Just the Facts: Age - 35; Hometown - Portland, OR; Education - Industrial Design, Clemson University, then Art Center Pasadena, finally film school at Loyola Marymount University; Employ - signed with Boxer in 2005.

Previous Experience: Despite always hankering after a career behind the camera, Groenwold took the scenic route. Straight out of film school he started as a PA for the post department of Palomar Films before landing a job editing at Boxer Films in 2002. His trajectory, he says, was always heading one way though. "[When] Boxer EP John Clarke asked me, 'Do you want to edit or direct?' I said I'd like to direct."

Best work: Groenwold has showed his mettle with ethereal, quirky spots that seamlessly blend live action and CG. LG "Bigger" shows a man confused by a world gone all Gulliver Travels because his widescreen TV is so big, and "7912" for Rock and Republic is boy-meets-girl in an Escher-esque landscape.

Using effects sparingly: Although his editing past means he's completely au fait with the post process, he's wary of the pitfalls a director can fall into. "I like to stay away from CGI. The more upfront I can get in camera the better it is," he says.

The step into directing: This isn't Groenwold's first time in the limelight. He won the best editor award at the First Boards Awards in 2004.

Boxer Films http://www.boxerfilms.com