Sam Dunnewold
is a Minnesota-born comedy writer, editor, and podcaster who likes a sharp wit and a good poop joke. Sam honed his comedy voice as a video and podcast editor at places like The Onion, Funny or Die, and Team Coco. In 2022, he was a finalist for the Austin Television Festival’s pitch contest and became an Inevitable Foundation Screenwriting Fellow. In 2023, Sam was a fellow for the Sundance Episodic Lab. His writing is often high-concept, usually dark, and always nerdy. He has no colon.
Screenwrting
TV and film, a Sundance fellowship, short films that have played at festivals around the Midwest, and more.All scripts available to read on request.
GUTS
After her best friend’s death by medical malpractice, enraged sophomore Allison plots to befriend Kenzie — the chronically ill, sweetly naïve daughter of the doctor responsible — in her quest for revenge, only to find that Kenzie wants to help.Hour-long drama for cable or streaming. GUTS is the script that Sam took to the Sundance Episodic Lab.
THE DUMPS
A semi-autobiographical love story between a boy and his talking colon. After shitting his pants in front of his crush, an anxious college Freshman with worsening Crohn’s disease must overcome his embarrassment and the voice of his codependent talking Colon as he sets out to make authentic college friends.Half-hour single-cam comedy for cable or streaming. This is the script that landed Sam the Inevitable Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship.
EVIL EMMA
When an ambitious aspiring supervillain working part time as a barista finds herself being robbed by an embarrassing old classmate from Super College, she decides to finally get serious about becoming a professional supervillain.It’s THE BOYS meets GIRLS. Twenty-somethings trying to figure out their lives and careers… it’s just that their careers are in supervillainy.Half-hour single-cam comedy for cable or streaming.
Podcasting
Sam has edited scripted podcasts, produced and edited comedy talk shows, and run soup-to-nuts his own hobby show about tabletop roleplaying games (i.e. Dungeons & Dragons).His credits include talk shows like...
Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, a comedy and interview show
Did You Get My Text, a comedy show with Meredith Salenger & Patton Oswalt
Count Me In, the Math Association of America's interview show about working mathematicians
...and fiction shows like...
A Very Fatal Murder, The Onion's Webby-nominated parody of Serial
The Last Degree of Kevin Bacon, a comedy thriller from Funny or Die and Spotify
Frontier Tween, a sitcom from Team Coco starring Maria Bamford and Conan O'Brien
Naughty, a road trip with two elves on their way to rescue Santa, from Wondery
Self-Center, a comedy thriller from Team Coco starring Judy Greer and Kim Cattrall
My Guy Died, an "audio movie" starring Patti Harrison, Tim Heidecker, and Amy Sedaris
...and his own shows...
Dice Exploder, a show about the design of roleplaying games
The Claude Teau Show, a comedic procedural in a fantasy world
Video Editing
15 years of editing experience. Digital media, fashion shows, short films, documentary sizzles, commercials, comedy, musical performances, political ads.The Onion, Clickhole, The A.V. Club, Aveda, Sprint, Pizza Hut, Kmart, David's Bridal, Arby's, Bumble, Grant Thornton, SoulPancake, Pop Secret, PopSugar, Warby Parker, Mandalay Sports Media, Bend The Arc: Jewish Action, Encyclopedia Britannica.Final Cut, Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, and more.Sam does it all.
The Geometry Of Emotion: How Paul Thomas Anderson Uses Hot Dog Shapes In His Films To Create Mood, a comedy video for Clickhole
Tradition, a political ad for Bend The Arc: Jewish Action
Cocktail Club, a cooking series for The A.V. Club. Sam cut the second and third seasons.
Sam's reel, including videos for Kmart, The Onion, The A.V. Club, Aveda, and David's Bridal
Additional Work Samples
The Onion Reviews 'Fifty Shades Freed', a comedy short for The Onion considered by the writers to be the best film review The Onion has ever produced
The Task Force In Charge Of Making Sure Elvis Didn’t Die On The Toilet Explain What Went Wrong, a classic Clickhole parody of a gritty documentary
Watch Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis give Oliver Peck a tattoo, a three minute doc about a very uncomfortable musician giving a guy a tattoo
GWAR Covers Foreplay / If You Want Blood (You Got It), a musical performance out of the offices of The A.V. Club as a part of their now defunct Undercover series
Lapse: A young girl adapting to life with chronic disease weighs her safety against her wanderlust. Screened at several film festivals.Written, directed, and cut by Sam.
Struggle City, a comedy short made for the Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project. Runner up overall and winner of Best Emerging Filmmaker.Written, directed, and cut by Sam.