EP 165: No Permission with Cinematographer/Producer/Founder Samuel Hicks

This is a story about commitment. About choosing a path and refusing to step off it. Samuel Hicks is a cinematographer shaped by Mississippi roots and sharpened by experience in New York and Los Angeles. His work on Outgrown, Varnel, and Bid for Love 2 carries a clear signature. It feels lived in. It feels honest. He blends regional truth with a polished eye, building images that look cinematic but never lose their soul.

In this episode, we trace the moment everything shifted. Sam had twenty-five thousand dollars saved and a plan to enter real estate. Then clarity hit. Film was the calling. He began writing Outgrown from a dream-like mindset. If the script called for a helicopter, he committed to finding a way to shoot it. That decision came with a cost. He spent more than fifty thousand dollars bringing the film to life and found himself deep in debt almost overnight. The pressure was real. The risk was heavy. But the work got done.

We get into the aftermath and the momentum that followed. Outgrown became a festival favorite, earning awards and screenings across the country. Sam climbed out of debt through a mix of timing, opportunity, and relentless effort. Then he did something most people would not do. He kept going. Within a month of stabilizing, he was already producing another project. That pace reflects his mindset. Forward at all times. No waiting for the perfect moment.

We also explore the deeper fuel behind his work. His upcoming project, Incarcerated Fathers draws from personal experience and from stories shared by those around him. It is rooted in absence, resilience, and truth. We talk about the influence of 90s hip-hop visuals, the detail behind recreating authentic lighting, and the decision to write his own stories after hearing "no" too many times. From studying biology at the University of Southern Mississippi to building a career across film and sales, Sam Hicks represents a kind of creator who adapts, learns, and executes. Now with his sights on Hollywood and a feature like Brackish in motion, he is not asking if it will happen. He is showing how.

Samuel Hicks Socials and Website: 

https://www.samhicksdp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/samshotit/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samshotit

https://x.com/samshotit