Multimedia, documentary, music video and tv all create a mosaic of me as a filmmaker. I even managed a recording studio, which is where I learned more about how to listen. It was music video, though, that provided me with the opportunity to experiment.

In the beginning, the only Canadian outlet was The New Music. It was a time of play and exploration. There weren’t any rules. Juxtaposition, composition, lenses, camera movement, color, art direction, the beauty department, post-production, even learning how to work with stars’ egos; it was a panacea for the creatively hungry. At a minimum, music video was a great opportunity to test traditional filmmaking conventions.

My introduction to directing tv commercials began in Sydney, Australia, making a spot for Molson with a band called Moving Pictures. I enjoyed, and still enjoy, the process of collaborating with talented writers, art directors and forward-thinking clients. With only 720 frames in 30 seconds to tell a story you need a tightly knit team. I came to think of commercials as the art of filmmaking in precis.

I think the most effective communication comes when you give the viewer something in return for watching. Make them laugh, make them cry, make them think. Over the years, I have admired directors like Peter Smillie, Bill Irish and Jeff Stark. They have illustrated that simple, seamless executions of good ideas are often the strongest.

We have seen a lot of change in production, but I feel the computer has had the most impact. It is everywhere. It’s in the camera, the sound equipment, and certainly in post-production. Most of the new toys are wonderful tools, however, technique should only be used to enhance a great concept.

The Chrysler project I recently worked on with Steve Denvir and Mike Smith is an example of a great concept, ‘Remember your first car? How’d you like to feel like that again?’ My challenge was to capture an emotion, set it in the ’70s and, as a filmmaker, not get in the way. We used 16mm reversal and Super 8. We pushed the film and played with color transfer. All of this was done to create the reality of the ’70s.

My greatest area of interest is performance. The human condition is fascinating. I’ll never tire of working with great actors. I’ve learned to appreciate the pause as much as the line. It is the art of creating and capturing those magic moments that continues to intrigue me.

I hope I am still directing when I turn 20.