Samantha MacAdam, a 2006 graduate of our Broadcasting - Film, Television, Digital Media and Radio program, is making waves in the film industry with a growing list of accomplishments. From her film Prom Night premiering at Just For Laughs and being selected for both the Whistler Film Festival and Women in the Director’s Chair: Story & Leadership program in 2021 (as well as the Toronto International Film Festival’s Big Pitch Event in 2020) to directing a commercial starring MARVEL’s Simu Liu, and much more in between, Samantha is continuing to achieve great things.
More recently, Samantha directed a full-length film titled, Fashionably In Love and is developing two features. She is also working with Warner Bros Discovery on a confidential directing project.
Get to know Samantha, including her experiences at Centennial and as a director, below.
Q. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN THE BROADCASTING INDUSTRY?
Honestly, not broadcasting - I was obsessed with film and tv, so much so that as a teen, I worked as a background extra for years, but I had no clue how to turn that into a career. I even tried acting, but I hated it and was horrible at it! Centennial’s program was broadcast, radio, television and film, which I was attracted to because it covered a wide range of industries.
Q. WHAT ARE SOME KEY LESSONS FROM THE PROGRAM THAT YOU USE IN YOUR CAREER TODAY?
Because Centennial was so hands-on, and we were supplied equipment but then really left to our own devices, I learned one key lesson: to work hard, and you’ll get there. You’ll figure it out. For example, editing! I started my career as an editor at Chum Television, now CTV.
I was so scared of editing when I started, I am not tech savvy, but we could book out edit labs (I’m sure now you can edit off your laptops) but back then, we had to book the time, so when I stepped into a lab, the clock was ticking, and I had to figure it out or fail the assignment. The guidelines and assignments were solid. I had everything I needed to succeed, I just had to work hard. Now when directing on set, I love that I have my editor’s brain, it is such a benefit to know how things will land in post and what you need and don’t.
Another lesson was to trust my gut. I remember it was a photography assignment we had to take a set of pictures. I tried to light as they told us and used the rule of threes. Still, my brain doesn’t work technically, so I just started snapping interesting things, and, in the end, I submitted a picture of a spinning fan with streamers on it. I submitted it over my properly lit work. It was the highest mark I ever got in that class. It reinforced that creative ideas, for me, always really come from instinct. I always learn the rules and then break them as I see fit lol.
And both these lessons absolutely still apply in my line of work. Work hard at what you don’t know and, in the end, trust your gut. I was an editor for ten years, which was a direct result of Centennials’ editing course. They broke it down so that even my non-techy brain could understand it.
Q. WHAT WAS LIFE AFTER GRADUATION LIKE?
I applied (by dropping off resumes) to like 35 companies before landing a job at Chum Television, which was actually my dream place to work - this was in the hay day of Much Music! I started as a tour guide, then as a receptionist. The catch-22 is the hardest thing – you can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. I worked part-time as a tour guide, then part-time in shipping and receiving, all while being a part-time intern in the building. I eventually got a job as a receptionist there, leading to my editing at StarTV!
You can read Samantha’s bio and filmography here.
Q. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU WOULD BE DIRECTING THE FILM FASHIONABLY IN LOVE?
I was lucky enough to meet with the head of the company producing the film. It was a great meeting, and I was super thankful for their time, as I know how crazy busy they are. After we met, I followed up with my latest reel and sent a short film; that was a good example of my voice as a director, but nothing came immediately after. Fast-forward a few months later, and I was offered the film!
Q. WHAT IS YOUR “DAY IN THE LIFE” AS A DIRECTOR?
I tried to always start my day with a wee bit (sometimes only 15 minutes) of exercise. There’s a lot of stress to come, so I always find it helpful for focus. That, and I always try to play some upbeat music - my favs, again to help with the pressure of the day! When I get to set, I check in with as many departments as possible (depending on what was happening that day) but first on the list is the DOP. I run through at least the first scene, and then I always try to chat with the cast, see if there are any questions and check in.
I find this is, in the end, a time saver. You connect with your cast before the cameras roll, which makes shooting smoother. Then we shoot, lunch (when I asses the rest of the day), I look at the time mainly, and I always think of a way to save time just in case. I usually look at condensing camera set-ups, as that’s the biggest time saver. Then we shoot! At the end of the day, thank the cast and crew. Then I look at the next day, I set up a meeting time with my DOP to go over the next day, and then I unwind with some bad tv and hit the sack, and, thankfully, I get to do it all again the next day!
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PARTS ABOUT DIRECTING? HAS ANYTHING SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE INDUSTRY FROM WHEN YOU STARTED TO NOW?
My favourite part is being on set. Honestly, it sounds cheesy, but it is the magic you get to create and the bonding with the cast and crew that happens. I feel like a kid in a candy store; I am very happy and thankful I get to do what I love. The biggest surprise is how much you have to prove yourself. When you start, as you go, anything new you do - a slightly new genre, a mini-series vs a 1- hour. You have to keep selling yourself at every turn, in a way. Our industry is expensive, and as a director, they trust you with their very expensive baby, so I do get it, but I was surprised by it.
Q. WHAT WAS DIRECTING A COMMERCIAL WITH SIMU LIU LIKE?
It was fantastic! I was nervous about working with a MARVEL superhero. It was a super fun shoot. Simu is such a talent, fun, and incredibly hardworking! It was my first time doing stunts on set, which was a great learning experience, and we also did a fun fake explosion. Honestly, although it was a very large-scale commercial, it was incredibly smooth. I love commercials because they are bite-sized, and you can sink your teeth into them. I definitely over-prepared, so there weren’t any curveballs – just fun! I also did the offline edits for the spots. We had a ton of awesome material because Simu was super funny and great at improv.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE CONSIDERING BECOMING A DIRECTOR?
Watch a lot of what you love - comedies, drama, tv or film. Watch your favourite director’s work often – it will help build your instincts as a director. The best advice is to go shoot a short! In a sea of new voices, the only way to stand out is to have something that represents you. A short film is great because even though it’s low budget, you have a lot, if not all, creative say, and it’s not about being power hungry lol. Creative say is important, so your voice can shine through.
Article by: Alexandra Few
Check out and subscribe to our Storyteller newsletter to read all the other great stories happening in and around the Story Arts Centre.
