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If only Sam Raimi were on social media.

Then perhaps the acclaimed director of The Evil Dead, A Simple Plan, and the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man series would learn of how one of his earliest movies influenced one of today’s most talented journalists.

Forrest Sanders watched The Evil Dead as a student and became enamored with Raimi’s shot composition and pacing. He developed a passion for shooting and editing that evolved into a career as a solo video journalist. Today Sanders has his own honors: numerous Emmys, two new regional Edward R. Murrow awards won last week, and a variety of accolades from the NPPA. This past year he was named its National Solo Video Journalist of the Year.

Sanders is my guest on Episode #71 of the Telling the Story podcast.

I loved this conversation. Sanders has quickly become a leader in the storytelling community, and he speaks with both introspection and clarity of purpose. We chatted about the power of early influences, the need to fuel your passions, and the way to carve your own path in a newsroom where that might seem difficult. And yes, we discussed Mr. Raimi (and Brian DePalma too!) for several enlightening minutes.

Here’s an example of one of his finest stories, “The Funeral Man.” In the episode, Sanders talks about the journey to make it happen.

Listen to the podcast at the top of the page or download it and listen to it later. And subscribe to the podcast – and rate and review it – on iTunes and Stitcher!

The Solo Video Journalist is available for purchase. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the publisher’s web site.

Matt Pearl is the author of the Telling the Story blog and podcast. Feel free to comment below or e-mail Matt at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com. You can also follow Matt on Facebook and Twitter.