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Considering all the tricks, chips and step overs in new directing team A Common Future’s brand film for Nissin noodles, you’d be forgiven for thinking the pair are big football nuts. However, it was their love of snowboarding that originally bridged the gap from sports to screen after they met in Munich and discovered a shared passion for storytelling through film.

“I spent my late teens and early 20s making snowboarding films. It’s an interesting realm to work in because it rarely relates to real-world filmmaking, but it was the perfect opportunity for me to learn my craft,” says Tom Elliott, one half of the team.

It’s a similar story for German partner Simon Reichel, who rediscovered his creative calling after many nights out with Elliott on the mean streets of Munich: “I did my own snowboarding movie when I was 18 and then strayed from the path and studied languages. I worked in writing for a bit before I met Tom and found my way back into film.”

They both agree that the duo, which has recently signed to Unit9 London, works because each boasts different skills; Elliot being the practical influence with a passion for beautiful images and Reichel, the more artsy of the pair, with a background in graphic design.

The concept for Samurai in Manchester sees a samurai warrior touring the city, with his sights set on Old Trafford. Performing keepy-uppies and various other tricks along the way, he comes face-to-face with surprised members of the public before meeting his match as a group of ninjas battle it out for the ball.

Despite not being too big on football, it was their knack and know-how for freestyling on film that sucked the pair into the project, which was created to mark a new partnership between Manchester United and Nissin.

“We wanted to avoid too much genuine public reaction because, more often than not, British people just look awkward,” states Elliott of the guerrilla street shoot that culminates inside Old Trafford at a live match. “It was such a quick turnaround that rather than shoot three full days then cut, our brilliant producer, Dale Healy, suggested shooting two days, cutting two days then shooting the final match scene, leaving us a couple of days to finalise.”

Asked why they think the concept marries well with a noodle brand, Reichel responds: “Anything that provides a viewing experience for the audience, something different, something exciting, will stand out and create positive engagement. You have to provide something fun and interesting for people to watch if you want them to like you. That, of course, is the very philosophy behind the kind of work we do with A Common Future.”

And, just for the record, Elliott confirms that the trick where the ball is thrown off a tower block and caught is real. 

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