In this special report on commercial production, a sampling of Canadian directors look to the future of their industry.

For the most part, their outlook is positive. They seem to feel that there’s no reason Canadian directors can’t market themselves all over the world. American directors have been doing it for years. Without question, foreign directors have had an effect on the Canadian directorial base, but directors have come to terms with that. Many are taking their talents on the road and into foreign markets.

The directors interviewed run the gamut, from those who directed 95% American projects this year to those who make most of their living directing Canadian spots. Some are already deep in the u.s. market, others are casing the scene, and others still have picked up work in Mexico and South America.

Most everyone agrees: the only thing holding us back from competing on a global scale is a characteristically Canadian inferiority complex. Their collective advice: get over it and move forward, or risk being left behind.