On My Radar: Claire Edmondson

Claire Edmondson's latest spot for Everlast deals with the issue of sexism in sport as a young girl weighs up the relevance of the term 'female boxer'.

Working in the realm of advertising, comparisons can be made with the director and how she sometimes may be referred to by her peers in the same vein. It's a subject she feels strongly about firmly believing that talent is talent, regardless of gender.

Below, the Torontonian from Steam Films tells us what's on her creative radar and offers more industry opinion.

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

I really loved the Gisele Under Armour spot, I Will What I Want. It was so clever how they turned negative Twitter commentary on its head.

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

I’m a bit of a news junky so the sites I’m regularly on are Democracy Now!, .Mic, The Guardian, and then probably Indiewire or one of the film sites. Oh and Netfilx!

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

Apple TV. So I can work on my laptop and have films playing in the background.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

Instagram. I’m @ccedmondson.

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

If I’m being honest... Susan Miller’s AstrologyZone!

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

My all-time favourites are Twin Peaks and Breaking Bad, but of the current selection Transparent excites me. It’s so refreshing to see a new story being told and Jeffrey Tambor handles his role with such care and grace.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Hard question, there are so many. I remember seeing Ratcatcher and Lost in Translation when they first came out and feeling excited by them knowing they were made by women who weren’t afraid to embrace their femininity and provide a different perspective from what is normally offered.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

This might sound weird but when I have to write a treatment, come up with an idea, etc., I get focussed on whatever it is, then forget about it and wait for the answer to come to me. It will show up at any time, but I know it when it’s the right one. The last time this happened was last week at home; I’m not sure what I was doing, probably reading a news site. Or AstrologyZone.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

Feminism is “on trend” now and more people are noticing that there is an inequality that needs to be addressed and want to do something about it. Many of my earlier music videos had an underlying feminist commentary but the message often went unnoticed in the press I received. But there would always be a small handful of girls who would find me on Facebook or wherever, reach out and want to talk about it. That always meant so much to me.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

It would be nice to see women considered for more spots that are traditionally directed by men. I mean if a man can direct a tampon commercial, surely a woman could direct a beer commercial!

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

David Lynch gets me.

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know…

I’m actually quite silly.