On My Radar: Spencer MacDonald

What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

Hmm, probably an ad for insurance company Hedvig called Stolen Bike, directed by Matias & Mathias. I don’t know who this directing duo is, but they are so clever.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

Vimeo. I find it’s the best place to see what peers are working on and to stumble upon the many styles of filmmaking. I am often inspired by the talent of the Vimeo community.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?

Waterpik Water Flosser. I truly don’t know how I lived 31 years only using string floss… Life changing.

What product could you not live without?

My Nalgene water bottle.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

I have seen many fantastic films over the past year, but what comes to mind here is Beginners, directed by Mike Mills. It’s an older film, but so charming.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Tough question, because my ‘favourite’ films are not necessarily ones that I think most people should see (or would really like). So, for this I would say Princess Mononoke. I am not traditionally a big fan of animated films, but Princess Mononoke is a powerful microcosm of the current state of our world, and does a wonderful job showing the depth of characters. There are no ‘good’ vs ‘bad’ characters. There are just complicated people doing what they think is right.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Pretty much the only one I use is Instagram. It’s a love/hate relationship though (as with most of us). I use it primarily to stay in touch with the film world and see what people are working on. Sometimes the scrolling leads to inspiration. I get excited. Then I keep scrolling, end up in a rabbit hole, snap out of it, and am left wondering how much time just passed. I should probably delete it.

What’s your favourite TV show? 

Well, I don’t watch traditional TV, so I will instead mention a series. And that series would be The Leftovers. It started slow and was a little ambitious at times, but somehow the pacing, story, concept, and cinematography would often leave me in a total state of wonder. It was masterfully done and I love when films/series tackle such mysteries of life.

What’s your favourite podcast? 

Love + Radio. It’s a bit hit or miss, but when it hits, it really hits... You get dropped into a story and find yourself wading through it to find meaning. Eventually, it all comes together and rewards your patience, in the most unexpected of ways. Also, the way they use music and sound in the weaving of the story is so free in its form.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

I saw something at the Tate Modern recently where they turned various birds into an orchestra. Each bird species was given a different role (ie. tubas, violas, etc). It was lovely and a good nod to the value of species diversity.