On My Radar: Clayton Vila
Former professional skier and now a director at Greenpoint Pictures, Clayton Vila talks old cars, classic films and how skiing has shaped who he is as a person and as a director.
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What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?
Sriracha doesn’t advertise at all.
What website(s) do you use most regularly?
Gmail. Very important website.
What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?
A Bluetooth speaker. My truck is old, and the radio doesn’t work, so I had only listened to my thoughts in the car for over a year.
What product could you not live without?
Adobe Premiere? I started as an editor and still edit most of my own work.
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What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?
I rarely agree with the Academy, but I thought Banshees of Inisherin was amazing.
What film do you think everyone should have seen?
I don’t think there’s a film everyone needs to see. I think just being open to watching films from all genres, about all subject matter, is important because the perfect movie for you is someone else’s intolerable disaster.
What’s your preferred social media platform?
Instagram is the only one I use. It helps promote stuff and keeps me in touch with friends via the love language of DM’ing stupid memes.
What’s your favourite TV show?
I don’t watch much-unlimited series TV, but Escape From Dannemora is an all-time favourite. Severance came out strong, too. Very curious to see what’s next there (Ben Stiller really surprised me with his filmmaking on those).
What’s your favourite podcast?
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.
What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?
I saw a live orchestral score of Frankenstein (1931) that was super-fun. It really reminded me of the scope of the music we create for our films, and it’s wild how well some of the shots in that film held up; many would fit right into the look of a modern noir.
If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be?
I don’t think it would matter who I chose. It would be an unsurvivable experience. My taste fluctuates too much.
If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?
Now you’re just trying to get me in trouble. I’d only answer that in private.
Who or what has most influenced your career?
My past career as a professional skier completely shaped who I am as an artist, and in virtually every way. Every creative decision I make, I find myself referencing a similar athletic experience I’ve had. They may not seem relatable to some, but my skiing was simply another medium for my art. Sometimes it might give me an edge but, all the time, it gives me a unique perspective.
Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know.
I’m terrified of heights. People think I’m lying when I say that because I used to hit all these huge jumps on skis, but it’s just something I had to deal with. I’ve never shaken it.
