Boxing gear company Everlast lands a blow against sexism in "I'm a Boxer," a minute-long spot directed by Claire Edmondson through Steam Films.
Scenes of a young girl shadow boxing and psyching herself up are intercut with footage of adult fighters in the ring. The girl imagines a world in which athletes' performance is more important than their gender. "Don't call me a female boxer," she says. "I'm a boxer."
Edmondson, a Toronto-based filmmaker, tells AdFreak she hopes "to inspire and empower young girls, encouraging them to claim their place in sports." Part of the inspiration for writing the script "came from always being called a 'female director,' " she says.
Her portfolio includes fashion videos and clips for indie bands Broken Social Scene and Austra. Some of her work was featured last year at the Tribeca Film Festival's inaugural showcase for up-and-coming directors. "I'm just breaking into commercials now," she says.
Two highly skilled boxers appear in the Everlast spot. One is Lisa "Bad News" Brown, who has held several world titles, and the other is Mandy Bujold, who will represent Canada in this summer's Pan Am games and hopes to compete in the Olympics.
Makayla Maxwell plays the young fighter with admirable intensity. "She could tell the story with her eyes," Edmondson says. Indeed, Maxwell's defiant stare and self-assured narration are a potent one-two punch.
CREDITS
Client: Everlast
Spot: "I'm a Boxer"
Director: Claire Edmondson
Production Company: Steam Films
Cinematographer: Catherine Lutes
Executive Producer: Carling Acthim
Producer: Jason Aita
Art Director: Erika Lobko
Wardrobe: Basia Wyszynski
Edit: Married To Giants
Editor: Michael Durst
Executive Producer: Denise Shearer
Online Artist: Trevor Corrigan
Online Assistant: Preeti Torul
Transfer: Alter Ego Post
Colourist: Tricia Hagoriles
Producer: Jane Garrah
Original music & sound by Apollo Studios
Young Boxer: Makayla Maxwell
Boxer 1: Lisa 'Bad News' Brown
Boxer 2: Mandy Bujold