Eric Samuel Weinstein

As a kid, I always felt the urge to create. Besides my love of drawing, I would search around my house for any old parts or junk, some box that looked cool, or a weird hinge; and when I gathered a good pile I'd glue and tape it into something new. I was always helping my Dad in the garage with whatever project he was working on. He calls me Scooter, a character from the Muppets who is always there to help. I was inspired by the shows and movies I was watching. Wallace & Gromit, Inspector gadget and Back to the Future are just some examples that fueled my early drive to create. 

 In high school, I thought engineering was my path and took four years of classes. I learned certain computer technologies, but the career path simply did not “feel right.”  I wanted to dive deeper into visual arts. I always drew in my free time and love to visualize new things, create characters, and new worlds for them to inhabit through art. I then attended McFatter Technical College and obtained certificates in graphic design. My passion continued to grow and change. I began to paint and create through film. 

 At Full Sail University, I was allowed to continuously create. When we returned to live classes during the pandemic, my artistic expression began changing rapidly.

One of my instructors offered me the opportunity to write a short script with the chance it could be developed further into a movie. I began to write and write and write.

Ultimately, “Love Heist” was born and to my surprise, was selected by my colleagues as the script we would develop into a short movie. I stepped out of my comfort zone, applied to direct, and was chosen as the director of the film.

I was thrown into the thick of it fast. I adapted and changed. As a director, I stepped into every aspect of filmmaking and the entire creative process. Then, I realized “Love Heist” would not work without a circular bank vault door. With our limited budget, the only option was that it had to be built and I had to make it happen.

My engineering days in high school had paid off. With the skill set of engineering design, I was able to design, mill, and build the bank vault door.

Now, armed with a wide array of creative abilities and skills, I am ready for the next professional challenge.