Max’s ‘Telemarketers’: Who is Sam Lipman-Stern?

Telemarketers…we’ve all been annoyed by them! And now there’s a documentary on Max that explores the seedy underbelly of the world of telemarketing. It’s called Telemarketers and it was directed by Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern and produced by the Safdie Brothers of Uncut Gems fame.

It’s understandably getting a lot of attention for its clandestine footage and eye-opening premise, and it’s brought a lot of attention to its stars. Here’s the official synopsis:

“The HBO Original docuseries Telemarketers chronicles the 20-year journey of two unlikely employees who stumble upon the murky truth behind a seedy New Jersey call center. With raw eyewitness footage and a comedic cast of characters, this three-part documentary takes you from an anarchic boiler room filled with booze, drugs, and debauchery to the halls of the United States Senate as a billion-dollar telemarketing scam unravels.”

The documentary is officially tucked under the true crime genre, and it premiered on August 13. Lipman-Stern used to work for a telemarketing company called CDG (Civic Development Group), and he filmed a lot of surreptitious footage to go along with the doc. So who is he?

Who is Sam Lipman-Stern?

Lipman-Stern was born in New Jersey and dropped out of high school at 14. He liked graffiti and hip-hop, and at the urging of his parents, he started applying at fast food restaurants like Burger King.

He was too young to get hired there so a friend told him about CDG and he joined right up.

After telemarketing, he worked as a director for hip-hop artist and graffiti artist videos, and scored an internship at the now-defunct VICE in 2011, right when the company exploded as a global brand. In 2012, he launched a popular documentary series called Live From The Streets, which quickly became one of the most popular series on Noisey.

After VICE, he joined Rolling Stone as a full-time director and producer, per his bio. He made a name for himself by interviewing artists like Rick Ross, Slash, Charlie Puth, and Keith Richards. Not only that, but he has worked with global brands, such as the New York Times and Apple.

He spent a month on the OceanX ship following scientists in their effort to save coral reefs, and he directed Forbes: Rap Mentors, featuring rappers like “Black Thought of The Roots, E-40, Kevin Liles and Saweetie.”

Time Magazine called his latest project “One of the most exciting docs in years,” and they aren’t wrong. The entirety of Telemarketers is now streaming on Max. There are three episodes total, making it a quick yet interesting watch.