Samantha Lee
Manager, Integrated Marketing, SundanceTV
Even thought it was her first year working with the Sundance Film Festival, she skillfully managed five different sponsorships this year, all while staying under budget. She has been the lead on her newest project, Visit Seattle Filmmakers Project, since its inception to bring five films about the sights, sounds, tastes, touches, and smells of Seattle. Her planning will culminate in a premiere event at the SundanceTV headquarters in January. A strong community is important to Lee in a workplace: “Knowing my colleagues on both professional and personal levels allows me to communicate more clearly, help identify shared team goals, and strategize ways to accomplish those goals,” she says.
The first social platform or website you visit after waking up in the morning?
Facebook. It’s the quickest and easiest way for me to receive information in a centralized location. Facebook is a place for discovery of all of the things I love and that matter most to me. It’s the one platform where I can get updates on “all things” important to me from my friends, family, content producers including the other outlets of interest—breaking news, trending cultural topics, colleges my cousins are considering, local concert announcements, delicious recipes and more. It’s a one-stop-shop. Plus I wouldn’t know what movie to see or TV shows to be interested in without it!
What sort of culture is important to you in the workplace?
It’s very important to me to have a strong sense of community. Knowing my colleagues on both professional and personal levels allows me to communicate more clearly, help identify shared team goals, and strategize ways to accomplish those goals efficiently and effectively…all while having fun! The bottom line to me is that I spend more time at work than I do at home. My colleagues are like my 2nd family. We need to care about each other and have each other’s backs. That makes a difference to me. We genuinely care about, and for, each other.
What is the most exciting thing about working in this industry?
That it’s a new industry every day and has an ever-changing nature. Today, content’s consumed anytime and anywhere, and it’s exciting to be at that intersection. How does your content stand out from the rest? How can you create a new and unique user experience? How are things like VR and AR transforming the way we consume content, and how will new technologies set the stage for the future? I’m thrilled to be part of this dynamic industry.
