paths. I’m going to try to truncate this as it would end up being a novella! After the military, I wanted to do something that would make a more positive impact on the world, So i went to LMU to study film and theater. One of my professors at the time asked us what we want to do in the industry.

Some said director, others said producers, many said be a filmmaker.

I said ” I want to make shitty movies with my shitty friends.”

I don’t think my professor like it very much so she asked it to me again, and i said the same thing

This wasn’t meant to be subversive or punk rock or anything, I was serious. I didn’t (and still don’t) really care about fame, fortune, accolades or any of what you might see on TMZ. I wanted to create a community of storytellers that cared about telling meaningful and impactful, if non-commercial stories.

Am I anywhere near my goals? Kind of. I did make that community, and the people I work with are some of the utmost standup humans I’ve ever met, and yes, professionally, I’m doing ok with it. It wasn’t easy, nor is never meant to be easy. Tons of challenges existed and still do. How do we get seen? How do we make money to survive? How does a 36 year old guy stay relevant to an industry that has his age and perspective seen as large data sets in an algorithm and presales disposed to the ages of 12- 25? That answer was pretty simple.

Make stories so good you can’t be ignored. This part of the dream is still in development.

What am I doing in the meantime? I run a freelance business as a content creator for brands and businesses. This allows me to make my own schedules, and continue to hone my skills (even if its doing objectively silly things like making commercials and explainer videos, I’m not picky in this regard, and neither should you be.)

What I want people to take away from my story is that the path is never as clear as you think
Things will happen. Poverty, family, studio politics, imposter syndrome. Whatever you think is going to happen will happen.

Be flexible, adaptable, have a community, and watch for opportunists.
whatever happens, don’t give up. I’ve seen amazing Marlon Brando levels of talent leaving back to Ohio, because they gave up, or they got bitter, or any other excuses that may exist.

There’s no shortcuts, there’s no “discoveries in a Yardhouse somewhere”, there’s no such thing as overnight successes.

Build your network, and do the work. That’s all there is to it.
Oh and don’t be afraid to talk to people, CEO’s or PA’s. Everyone wants to help, everyone wants to be apart of your momentum!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Bold of you to assume I go out and do stuff lol.

I’d recommend Venice Beach. Those are my kind of weirdos.
The Santa Monica Pier
If your people are looking for an upscale restaurant, try Barton G’s for the “more-extra-than-avocado” experience.
If you want a great lowkey local place, try Musso and Franks for some Hollywood history.
You. must. go. to. pinks. hotdogs.
if you are into staying active, give the Hollywood sign hike and the Griffith observatory a look

My personal favorite locations are LACMA ( and the film museum there)
The Getty.
and the science museum by USC… IT HAS A F#$%&ing Spaceship! 10/10
I’m a loud and proud nerd and I apologize for nothing.

Places to avoid:
The walk of fame. Its good for one visit, Other wise it just makes you disappointed and angry
most of DTLA
LAX (fly into Burbank and save yourself some stress)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kevin Wetmore

Instagram: @slammysammylock

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelock/

Twitter: @slammysammylock

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/steambunnyprod