Iranian-American director and writer Saman Kesh has the most Vimeo staff picks, ever. He attributes this accolade to excessive consumption of rocket fuel and a knack for combining the human experience with a healthy dose of controlled chaos. Saman gained recognition with popular music videos like Cinnamon Chasers: Luv Deluxe (which won ‘Best Video’ at SXSW), Kygo: Stole The Show and Basement Jaxx: Never Say Never, along with videos for Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, and Placebo. He has also directed award-winning commercials for major brands like Zoom, Google, Uber, Toyota and Nintendo. Saman has written and directed industry-hailed short films, CONTROLLER and HIT TV, and is currently developing several feature films. On his off hours, he plays video games and trolls racists.


Topics Discussed In This Episode:

• Yoshino and Saman catching up (00:02:14)
• Imbuing authenticity into commercial creations (00:05:54)
• Saman speaks about his experience shooting the “Azizam” music video for Ed Sheeran (00:20:38)
• Saman reflects on 15 years in the film and commercial industry (00:29:43)
• Saman discusses dealing with triggering moments on set, and how he has learned to comport himself appropriately in those situations (00:39:04)
• Yoshino asks about romantic relationships and finding a shared rhythm with a partner (00:43:44)
• Knowing how to make the most truthful decisions for our lives (00:49:56)
• Getting out of analysis paralysis (00:56:24)
• Saman reflects on how his past self might perceive who he is today (00:59:00)

samankesh.com
instagram.com/saman_kesh

Posted 4.18.2025