We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Silverstein & Jeremy Paczos and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sam Silverstein & Jeremy Paczos, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks has been and will continue to be the foundation on which we’ve built Exit 14. From dropping out of school to moving across the country to opening countless credit cards and credit lines, we believe in the power of what lies on the other side of taking risks.
While many of the decisions we make seem grandiose and terrifying to most, we’ve always believed in what we are doing and have never felt the weight of making any of the above decisions. Being a sucker for success stories (musicians, actors, entrepreneurs) risk seems to be the only consistent through line and one we always saw as necessary, not optional.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We pride ourselves on making work that people actually want to see. Whether it’s commercials, TV or film, we place such strong emphasis on creating content that will put smiles on our viewers faces. This of course creates a never ending challenge of balancing the work we want to be doing vs. the work we need to be doing to get there. A great lesson we’ve learned over the years is to not be so future focused that we neglect the present.
While we wish we could spend every second of every day on entertainment projects, we are incredibly cognizant of the necessary steps that have to be taken to enable us to do so. Sometimes that might be doing a small budget job to get in with a big budget company, constantly working nights and weekends when there just aren’t enough hours in the day and most importantly, being incredibly critical of our systems and processes in place to yield the most success.
The project we are most proud of is our sketch series “Nick Shorts” which we wrote, directed and produced for Nickelodeon. This project gave us the confidence and credibility to show the world what we have always known we were capable of doing.
In a world where heavy and emotional topics are taking mainstream viewership (rightfully so) we strive to make work that gives people an escape from reality. An opportunity to leave the stresses of the real world behind and just relax and laugh for the duration of our work.
We want to be known for work that is fun, funny and something people can find true and genuine joy from.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Below is a list of our favorite things to do when guests visit.
Beach bonfire at Dockweiler Beach
Dinner at Jon N Vinny’s Fairfax (ask for Ethan)
Late night apple pie at Jones Hollywood
Melrose Trading Post (greatest Sunday activity)
Chipotle…obviously
Midnight movie at the New Beverly Cinema
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When it comes to recognizing those who have helped us get to where we are today, the list is truly endless. We credit 10% of our success to our work ethic and 90% to those who have guided us through the good times and bad. We are so fortunate to have organically found various mentors who believed not only in our vision for the company, but the two of us as individuals.
A book that we constantly reference and quote is “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. We point to this book as a prime example of how to carry yourself respectfully as a human being and as entrepreneurs. Highly recommend this to anyone looking to sharpen their people skills and become a more enjoyable person to be around.
Website: https://www.exit14.tv/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exit14productions/
Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exit14