We recently connected with Samuel, Gonzalez Jr. and have shared our conversation below.
Samuel,, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
When I realized the movie theater was a time machine and cinema was the ultimate storyteller.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Samuel Gonzalez Jr. is a Emmy-nominated, multi award winning film director and Iraq War Veteran and a graduate of Pasadenas prestigious Art Center College of Design where he joins the ranks of fellow alumni Michael Bay, Zach Snyder and Tarsem Singh among others. Gonzalez’s unique cinematic identity caught the eye of legendary Hollywood producer Edward R. Pressman (The Crow, American Psycho, Wall Street) who optioned his published Novel The Chords of WAR – a semi-autobiographical war story about his experience playing and forming a rock n roll band while a soldier overseas during the Iraq War. Acclaimed show runner and writer Graham Yost (Justified, The Americans, Speed) called the book “Brilliant!”.
This professional relationship led Gonzalez to new opportunities in film and music videos, directing for rock artists Papa Roach, Escape the Fate, Bad Wolves and Grammy winning artist Kimbra for Warner Bros. Group.
Gonzalez is heavily influenced by Kubrick, Zemeckis, Darabont and Fincher as his work often is a hybrid between those, often putting considerable touch of suspense and grounded often dark colored psychological themes interwoven throughout his narratives, no matter the format in which he shoots in. His first feature debut, ‘Railway Spine’ a period war and crime drama was nominated for the Chris Brinker Award for Best New Director and won the coveted Golden Eagle Award for Best Military Film at the 2016 San Diego International Film Festival, released on VOD and Amazon Prime in early 2020.
He directed the psychological horror short film ‘ The Springfield Three’ centered around the true unsolved 1992 Springfield Missouri disappearance. To date, the film has been accepted in over 10 festivals, has garnered 12 nominations, 7 Best Short Film and 3 Best Director awards including Best Short film at the Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest. It received worldwide distribution by academy award qualifying ShortsTV and had its television premiere in November 2020.
He recently co-directed the upcoming 2022 high octane horror thriller film ‘The Retaliators’ for Better Noise Films, co-producers of Netflix’s ‘The Dirt’. The film was acquired by Cinelife Entertainment and hitting theaters worldwide Sept 14th 2022. The release comes on the heels of a successful festival tour, during which the film world premiered at Londons Arrow Video Frightfest and had its US Premiere Screamfest, where it was the opening night film to a sold out crowd, followed by more then 25 festivals worldwide, garnering 100% on rotten tomatoes.
His upcoming psychological horror anthology feature “The Night of the Missing” is set to be released and distributed by Cineverse, ScreamBOX and Bloody Disgusting in November 2023.
With over 20 short films, several commercials and music videos over the past decade, Samuel Gonzalez Jr. has firmly established himself as one of the industry’s most sought out up and coming talents.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Leadership, clear and concise communication and film history. Watch films, all films, good, bad and the delightfully guilty pleasure from time to time. Watch to study, watch to analyze, watch to see what works,, what doesn’t. Disassemble this puzzle box that is presented to us on screen. Learn how to blue print your story, have a solid foundation to build it on and you’ll never go wrong.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Read the classic. Start with the great original stories. Then read STORY by Robert Mckee. If you want to be a writer. It will change your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: Vimeo.com/samuelgonzalezjr
- Instagram: instagram.com/samuelgonzalezjr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sgonzalezjr
Image Credits
Rob Tirrell https://www.instagram.com/robtirrell Sasha Dylan Bell https://www.instagram.com/sashadylanbellphoto
