Emily Anderson

H & O / Ogilvy & Mather

1) How did you get into directing? 
I was a creative director at OgilvyEntertainment. A film project came in that was a perfect opportunity for me to lose my directing virginity to. Also no-one else wanted to do it.

2) What is your most recent project? 
Filming a farmer in a very remote corner of the Northern Territory, Australia.

3) What is the best part of being a director? 
Everything about being a director is amazing, even when it feels terrible. Telling people’s stories from all over the world, working with cinematographers who constantly challenge and blow my mind, collaborating with friends, and impacting the people who watch my films. It’s a dream job.

4) What is the worst part of being a director? 
Nothing is bad. I think my friends would say I talk about myself more than I used to.

5) What is your current career focus: commercials & branded content, TV, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre—comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.? 
My goal is to be the first female to direct a James Bond film.

6) Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
I have had a ton of mentors over the past few years as it’s been a steep and incredibly exciting learning-curve. The main lessons have been to never burn bridges, don’t fall on your sword over everything, no you’re not a genius.

7) Who is your favorite director and why? 
I want to make people laugh and I want to make people cry. I’m good at the latter, but still working on the former. Therefore at the moment I’m obsessing over comedy directors. I don’t want to choose favorites, but I thought that Adam McKay directing “The Big Short” was pretty fantastic.

8) What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content? 
James Bond movies, “VEEP,” best commercial of all time—Nike’s “Courage”

9) Tell us about your background (i.e. where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I hail from the bucolic English countryside. My career path took many twists and turns including stints as a ski guide in the Alps, live-in help for adults with mental health issues, illustrator, designer, and creative director. These, combined with a series of happy accidents and firings, led me to my dream job as in-house filmmaker at Ogilvy & Mather New York.

Contact

Contact Emily Anderson via email