How Vimeo, Reddit, and YouTube Helped Launch David F. Sandberg’s Hollywood Career

[@ajtaylor8750]

David F. Sandberg has been my inspirational story on my journey to being a filmmaker, and it started when I discovered his KZbin channel and saw his short film "Lights Out." After that, I followed him while he made his way up the ladder to the big leagues, and after watching him make "Lights Out" a feature, "Annabelle: Creation," and his first blockbuster film with "Shazam!," it felt like watching my best friend finally get his just due after years of hard work and dedication to his craft. His journey is proof that if you really want something bad enough, you can obtain it if you put the time, effort, and pure love towards making it happen. Ton of respect for this guy. Also, he has been on this journey with his wife since they were 11 years old. That's relationship goals.

[@Comedyschule]

☝🏿This!:)

[@KEP1983]

Very true. I'm waiting to see Ryan Connolly and Seth Worley's first features. Hope they finally get to do it too.

[@baconair]

Time, effort and love won't suffice though. You need talent aswell.

[@Leekour]

Well said

[@jasonwalton6311]

David F. Sandberg has one of the most aspiring filmmaker cinderella stories of my generation. I've been following him for a while and I know he's put in a lot of work to become the director/ filmmaker he is today. He's showed me that you can do a lot with a little, which helped me to stop making excuses for my own work. As a horror movie fanatic - minus ' gore horror' - he is one of my favorite director/ filmmakers to date. I hope one day I get a chance to gain a quarter of his success and vision in filmmaking. Keep up the great work David.

[@filmcourage]

Great to see you comment here Jason. We agree with you, what David has accomplished in the last 6 years in unbelievable. And when you see the work he has put in and continues to put in it is inspiring. We feel blessed we were able to spend a little time with him and have him share his filmmaking journey with us.

[@illapuproductions]

The *MOST* amazing aspect about him is that he's *HUMBLED* which is rare in ego driven Hollywood.

[@senchaholic]

Jeffery Thompson Jr he's just being swedish 🤪

[@14AspenDrive]

Most people outside of the US are humble.

[@Anabchronicles]

David F Sandberg really inspires me! Love how humble and informative he is ! Such a down to earth dude !

[@ThunderZebra]

I feel so related to every single word that comes out of the mouth of this guy. I just can't stop watching his interviews and thinking about some day being there in his place and talking about how I got there too. Keep up the work everyone who is also an aspiring filmmaker!

[@cinematera]

I love this guy.I never see a director like him, he shared his knowledge to others with out hesitation. Golden heart guy.And We want the interviews like this and with screen writing professors like Paul Joseph Gulino.

[@whyyoumadtv3413]

I am a writer and had been knocked down, like yesterday .. this gives me a light at the end of my dark tunnel now ! .. I am so glad for him to reach his goals .. and hope to be there with him one day.. meet at a party or on a set or lot and let him know his story here helped in the darkest hour of mine .. and then i can thank him

[@DXCary10]

You have to watch is youtube. Go to oldest and work your way to the present. The dude went from 2min short films with his wife to making SHAZAM!

[@filmcourage]

The work he has on his KZbin is pretty amazing. It's easy to see how much passion he has for filmmaking. And you can see the amount of time and work he has put in.

[@Tired_Giant]

Love this guys come up story. I’ve heard it so many times after rewatching other interviews and I still love hearing it.

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for watching it one more time with us.

[@spookmineer]

Magic does happen! To extremely down to earth persons as well. I *love* that he is still uploading behind the scenes vids even after Shazam!

[@atallguynh]

How inspired...? Off the charts. Anything is possible.

[@ThroughtheLensProductions]

As a filmmaker and a human being, David is an inspiration to me. Thank you for this interview and many thanks to David for all the awesome work he's done thus far.

[@agentzsro6522]

Lights Out, Anabelle Creatiom and Shazam all from Warner

[@javarx5730]

This guy is so relatable in a lot of ways. His RISE is truly inspirational to say the least.

[@153grover]

to have that dream come true because of KZbin is a dream for millions.

[@einsteindarwin8756]

This is so encouraging. He sounds introverted, as am I struggle all the time with who I am. It’s good to hear someone else who I can relate to.

[@4rjohny5]

this was fascinating! One of THE most inspiring stories ever. Thank you Film Courage and David for doing this! I'll go on David's KZbin to thank him too. =)

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for watching. David has a fantastic KZbin Channel. We highly recommend subscribing and checking out his videos. His work is inspiring.

[@4rjohny5]

@@filmcourage yes! I subbed to David's channel I think a couple years ago or so, I haven't been getting notified when he uploads unfortunately, I've got the bell checked.

[@caesar1700]

Why do Swedish people always have a great American accent, at least compared to other non-native speakers?

[@ernesto_guevara_che]

This man is pure gold!

[@MariWakocha]

Actually been watching a lot of interviews with him, because I really like his story. I liked his movies and I really wanna see him make more.

[@ExistNNature]

Interesting story David. You never know what can come out of trying.

