My time has come!
Posted on March 8, 2010
When I meet new people and tell them that I’m a film director, they always ask me what kind of feature films I have made. Unfortunately I have to disappoint them and tell them that I have only made shorts, commercials and series. It’s strange, but it seems like every single person that doesn’t work with film, thinks it’s normal for a film director to make feature films. In most cases, this is wrong. It takes a lot of courage and patience to make a full length feature film, and you need to get the right contacts and enough money for a project like that.
However, I can say for sure, that it’s every film directors (actually also every young boys) dream to make a feature film for the cinema. You get the opportunity to make your own full length film, with a big crew and a big budget and you also get the opportunity to show your film for thousands of people. Most likely your feature film will be released on DVD’s, and what isn’t better then to see your own movie in the shelter of a DVD-store, next to The Lord of the Rings and Avatar II? This may actually happen to me.
A while ago, a producer sent me an e-mail about a feature film she had written a script for. She wasn’t a hundred percent sure that this feature film project would be realized (because of too little money and time), but she thought it may be possible. And to my big surprise, she asked me if I wanted to direct it! First I didn’t believe my own eyes, but then I realized she was serious. She also sent me a treatment for the film, and I read that the story was about girls and horses. “Hehe, that’s not my type of film at all”, I thought to myself. However, this didn’t matter because I was just so privileged to get this opportunity. The genre could be anything, I would still make it! Except porn-film (I guess…)
Today everything is going very well with the project. We are soon finished with the first draft of the script, before sending it to different film funds. We are also doing some auditions to find actors, and we are gathering a crew for the shooting. Soon I’m going to Brønnøysund in the north of Norway to check out some wonderful locations and to find the horses I want to use. I have heard it’s a mess to direct animals, so we will see how that goes. It will be a tough job to direct both horses and girls in my first feature film ever, but if you don’t dare, you don’t win! =)
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. —Robert F. Kennedy
Flashback on “Fortapt” (2006)
Posted on January 22, 2010
Yesterday I started to clean up all the files on my old Imac, and after looking through some of them, I found several episodes of a TV-series I made in 2006-2007. I was still studying at High School when I first had the idea of a TV-series about some teenagers that got enlisted in to the military. I got some inspiration from a war film called “Tears of the sun”, and I knew at this point, that this was the kind of film I wanted to make. Luckily enough, I got this opportunity during High School, when we had a project that lasted one month. Even though I knew to little about how long this TV-series would take to create, I started writing a script. I thought that if this project would last longer than the month I had to do the project at school, I would even do it. If I first started a big film project, I wouldn’t give up before it was completely done!
After one year and two months, my TV-series, “Fortapt” (”Doomed/Lost”), was finished. It consisted of four episodes with a total lenght of two hours. I had used 12 000kr (2000$) in budget, and over 40 friends and family were involved in this project. Most of them were actress’s, but some were also helping with scenery, sound-recording, music and assistant camera. “Fortapt” had a successful premiere at the local cinema in October 2007, were over 100 people came to watch.
For more information about “Fortapt”, click here (Norwegian page)
Unexpected feedback on test film
Posted on December 12, 2009
Two years ago, I received my SgPro adapter (35mm adapter), for my camcorder. With this equipment, I could use different camera lenses on my camcorder, to achieve the typical “Film look” on my videos. Some days after I received this adapter, I went to my cabin in Valdres with family, and here I wanted to make a test film with the adapter. However, I didn’t just want to make some simple shots with it; I wanted to make some kind of a short film, so I could see how it might look like if I made a film with it. I didn’t care about how good the short film would be, since it just was a test of the equipment, so I simply made a script one night. The day after, we started to shoot the test (short film). I used my uncle, my sister, my father and my cousins as actors. We used three days to shoot the film, using only the XH A1 with the SgPro adapter (with Pentax 50mm f1.7 lens), the shotgun mic (Sony ECM-674) I had attached to my camcorder, a homemade shoulder rig and a follow focus. I pulled the focus myself, recorded the sound from the shotgun mic on my camcorder, and used no external light what so ever.
Then, after some weeks, I came home and edited the short. I uploaded it to vimeo.com, to show people this test (short film) I had made with my equipment. Suddenly, for my big surprise, a huge bunch of people started to comment on this video after a couple of days. They wrote that it was the best short they had ever seen! The comments just poured in, and people started to comment the short as if it was a well planned short film, instead of commenting the equipment I hade tested. As mentioned, it was a big surprise for me, but I was also very happy to see that people liked my work.
