On the day Jesper Ericstam takes the call for this interview, he's feeling the ill effects of returning back to work from paternity leave. Not only is he suffering from what he dubs "the worst hangover of my life" following his first night out in a long time, he's just received word from his son's day care that his 13-month-old has taken his first steps. "It's so typical that you're not there for it," he says. "He just started Kindergarten a week ago and now he decides to start walking."

Missing this milestone is particularly difficult for Ericstam; after six months away, he feels like the time flew by. But that's just a matter of perspective. The 36-year-old first-time father admits that "nobody in the business has noticed that I was gone for a half a year."

That's not to say that his colleagues at Stockholm's The Social Club didn't miss his presence, it's just that with representation from Imported Artists (Canada), Cobblestone (Germany), La mëme production (France) and Group Films (Spain), among others, it's not unusual for him to be away.

Directing since 1997, Ericstam's success in America, where he's now set his sights, has met a couple of barriers - namely the reluctance of agencies to try a new director combined with his unwavering dedication to working only on the best projects.

"I'm very picky when it comes to scripts. Once I like a script then it's the best script and you're up against the best directors, so you don't always get the job," he says. "I've been shooting in America but most of the time it's been for other markets. It seems that agencies like new directors, but they don't want to be the first one to try you."

Judging by his work though, this experienced yet underutilized director has a lot to offer. His first US job with Backyard (he'd directed one other US spot while previously repped by Original Films) for Honda shows his visual storytelling skill, while a couple of quick hits for tire maker Däckia show a whimsical side. And a raucous and raunchy safe-sex campaign for LAFA impresses and draws laughs while making a strong point.

In whatever he does, though, Ericstam applies the highest standards to his work. "What keeps me going is aiming for each thing to be the best thing I've done," he says. "I don't think I could do something that I didn't believe in 100%. I also think that unfortunately, all over the world, 80% of commercials are crap. It's great to be a part of trying to do the good stuff."

The Social Club http://www.socialclub.se
Backyard Productions http://www.backyard.com