Like a lot of people, Sam Giffin got into filmmaking almost as a hobby, a way of documenting the epic powder days he and his brothers and friends were enjoying around his home mountain of Mount Baker. Fortunately for Sam, his brothers Zach and Jeff, and their core of friends happen to be some of the best skiers and snowboarders at Baker, a place known for a wealth of below-the-radar talent. After a near-death experience and some soul searching, Sam decided to try to take his talents to a new level. He entered The North Face Amateur Video Contest, presented by Studio411 and held in conjunction with the Powder Video Awards, and won. Part of the prize was a session with Studio411, where he was allowed use of their edit bays and got a quick tutorial on marketing his films. We caught up with Sam in the West L.A. office of the Wasserman Group, Studio411’s parent company, and had a few words with one of the hottest new talents in ski cinematography.-Derek Taylor