Sam Santana
Portfolio
Genre Sips
A Dunkin' and BookTok collaboration
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One Last Movie Night
A Coca-Cola spec ad
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Davis Theater Red Carpet Membership
A loyalty program built for local movie lovers
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Short-Form Video Ads
Remedy Skincare & Storygraph Buddy Reads
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Every Year Is A Souvenir
A Polaroid print ad campaign
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Sessions@33 at Bassline Chicago
Social media campaign for a live music event
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About
Hi, I'm Sam.
When I'm not writing, I'm worried I should be writing. I'm a Chicago-based writer on the search for the right word, the line that carries an idea, and the story that fits it.
Before writing, I worked retail at the Apple Store, poured concrete and applied epoxy, served as a dietary aide at a rehab hospital, and worked my way up from temp phone agent to team development coach at Discover. Every one of those jobs taught me how people actually talk. Then I moved from Phoenix to Chicago to earn my B.F.A. in Cinema and Television Writing at Columbia College Chicago.
Since then, I've worked in creative development at Apple TV+, read scripts as a story analyst for the International Screenwriters' Association, and written copy and communications for tms and Gertrude. My approach is simple: talk to audiences like I'm sitting across the table from them, whether I'm sharing an idea, a feeling, or a reason to take the next step. I want every brand I write for to feel like a conversation.
What I do
Three ways I can help
Copywriting
Campaigns, ads, and brand voice. I'm a big believer in writing for fans. I help brands find what people really care about, then figure out where they fit in.
Scriptwriting
Spec spots, short-form video, and screenplays. If the writer isn't excited, the audience won't be either. I help carry that energy from the page to the screen.
Story Development
Loglines, treatments, scripts, and essays. Sometimes an idea isn't a story yet. I help get it there: find the moment worth building from, spot the gaps, and build out.