[@Sweet_Karma]

David is an inspiration for any young aspiring filmmaker

[@SeanBreathnach]

Definitely an inspirational man, and always willing to share stories about his journey and the techniques that he uses to make his films.

[@tartansinatra]

Love this interview. David speaks so freely & openly it truly is a breath of fresh air. Thanks amigo!

[@camilom2752]

He had me laughing about the garage situation. Great personal story of his journey .

[@aniketpatil1208]

Shazam director Saying Living was expensive ! Struggle is real and You should not assume that only you are facing the problems.Life is Uncertain..Keep doing your work by heart I can see his every word is touching and inspirational

[@theAlphatron]

Love this guy and his story, amazing! Thanks for sharing your story, very inspiring and encouraging!

[@BlenderDumbass]

PONYSMASHER!!! YAY

[@unleashed4138]

What a inspirational story! This guy is so humbled that I'm shocked because the egos are so big they can't even fit through the door. This goes to show you that you never know when it's your turn, DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE!!!!!

[@AbelFelixStudio]

Your journey into filmmaking really inspired me, David.

[@nextl3v3l99]

I’m telling you the best way to break into the industry rn is through proof of concept short films. If you can create a short film that a studio could adapt into a good feature you can instantly launch you’re career. For ex Netflix just distributed the movie A.X.L which was originally a proof of concept short film funded with Kickstarter and it got made into a feature because they saw its potential. AXL ended doing really well on streaming services and now the director will go off to do bigger projects now.

[@ajiththomas2465]

Granted, those proof of concept short films still have to be good to make studios interested in investing in a feature length version.

[@nextl3v3l99]

Ajith Thomas exactly

[@KenoSNeal]

Every time I see David Sandberg and his wife Lotta Losten I get this happy/inspirational feeling inside. And this is all in part by how closely their hardships resonates with how me (and probably many others) are feeling about where we are in our lives and the challenges between us and our dreams. He and his wife are truly a Cinderella story. How amazing it is that they made a film out of pure passion for the art form and sent it out into oblivion with no hopes of it gaining traction.. and then months later to have the studios come reaching out to them. I know this is gonna sound cheesy, but I would break down in tears if that happened to me. Because what I saw in these two was a dream that literally came knocking at their door (because they put in the work). Their story inspires me, especially knowing that they grew up in a place completely isolated from Hollywood and the industry, and on top of that having struggled to navigate through a painstakenly expensive Los Angeles. They were on the verge of homelessness clinging onto a dream that was uncertain. That is scary. I'm so happy for them. And I'm especially appreciative that Sandberg is giving back to aspiring filmmakers like myself with his behind the scenes videos (see Annabelle Creation). The man is humble. Hats off to him. I can't wait to see what he and his wife does next!

[@sadbuttrue1354]

I've been following him 5 years. I learning from him and I'm trying to do something. I could not do much but okay.

[@TheHypeEngine]

Keep trying

[@mohaumann9102]

I love how his career path unfolded, from the technical world to directing, what i want for my self

[@mohaumann9102]

clearly i need to consistently shoot short films with great twists.

[@kelvinprather510]

Wow! What an amazing story. Goes to show you to never give up on your dream!

[@estherrivera4071]

Practice , writing dialogue for a script to do a movie isn't easy , but after you finish writing it then is wonderful !

[@ActorsReal2Reel]

Love this interview...Watched a few of his now. One on Film Riot I think also. I'm very introverted so seeing a guy from Sweden who made a 2 minute short film who doesn't like people made it. Shows its still possible. Thanks Film Courage and would love a BTS of how you make all these interview possible and how your day goes and set up and all that...please please please 😀

[@filafresh22dunn24]

GREAT INTERVIEW👌👍👌💪😎😀KEEP THE VIDEOS COMING 👍😀 PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS 👍😉

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for the support!

[@DavidMac8Six8]

I'm very inspired. This guy made a crazy jump from KZbin shorts to Hollywood films. I hope. to do something similar one day.

[@filmcourage]

Inspires us all to keep putting in the work.

[@jaredkunish]

one of my personal heroes!! great video as always, film courage

[@KyleRoy]

David F. Sandberg should write a book about his experience breaking into Hollywood.

[@alecbyerley1481]

his voice is so soothing.

[@timyeah]

wish more directors were more open like him.

[@fredrm6023]

It scares me 😱 that someone so talented is lead to do a franchise film and super hero movie. Why doesn’t the studio let him make his original content cause he’s got a ton. If this his part strategy I hope 🤞 it leads to more success

[@shanthoshsatchithananthan8276]

I’m sure they approached him with the script first. I think he’s more interested in directing than scriptwriting. Also I think he hasn’t approached others with his content yet

[@larkmacallan4257]

Hope you guys have been well. I'm back writing new stuff and going to bury myself in some film courage for inspiration all the way home from work.

[@filmcourage]

Great to hear from you Brian and to know that you are working on new material. In terms of inspiration, we think you found the right guy and the right video.

