Rupert Sanders commenced his commercial production career with Tony Kaye, working in the art department before Kaye insisted that Sanders try his hand at directing. He is now with Omaha Pictures.

Boards: What kind of challenges do you encounter as a director?

Sanders: The biggest task facing any director is to find challenging projects and then to force oneself to push the boundaries of what you know you can do; keep trying different things.

Boards: Beyond fulfilling the brief, how do commercials challenge you?

Sanders: As well as delivering a spot that fulfills the brief designed to sell a product, I would like to think that I am changing the way people view commercials.

It is important that people relate to characters as opposed to seeing those characters as simply existing in a weird advertising hinterland. A commercial should also be appreciated as a piece of film that communicates beyond simply selling a product.

Boards: As a director, do you have a certain look?

Sanders: "Seeing" to me is the important part, not trying to find a look. I would describe myself as a director more in the vein of a reportage photographer. If things don't feel real to me then I can't achieve the event. I try and make short films with distorted reality as my main theme.

Boards: Do you have any specific experience that you consider a turning point?

Sanders: This was when I decided to do commercials. I was sleeping under a freeway in Los Angeles when I was introduced to Tony Kaye. He showed me the potential of commercials as an art form that combined photography, typography, people, music, stories and magic. I also think that all past experiences relate to the way one sees things. Directing is recreating things that I have seen so that, hopefully, the images retain the same power as when I first saw them.

Boards: Do you have any inspirations or desires?

Sanders: I desire to find a writer who has great understanding of the homeless underworld of America and an appreciation of symbolism and mythology. My inspiration is all around me, especially within the team I work with who all seek the same goals as me.