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Wunderkinds2016 Sam Pezzullo, 29
Producer, Thinkmodo; Founder, 28twelve Productions
When a young woman disrupted a coffee shop with a telekinetic rampage, causing another patron to sail up a wall and tables to scatter, the New Yorkers who jumped back and gasped had Sam Pezzullo to thank for the jolt. The New Rochelle resident, working for the viral video marketing company Thinkmodo, produced the prank and the video that came from it to promote the 2013 horror flick Carrie. The only permanent Thinkmodo staffer other than its two founders, Pezzullo’s videos have been viewed more than 200 million times on YouTube and have reached hundreds of millions of television viewers with worldwide news coverage. He also runs his own video content firm in New Rochlle, 28twelve Productions. Eventually, he wants to move into traditional moviemaking, but for now he’s happy to ride the crest of the current wave in marketing, even if that sometimes means scaring the wits out of bystanders. The “victims” generally love a good joke once they’re let in on it, he says. “Everybody is always enthusiastic afterward,” Pezzullo explains. “It is ultimately a fun experience for them, as well.” —KV
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