[@MarcRez3]

Great story. I know this will inspire and give hope to all the other hard working up and coming filmmakers.

[@keithrice9281]

Love it, very inspirational. The cream always rises.

[@Anthony_Francisco_Art]

Thank you for this ! This so inspiring , just what I needed today!

[@filmcourage]

Glad you found this one Anthony. David deserves the credit for this one. Please subscribe to his channel and thank him for doing this with us.

[@jacoby4657]

simply thank you

[@Enriqueguiones]

He's so young, and already a legend :)

[@StevieSomethin]

One of us. One of us. One of us.

[@chainjaw8013]

I LOVW THE CRAP OUT OF HIS WORK

[@nunouno001]

Thank you for the best Shazam Movie ever!

[@DodZz666]

David is my new hero

[@ThePlaceForThings]

love this guy

[@lilkikwestside_12]

He's so awesome

[@MOTIVATIONCINEMA]

Success does not happen by accident, he worked hard and believed in his dream.

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

Incredible story.

[@Trina18]

This is so inspiring ❤️

[@CERTIFIEDBABEWRANGLER]

David is my dawg yo

[@BrandonJDavis]

Very inspiring!

[@BrandonJDavis]

Hopefully one day I can be interviewed!

[@JoeVirella]

I click on his videos so fast 💨 !

[@MasterOfWindTributes]

i really wish i could work as a director with him in a movie

[@meg-k-waldren]

😳😳😳. What a recount.

[@paradoxasmr1572]

love this

[@francisjtuk]

The real move here is to make a movie of this story - the classic rags to riches piece !

[@francisjtuk]

If they could do it for a 3rd rate film like The Room then this guy really deserves a proper movie !

[@BruceRodriguez]

This channel is fucking amazing

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Chino!

[@ALEXUNARGENTINOMEXICO]

me inspiro a hacer mi primer pelicula solo

[@vatorichie4616]

I honestly never understood this guys story..I'm a big fan but he was making short films on youtube that compared to other projects on the world level..wasn't that amazing..good yes..but not Hollywood Management companies calling good 😂😂. But this dude is the real deal..his Annabelle Creation BTS was a true glimpse at his high level directing ability...I was blown away. Same thing with Andy Muschetti..nonetheless I'm inspired by both and they are both very talented.

[@jespermeisel9799]

David F. Sandberg

[@anujgupta6347]

no excuses left

[@airindiana]

Right on the moment when he said “big penises” it cut to an advert for a bank. Maybe Yt has a sense of humour

[@alexalexis7899]

Stories from a (recent) time when a good short would indeed push your career forward, no matter where you were in the world. Unfortunately, nowadays it is no longer the case, given the deluge of good, polished, professional shorts that are uploaded each day.

[@filmcourage]

There is no one way to launch a career. There will always be filmmakers who launch their careers via a short film. Work leads to more work. One key is to create and keep creating. Sometimes the thing that takes off is not the thing that was expected to go anywhere.

[@Aloewells]

Try Unique content and Platform. Naming is the key.

[@Wordsley]

These Rock!

[@tawfique1283]

How inspired am i by David's story? I can't answer that properly

[@Comedyschule]

And we all just going to ignore the fact that his english is perfect. Why does no one ask him where ge learned to speak it without accent?☺

[@_khooman_chronicles_]

My question exactly...

[@Naslund_Music]

JENLEY MOVIE PRODUCTION Unlike the rest of Europe we don't dub movies - this makes a big difference. But this guy has to be in the top 1%. Film makers, musicians and actors tend to be way better at speaking English than the general population.

[@Comedyschule]

@@Naslund_Music oh ok thanks. We are so close (germany) but I dont know anything about sweden. Interesting thanks....well I am a big fan of Alexander Gustaffson but thats about it. :)

[@thewatcher8573]

we want that, but not quite that lol

[@mikeb3172]

Level the audio volume.......

[@CinematicComics]

he joined you tube when it was good, now it isn't.vimeo,reddit?I find that hard to believe as they are NOT at all a vehicle for filmmakers.

[@Rohan.S.Patne.]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Mhgmusicvideos]

Nice! :-)

[@cratecody7936]

David F. Sandberg: Bullsh*t Subtitle: Baloney

[@j.jmarlon1417]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@stephanmckinnie8855]

0:41/0:58

[@purelyindividual]

😎

[@MarkLambertMusic]

I'm amazed at his complete lack of Swedish accent.

[@misstranqui9132]

💪

[@faibabernard]

inspired enough to get bust ma ass off and get the LittLe I have out there...

[@toastyod8233]

How does he have an American accent

[@removies3653]

I really like Sandberg and anything, but u ask one simple question to this dude and he's gonna tell you his life

[@Thenoobestgirl]

How is it that he has zero Swedish accent? Did he grow up elsewhere?

[@weiyangliu756]

swedish people speak dual languages, even their tv channels are in english

[@chicobraz4335]

I wonder why him ,lol ..little hint? it's all In the name ...and the cycle continues...

[@mckinniesmovies3598]

0:41/0:58