Alex Rydell’s commercials are selling pizzas, lighters and printers. But he’s unemployed. Oh, and he’s the son of a Hollywood director.

“I wish I had a T-shirt that said, ‘Nepotism Failed Me,’” said the 25-year-old.

Rydell, whose father, Mark, is famous for “The Rose” and “On Golden Pond,” decided he wanted to try directing commercials while waiting to break into the movie game. So he signed up on PopTent.net, an Orange County web site where new filmmakers compete for business from major advertisers.

Each commercial is a contest. The advertiser posts the goal for a future TV spot and offers a cash prize; then aspiring filmmakers submit their self-produced commercials. A typical project receives between 20 and 200 submissions. The contest ends when the advertiser picks a winner, who takes home a prize from $500 to $10,000. Rydell, who works out of his home office in Mar Vista, submitted three commercials and won every time.

His Pizza Hut ad has aired on nationally broadcast programs. His spot for Zippo lighters is scheduled to appear in Asia. And his ad for Brother printers is posted on the company’s website.

Rydell spent between $600 and $1,200 for each ad, not including deferred salary for his crew. So far he has won $22,500 in prize money.

Is that thanks to dad’s influence? He acknowledged he has learned from watching his father work as a director.

“Success doesn’t necessarily translate to the next generation,” he said. “My father didn’t help me on a practical level with these commercials.”

And it hasn’t been easy.

“Every time I do a PopTent commercial, I’m out about $1,000 dollars,” he said. “It’s a risky game. I would like to get hired to do a commercial rather than just enter contests. Employment is the next step but it has yet to happen.”