We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steve Sgambelluri. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steve below.

Steve, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I had an idea in 2011 for a television sitcom. Like most ideas that pop into our minds, I tried to dismiss it quickly but for some reason, this idea just stayed in my head. At the time, I was a Middle School Principal and varsity boys basketball coach so my plate was very much full. I jotted down some notes, created some characters and came up with a storyline. From there, I essentially shut things down and had the ever popular “this was a cute idea but it’s time to move on as this would likely go nowhere.”

Fast forward to 2018. My wife became pregnant with our second child and I was preparing to step away from coaching basketball – something I did for ten straight seasons at the varsity level. I told myself that I was just going to create this show, just because I wanted to get it out of my system. I connected with a neighbor who had some local theater connections and who had also spent some time in Los Angeles acting when she was younger. I wrote the script, she ran auditions and that is how “Caught in Limbo” was born. We were fortunate to film two episodes and had a blast doing it. The story revolves around a brother, sister and the brother’s wacky best friend. It tries to put the audience in social scenarios where there’s no real navigation tool.

In 2022 – I came up with an idea to create a show based on five friends who were all in the same group chat. If you’ve ever been in a group chat before, you know how interesting those discussions can get. So I sat down in April 2022 and wrote the script for the first episode of “Surrounded by Idiots.” We filmed in November 2022. The fun part of this was using a few regular guys from the actual group chat and also adding in some local actors and actresses.

Audiences have reacted well to both concepts. The interesting part is that with both shows, we didn’t have a budget, we didn’t have experience and we essentially didn’t have anything – other than a drive and a passion to create something.

I’ve spent over twenty years in education – as a teacher, vice principal and principal. I’ve also started visiting schools and educating teachers and staff on how to overcome job burnout. One of my strategies for rising above burnout is to find something that takes your mind away from the job – and writing, producing and directing is my something. From our first table read in 2018, I was hooked. I knew right away that this was something I’d love doing.

Success or no success, I simply needed to try this and I understood up front that if it was going to be a disaster, it was going to be my disaster. I embraced that idea right away. The logistics of setting up things, filming, finding talent, writing and directing were all elements that gave me a sense of excitement. I’m proud that we were able to pull this off and would love to continue writing episodes. But at roughly $3000 per episode, the next step would be to find some sponsors to help with the cost of production.

Steve, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The idea that I was able to create two separate shows and two separate concepts in something I am proud of. The most fulfilling part of this experience is hearing from audiences and listening to their feedback. For the most part, people have really enjoyed both concepts – but “Surrounded by Idiots” may be the one that has generated the most interest.

I wanted to create something that most folks, who live normal lives under normal circumstances, could relate to. Now there’s loads of room for improvement and I’m not entirely sure of what my end goal is with this idea. But if anything, I hope the students I work with everyday can take away the idea of following a passion, having multiple interests, starting something with the intent of finishing it and not letting hurdles get in the way of accomplishing a goal.

Of course I am bit biased, but I can imagine that if a platform were to take a chance on these concepts, the probability that the show would “pop” would be high. I think people like to see comical scenarios play out – especially scenarios that they can relate to. In both shows, the content is authentic, meaning that the scenarios have either happened to me or to someone that I know. That’ s what makes this more fun – it’s 100% authentic. I just want people to watch and enjoy. What I never expected was many viewers providing their own situations that they would think would be funny on the show. We get a lot of that.

I’ll be at gatherings, parties and events where people will talk to me about ideas and concepts which is pretty exciting.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Try making a show with no budget – like literally $0. That was our starting point. No money and no experience – essentially just an idea. We paid out actors and actresses with food. When I started inquiring about how much it would cost to film and edit the production, the cheapest quote was $10,000. I offered food and free t-shirts. They pretty much hung up on me.

But sometimes, things happen that are a sign to keep going. I came in contact with a guy who was in the news business. After a couple meetings, somehow, he agreed to film the project – for free. I didn’t have a choice. But I’ll say this, without Tim Ruffinen and Ken Deyoe – “Caught in Limbo” would have never been a thing. Ken did a great job filming our first episode. Beyond the first episode, I was lucky to connect with Katherine Wright, owner of YTK Photography in Troy, NY. She took the second episode of “Caught in Limbo” and the first episode of “Surrounded by Idiots” to a new level.

We used locations where we had connections. The Gateway Diner (Albany, NY), Nicole Restaurant (Albany, NY), DeFazio’s Pizzeria (Troy, NY) and the Schenectady County Airport (Schenectady, NY) are a few of our locations where we shot on scene. The opening scene in “Caught in Limbo” was shot from a friend’s apartment in Schenectady.

At a garage sale in 2022, a few people purchased t-shirts from “Caught in Limbo.” You would’ve thought they gave me a million dollars. Folks love their “Surrounded by Idiots’ t-shirts, though I always caution them that they need to be careful where they wear them! A friend of mine wore his while he was coaching a youth soccer game. That didn’t end well as the kids would ask “Coach, are you saying we’re all idiots?”

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Sometimes you’re not quite sure why you are doing something. I can say that I find immense joy and satisfaction from creating and producing.

In a perfect world – an online platform takes a chance and orders thirteen episodes. In that same world. Sylvester Stallone, Larry David, Danny DeVito and Jerry Seinfeld come on set and provide their input and direction. Maybe George Clooney agrees to be in an episode. Now there’s an idea – Stallone, David, Seinfeld, DeVito and Clooney are all in the same group chat.

But if that world doesn’t exist, I’m fine with being the guy who created a couple of wacky ideas that went nowhere. It’s the joy of chasing the finish line and the thrill of creating something that drives me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: caughtinlimbo
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/caughtinlimbo
• Twitter: @CaughtLimbo
• Youtube: @caughtinlimbo4220