2 Guys, 1 Sandwich
No sandwiches were harmed during the making of this film
📸: Cameron Summers (@satsoomers)
📸: Ethan Cooper (@2eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.ethan)
Finding My Voice
As one of the first university projects that I’d worked on, and certainly the first that I had ever produced, I had placed a lot of pressure on myself. The film we had originally decided to make was a commentary on medical malpractice, but this did not feel like a film that me or my team wanted to make or suited making.
The inspiration for “2 Guys, 1 Sandwich”, the film that rose from the ashes of a proverbial car crash, was “Friends” Season 5 Epsiode 9, “The One with Ross’s Sandwich”. In this episode, Ross rages as someone stole his sandwich at work, and gets placed on sabbatical. We ran with this idea by having the audience see the process of the sandwich being made, only to feel the protagonist’s rage as he sees it taken from him.
The lesson that we learned from this was that sometimes, instead of forcing an idea that does not suit your style, be patient. Sometimes ideas can come to you from the most unexpected of places.
📸: Ethan Cooper (@2eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.ethan)
No Idea Is Original
I’ve already touched on the inspiration from the hit sitcom “Friends”, but what’s also to note is that the introduction of this film was based on a similar introduction in the film “American Psycho”.
I’m a firm believer in the fact that no idea is original. We are a living, breathing amalgamation of all of the media that we have consumed throughout our lives, and that is expressed in our own creations. We shouldn’t shame ourselves for this, far from it. Instead, I wear my influences on my sleeve when creating films, particularly in shorts.
The introduction was also based on a short film that I created back in sixth form at age 16, which again was inspired by American Psycho. Revisiting concepts can also show our growth as artists and practicioners.