Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Hussey.
Hi Samantha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Samantha Murdock Hussey and I’m a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. I grew up in Naples Florida but made my way to Texas to obtain my B.S in Radio-Television-Film at UT0Austin! Since I was 8 years old reading tattered copies of various Goosebumps novels, I knew I wanted to be a storyteller. It was when I was around 11 years old and saw the film adaptation of Clue that I knew I had to be a storyteller in the medium of film. I wrestled with this realization for the longest time as many kids are not told that making movies is a viable career choice and so as we grow up, we’re allowed to have it as a hobby or special interest but should think about going to law school or consider some other career that we know we’d hate but provides a sense of stability. Then at 17 years old, I knew I was screwed: I had to become a filmmaker. I had directed short plays for school and thrown together various short projects in “imovie” but I had not made a short film until I was 20 years old. When I finally did, it was an awful short. It was so truly bad but I was addicted now. I had to keep getting better and continue to improve and I had so many more stories I wanted to tell as I continued to age. That’s what drives me – the desire to keep telling stories and keep getting better at telling stories. I have to keep going otherwise I don’t know what I would do, genuinely. I live with a rare luxury in that I know exactly what I want to do with my life but it can be so hard. I spent my time at UT working tirelessly on student productions, music videos, documentaries, TV pilots, all types of projects. Then as I became more aware of how a film set ran, I started to make my own projects. I’ve since directed 5 short films and I am nearly completely wrapped on my first feature film, “Pace Yourself”. The film is a romantic comedy that was shot around Austin, TX across 19 days in July-August 2025! With a cast of over 8, crew of over 30, and some scenes containing over 60 extras, it is the hardest thing I’ve even done but was the most fun I’ve ever had.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Most definitely not. So much of what I’ve done has been full of adapting and trying again. I initially was not accepted to UT-Austin and had to work hard to obtain good grades to strengthen my transfer application from Fordham University which is where I did my first semester of college before transferring. Once I was accepted to UT, I had two weeks to move to Austin and get set up for the spring 2021 semester! Then, I had to work to add Radio-Television-Film as my second major because I was admitted as an English major. But I finally made it to UT and into the film program! There, I had to start the process of making friends which took about a semester of finding my footing and finding my group of people to make projects with. I learned a lot about how some projects will fall apart and you have to pivot which gave me some skills that are hard to learn in a classroom and usually are only acquired via experience. Then, I struggled with my mental health a great deal in college as well and had to find a balance of staying afloat in school and figuring out how to navigate my mental heath. Lastly, it took 3 years to get my feature film “Pace Yourself” off the ground. I had to make a proof of concept short film which took a great deal of time, then I had to get my team together to start working on the feature, and through that process alone we hit a lot of bumps, but we made it! It has not been a smooth road but some of the detours have been the best part of the process.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a filmmaker based in Austin, TX with a specialization in writing, directing, and producing. Primarily though, I’m a writer-director! I’ve made 5 short films, one of which was my thesis film my senior year at UT-Austin, but what I’m most proud of is my feature debut film that is entering the festival circuit now. It was not easy to get this far but the process alone has taught me so much. I think what sets me apart from others is how much care and consideration I not only put into my projects but what I put towards my cast and crew. I am always trying to look out for them and ensure they the people I work with are well taken care of because filmmaking is such a collaborative endeavor!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory, one of them at least, is the first time I ever saw the movie Clue. I was in the 5th grade as a massive slumber party with the other girls in my 5th grade class. There must have been around 8-10 other girls there and we spent so much time swimming, working on crafts that my friend’s mom had set up for us, having a dance party, and finally it was the end of the night. My friend’s mom turned on Clue for us and most of the other girls were partially watching but mainly talking with each other and I just remember being so captivated. I know there were more people in the room but when I think back on it, I couldn’t tell you if there really was anyone else – how corny, I know, but it felt so specific to me. I think plenty of the jokes went over my head but the magic of storytelling stuck with me, especially seeing the movie have three different endings! It was definitely a formative moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unlucky13productions.com/pace-yourself
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthaahussey/
