If you’re a young director looking to get into the commercial world, Spy Films’ Pete Henderson probably is not the best guy to go to for advice. His explanation of how he got started in the business is vague at best: he says he was a ‘child of destiny with unbelievable timing.’

While many new directors start their careers with a reel filled with spec spots and music videos for garage bands, Henderson’s early works include a national beer campaign and videos for The Tragically Hip.

Short of a one-off, black-and-white spot for Cadillac, Henderson’s first job was in 1995 on a national campaign for Molson Canadian – round two of the ‘I Am’ years.

‘My timing couldn’t be better. All of a sudden I had a national auto spot and four national beer spots on a reel and I didn’t have to do any of the grunt work,’ says Henderson, who chalks it all up to being the luckiest guy in the world.

Henderson continued on Molson Canadian for two more years, a campaign that he says was always an exhausting challenge since the creative process never seemed to stop until the camera was just about to roll.

‘Sometimes when you get a job you come up with an angle, you think about it, present it to the creative team and everyone digs it,’ he says. ‘But with Canadian it was always a case of, `Is there anything we can do to make it better?’ right up to the last second’

The ‘beer widow,’ as he refers to himself, recently completed an elaborate cinema spot and three :15s for Famous Players/Paramount’s new downtown Toronto multiplex with dop Sean Valentini and TOPIX/Mad Dog through Generator IdeaWorks.

If you question Henderson today about what he does for a living, he’ll tell you it’s the best profession in the world. However, during his days at Toronto’s Ryerson Polytechnic film school, commercials were the last thing on his mind.

Following graduation, Henderson landed a job at Revolver Films, where he spent three years as an editor. When the opportunity to direct music videos presented itself, he grabbed the chance. Coming in about eight times longer than commercials, videos seemed a little more like long-format work to the aspiring filmmaker.

After landing shoots for such hit Hip tunes as Locked in the Trunk of a Car and Courage, the logical transition was into the world of commercials. It’s a move Henderson is very glad to have made.

One ad that stands out in his mind and held a space on his reel for two years is a Pennzoil spot, which offered Henderson the opportunity to shoot in Australia.

The creative called for two robots playing tennis on a massive court in the desert. Henderson says shooting in that unique location allowed him to make the spot look unusual.

Right now Henderson is focusing on some ‘career management’ and taking steps towards getting work in the u.s. market.

What lies around the corner for the director? ‘Who knows? Just keep running and the ball will get to you,’ says Henderson. ‘If you catch a football standing still you are going to be killed. If you are running it might go all the way. I just keep running all the time so when I pick up the ball I’m moving.’

Henderson sees his career as one of ebb and flow, and although at times it is easy to get caught in an ebb, he doesn’t panic or reinvent himself, he just waits it out.

‘I’m perpetually amazed about my good fortune and never take it for granted,’ he says via his cell phone while walking his dog in the park. ‘I think all directors should once a year drop to their knees, face north, and thank god for the best job they will ever have.’