Martin Granger, Tim Hamilton and John Fawcett are three new young directors undaunted by the promise of stiff competition from established directors on both sides of the border.

All three have joined Avion Films and are looking to make names for themselves in the Canadian commercial production market.

They may face difficult odds, but Avion partner Michael Schwartz is confident they bring an energy and drive advertising agencies are hungry for.

‘The agencies desperately want this kind of new blood, but when they see American reels, it’s tough to say let’s take a chance on this new guy. I think they desperately hope that these young people will develop so they don’t have to bring in talent from New York or l.a.

‘That’s a long process, but there’s a definite desire to stimulate local talent, and on our behalf to try and promote it as well. We’re prepared to put some money into it,’ Schwartz says.

Born in Vancouver and a graduate of the Vancouver Film School, Granger worked as a understudy with the Second City comedy club, on the set with Kids In The Hall, and has made three short comedy films.

‘I can’t wait to be typecast as a comedy director,’ says Granger, who just completed a spot on spec for Pringle’s Light potato chips. American directors seem to get a lot of the really funny spots, but he hopes that will change.

‘There’s a hump to get over to get Canadian comedy directors doing commercials up here,’ he says. ‘There seems to be the perception that Americans do it better. Maybe it’s because they have more opportunities to practise in a bigger market, or a bigger reel with more funny spots. But there’s an incredible history of comedy in this country. We bring our own perspective and we can market that.’

It’s too early to think about working outside the country, says Granger. He’s excited to have a shot here, and even in the early stages the rewards are plentiful. ‘One of the best things is the tremendous amount of free pop,’ he says, smiling.

Hamilton and Fawcett both started out as music video directors and are moving into commercial direction.

Hamilton, whose reel already includes an aids psa and a Home Hardware commercial, says Canadian directors have to diversify to survive. There’s a natural progression from directing music videos to commercial directing, and he’s looking forward to the technical challenge as well as working with bigger budgets.

As a newcomer, Hamilton’s not overly concerned with the trend towards hiring American directors.

‘It worries me in the sense that there’s a myth built up around American directors which is fed by them being hired for a considerable portion of the big-budget productions. But this is a trend and trends come and go. I could foresee a trend where Canadian directors become very cool because we wear wool clothing, it’s that unpredictable. I’m not artistically daunted and I think we need to market ourselves as Canadians directors.’

Edmonton-born Fawcett made a permanent move to Toronto in September. With a background in both drama and film, Fawcett spent a year in Toronto in 1991 as a resident director at the Canadian Film Centre.

‘I feel incredibly optimistic about what’s ahead. My plan is to work on any projects I can and to build a substantial reel. As a Canadian, you have to work that much harder to get somewhere. There’s a lot of outlets for this kind of work in the u.s., little centers all over the States where you can develop talent. In Canada, there’s Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and that’s it.’

Schwartz admits younger directors have a tough job ahead to distinguish themselves in this business, with competition from all over North America. But they bring something to the table that’s invaluable in this field.

‘They bring a new point of view, an energy level and a willingness to spend the time. They bring a commitment they’re making to the craft. When we started Avion, we made a commitment to developing some local, fresh talent because we felt there wasn’t enough young Canadian talent being utilized.’ AV