“You just have to live and life will give you pictures ... Of course it's all luck."
– Henri Cartier-Bresson
Samson Chan is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and photographer who travels the world extensively, creating beautiful and striking stories of sports superstars, Hollywood heavyweights, and real-life heroes for documentary and commercial projects.
Samson is a 10-time Emmy and a Clio Award winner and applies his unique perspective with a passion for the pursuit of telling the story and getting the shot. His cinematography, which Variety magazine calls “gorgeous”, stands out for its dynamic compositions, dramatic use of light, and genuine appreciation for its subject matter.
Samson is adept in all aspects of the creative process from the front lines to the boardroom. His breadth of experience and scope derives from having worked on almost every genre and scale of filmmaking. This includes documentaries, feature films, commercials, b2b communications, and branded content, with subjects as diverse as sports, entertainment, fashion, technology, and social issues. His life and work experience is unique and his perspective invaluable to suiting any creative project.
A native of Chicago, Samson received his degree in film from Northwestern University, and is based in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Clio Award | Branded Entertainment & Content | Breaking Barriers, UFC, Executive Producer Adam Condal |
| 2019 | AIPS Sport Media Award | Best Video Athlete Profile | Birthright: Becoming Toby Dawson, Director Matthew Allen |
| 2019 | James Beard Foundation Media Award | Outstanding Reporting | Deep Dive, Food for Thought, Reporter David Chang |
| 2019 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Open/Tease | Always Start with the Dreams, PyeongChang 2018 Olympics |
| 2016 | Sportel Awards, Golden Podium Laureate | Best Slow Motion | Neymar, Rio 2016 Olympics, NBC Olympics |
| 2014 | IOC Olympics Golden Rings Award | Best Olympic Feature | Winter’s Theatre, Sochi 2014 Olympics, NBC Olympics |
| 2012 | National Edward R. Murrow Award | Video Sports Reporting | Angel in the Outfield, ESPN, Producer Beein Gim |
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Art Direction | Sunday Night Football show open, NBC Sports |
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Long Feature | The Man Behind the Red Bandanna, ESPN, Producer Drew Gallagher |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Open/Tease | Discovery, Vancouver 2010 Olympics, NBC Olympics |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Outstanding New Approaches Sports Programming | The Science of Sports, NBC Sports, Producer Phil Parrish |
| 2009 | Peabody Award | Documentary | Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, HBO Sports, Producer Ezra Edelman |
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Camerawork | The Clock of Their Lives, Beijing 2008 Olympics open, NBC Olympics |
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Open/Tease | Perfection, Superbowl XLII open, Fox Sports, Producer Mike Hughes |
| 2008 | Telly Award | Cinematography | World Figure Skating Championships open, ESPN, Producer Steve Lawrence |
| 2005 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Documentary | Rhythm in the Rope, ESPN, Producer Johnson McKelvy |
| 2005 | Cinequest Film Festival Audience Award | Best Documentary Film | Emmanuel's Gift, Lookalike Productions, Directors Lisa Lax & Nancy Stern |
Credits
| Year | Client | Project | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Billie Jean King Enterprises | BJK Live Appearance Introduction | Director Samson Chan |
| 2020 | Peacock | Kamome | Director David Picker |
| 2019 | NBC Sports | Drive Like Andretti | Director Matthew Allen |
| 2019 | Golf Channel | Chi Chi & Devo | Director Josh Glaser |
| 2019 | UFC | Breaking Barriers | EP Adam Condal |
| 2018 | ESPN, SEC Network | Sundays in the South | Director Fritz Mitchell |
| 2018 | Fox Sports | Cape Cod: Journey to the Bigs | EP Laura Mickelson |
| 2017 | Avnet | Global rebrand launch, agency R&R Partners | EP Noah Goldsmith |
| 2017 | ESPN, ESPYs | Arthur Ashe Courage Award, honoree Eunice Kennedy Shriver | Director Joie Jacoby |
| 2017 | Black Sheep Stew Productions | Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace | Director Rich Gentile |
| 2016 | PBS American Experience | The Boys of '36 | Director Margaret Grossi |
| 2016 | NBC Sports | Building 43, presented by Smithfield | Director Matthew Allen |
| 2015 | Verizon | B2B spots, agency MRM//McCann | EP Noah Goldsmith |
| 2015 | Abbott | Great Wall Marathon, agency Sapient China, Rogue Producer | EP Noah Goldsmith |
| 2015 | NBC Sports | Chasing 43, presented by Smithfield | Director Matthew Allen |
| 2014 | NBC Sports | Notre Dame Reborn, presented by Under Armour | Director Matthew Allen |
| 2014 | NBC Olympics | Lokomotiv | Director Jack Felling |
| 2014 | NBC Olympics | Jessica Long: Long Way Home | Director Matthew Allen |
| 2014 | NBC Olympics | Nancy & Tonya | Director Margaret Grossi |
| 2014 | NBC Sports | Opening Day: Pheasant Season | Director Jim Thompson |
| 2014 | Golf Channel | Arnie | Director Israel DeHerrera |
| 2011 | ESPN Films | 30 for 30: The Fab 5 | Director Jason Hehir |
| 2010 | ESPN Fims | 30 for 30: Four Days in October | Director Gary Waksman |
| 2010 | HBO Sports | Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals | Director Ezra Edelman |
| 2010 | Sony, FIFA | Official 2010 World Cup Film in 3D | Director Johnson McKelvy |
| 2007 | HBO Sports | The UCLA Dynasty | Director George Roy |
| 2007 | Harpo Studios | The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special | Director Annie Price |
| 2005 | Lookalike Productions, First Look Pictures | Emmanuel's Gift | Directors Lisa Lax & Nancy Stern |
| 2005 | ESPN Original Entertainment | Rhythm in the Rope | Director Johnson McKelvy |
| 2005 | ESPN, ESPYs | Arthur Ashe Courage Award, honorees Jim MacLaren & Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah | Directors Lisa Lax & Nancy Stern |
| 2004 | ESPN, ESPYs | Arthur Ashe Courage Award, honoree George Weah | Director Johnson McKelvy |