Clayton is an award-winning director and professional skier living in Los Angeles. His unique past as a professional athlete has given him an edge in his filmmaking voice.
Clayton was born and raised on tiny Block Island, 14 miles off the coast of Rhode Island. As a kid he became obsessed with making surf films, using his parent’s DV camera. But before he even considered pursuing a career as a filmmaker, he discovered he had a unique talent for something he rarely got to do — skiing.
At 18, Clayton packed his bags and drove to Colorado in his sand-filled, rusted out Subaru with hopes of going pro. He did — Within a few years, he was starring in the world’s biggest ski movies and eventually earned himself an X games medal and sponsorships with Monster, K2, Nike, and more.
While working the pro-skier circuit, he began directing his own ski movies, then quickly transitioned to documentaries and branded content for the ski audience and beyond. His unparalleled understanding of professional athletes and their unique struggles has allowed him to highlight the most emotional elements of any story he finds. Vila is only beginning his filmmaking career and already has directed long form documentaries for ABC and Amazon Prime as well as commercials and branded content for REI, Ford, Sierra Nevada, Filson and Monster Energy.
Follow him @claytonvila