The Work That Made Me: Lucy Sandler
Lucy Sandler is a director and photographer who takes a humanist approach to world building, yielding work that is raw and literal. Through connecting personally with her subjects, she creates space for them to explore the characters that live in their subconscious.
She pulls from her own lived experiences in an attempt to communicate their universal feelings. Lucy lives in LA with her dog and cat. Her current passion is surfing and trying to understand the ocean. A fun fact about her is that she is congenitally anosmic, meaning she was born without a sense of smell. She's worked with brands like Nike, Adidas, Ford and Hennessy.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Lucy> The Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry music video and short film box sets. This was the pinnacle for me at 14.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Lucy> Working at the Silver Screen video rental store in my hometown made me want to get into the industry. And having an employee picks section.
LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Lucy> Album is Digital Ash in A Digital Urn, book is The Secret History, film is Saved!
LBB> My first professional project…
Lucy> Probably a branded follow doc with edgy b-roll showcasing an early Instagram influencer that collects sneakers or has a streetwear brand. Could have been for G Shock but who knows.
LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Lucy> Anything derivative, or anything that steals from another artist. The worst thing in the world is when real artists create, and then a big artist or brand co-opts it as their own.
LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Lucy> I don't feel jealous. I just feel excited that someone has managed to break through and make something good. The last music video that made an impact on me was Big Hammer directed by Oscar Hudson.
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Lucy> I'm not sure I can trace it back to a project, but I think being in a collective with two other amazing women directors was probably the most formative career experience that I've had. sportscar made me who I am as an artist today and I continue to learn so much from them.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Lucy> I'm currently starring in a mumblecore x dogme 95 feature film that I wrote and directed with my best friend. It's just been us, two MiniDV cameras, all of our friends, and a sound person. It's completely devoid of ego, expectations, or ambition. I have no idea whether it will be good or not, and I'm proud of myself for detaching from this nightmare of a system long enough to be truly free, and make something the way we used to when we were kids.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Lucy> My commercial for a cosmetic procedure rewards program app is not my favourite.
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Lucy> My untitled dogme movie – please reach out if you have any ideas for a title. It's an absurdist improvised comedy about two women who discover they have the same boyfriend when one of them recognises his dog in the other's care. They set out on a wild goose chase to try to get revenge.
