Samuel J Morrey

2021.  

This was the year my life flipped in the best way possible. The year I decided to push the boat out and listen to my heart rather than my head. 

 

After earning myself an extended diploma in advanced construction, I had two choices. One, to stick with construction and have a definite job waiting for me. Play it safe. Or two, take a risk. Follow my passion of filmmaking not knowing what would lie ahead. I listened to my heart. 

 

The list of reasons as to why I hold filmmaking so dearly in my heart is never ending. From the excitement of the initial idea, to seeing it unfold into a script and finally onto the big screen, but the reason that tops them all; Emotion. 

 

Films hold the power to project any given emotion upon its audience, and as the filmmaker, that power is in your hands. During my time at college, I practiced conveying multiple emotions through my short films. This led me to achieve a distinction star and win two awards in my first year. These awards being; best cinematography and best script, both for my short film “The Damned.”  

 

Because of this, I gained a reputation for being, as my tutors describe, a skilled cinematographer with an eye for a shot that creates atmosphere, tone and meaning, resulting in my name being put forward for work experience which happened to be a multi-camera production of a university talk.  

 

The work experience taught me two things. One, how to solve problems quickly and efficiently. And two, how to work under pressure, which are both essential to a filmmaker’s arsenal. Making the work experience a commodity, as it is a dream of mine to one day be a name amongst the directors I have looked up to from such an early age.  

 

Stanley Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan are just a few to name. When I am not making films, I am studying their work, and these three have entertained my thirst for learning for hours. I also find books on filmmaking to be a useful commodity, my favourite being “Save The Cat” by Blake Snyder as it has helped me excel in screenwriting. 

 

Another reason I believe I will achieve that dream some day is down to my perseverance and determination which I have grown through another passion of mine; Muay Thai. This sport has seen me fight in competitions up and down the UK. 

 

I mention this because, like anything in life, there were times where all I wanted to do was throw the towel in. However, I persevered. I finished the fight. And now I use that same perseverance as a tool in my filmmaking, teaching me that giving up is never an option. 

 

In more recent years however, the working world has been the tool for expanding my horizon. At the age of sixteen I started part time as a labourer, a long side college, and quickly learnt what a day’s graft was. This job provided me with time management and teamwork skills, as a group of us were set work and a period by the site manager.  

 

I have since put these newfound skills to use in college, sticking to a production schedule and managing a team in group projects. This experience subconsciously improved me as a filmmaker day by day due to the leadership knowledge I also acquired and employ in group projects to ensure completion to the highest standard. 

 

A year later I transitioned to making fence panels. With more hours and less breaks this was a step up even from labouring. However, it was exactly what I needed as I am now so used to the long hours, I find myself working on college projects for often over twelve hours a day unphased. Once again, drilling into me the hardworking ethic I now utilize in every project that comes my way. 

 

Thanks to these experiences, my large ambitions and expanding knowledge, I am eagerly counting down the days until I can carry my love for this craft with me into university. And with access to better equipment and tutors with industry knowledge I hope to evolve as a filmmaker once again, making me anticipate this next step even more so in my journey through filmmaking.