Here are some of the comments:
Chris Fallon: I have no idea what they are saying yet everything still makes sense. Everything about this is wonderful. Editing, sound, music, and especially the grading. 10/10!!!!!
Me7sin: Don’t dare do anything else with your life. If you could do that in a hurry I’m eager to see what you can do with a real production
Shannon Solis: Good stuff, Some of the best I’ve seen. Your cinematography was pretty impressive, I’d think twice about letting someone shoot your next film…
Adam K.: damn, you’re so talented. This shot is really impressive.. Everything looks so pro..
Adam Cooper: this is the end to boring norwegian films, excellent job
Press “read more” to read some more comments and to see the short film!
“Kontakt” won price at filmfestival
Posted on November 21, 2009
”Kontakt” was awarded a golden frame and won the price for the best amateur film on “Amatørfilmfestivalen” in Norway. Over 30 films were sent to this filmfestival which was held 6-7 nov. This is the first time “Kontakt” has won a price, and I’m very pleased to get this award. It’s really motivating to see that people like my work. I want to thank all my friends that came to the festival to see my film and participate in the ceremony were I was given the trophy.
“All for Norway” was awarded a bronze frame on this festival, and was also shown for the audience.
Komplett.no TV-commercial
Posted on November 2, 2009
I’m currently participating in a contest for a netshop called Komplett (komplett.no). They are the leading netshop company in Norway, selling electronic devices over the internet. The contest is based on making the best TV-commercial for Komplett. There were no restrictions to the content of the video, but it couldn’t last more then 45 seconds.
I shot the TV-commercial with Canon XH A1 and SgPro. I didn’t have any film-lights, so I just used some working-lamps I found in my garage.
I want to thank the lovely café “HIMMEL-blaa” at Vettre, and the manager of the café Lindy Skjellestad Wettre for borrowing your barn, and for your delicious cakes!
Working with other aspects of a film production
Posted on November 2, 2009
My dream is to become a Film director, and direct feature films for the cinema. But to become a Film director, you should also try to work with other aspects of a film production. In addition to all the films I’ve directed, I’ve worked with other film projects. The past years I’ve worked mostly as Director of Photography and Steadycam operator in other films but I’ve also worked as Key grip, Assistent camera, Production manager and Actor.
It’s much easier to be a Film director when you have worked with other parts of a film than just directing, because you will understand more of the opportunities you have when making films. It’s important to understand how the film lights works, how the Sound technicians are working, what the Assistent camera is doing and so on.
DNV Summer Project 2009 video
Posted on October 21, 2009
I was given the task to film master students working with a project at DNV in Høvik, Norway, and create a promotionfilm about this years summer project. I followed them around with my camcorder during a period of six weeks while they worked with the project, went on trips, did social activities and had presentations. Read more about this project at “films”.
This is the short version of the film. You can find the long version at DNV’s homepage.
48hour Videomarathon contest “Syndebukk” (”Scapegoat”)
Posted on October 6, 2009
I participated in a videomarathon contest in Norway, where I had to create a whole short film in only 48 hours. The short had to be based on a theme, that was given Friday 2 October, and the final result had to be delivered on a DVD Sunday 4 October. The theme for this contest was “Syndebukk” (”Scapegoat”). I thought that the idea and the brainstorming process was the most important part of the production, so I used Friday to create film-ideas based on the given theme. Then I used Saturday to shoot the film, and night to Sunday to edit it. The nomination of the best film, will be held in about three weeks.
SHOWREEL (DOP) 2009
Posted on October 2, 2009
While I was studying film in Lofoten, Norway, I was Director of Photography (DOP) in seven shortfilms made by the students. I used both Red One and Canon XHA1 with SgPro adapter. I have used steadycam for many years, and I also build several of them for my company WalKam (www.walkam.net). I’m both interested in directing and DOP, but in this showreel I only wanted to show clips from films that I have filmed, and not directed as a Director.
“Kontakt” teaser
Posted on September 30, 2009
I made this teaser for my new short film “Kontakt” (”Contact”). “Kontakt” was my graduation-work at Nordland Kunst- og Filmfagskole (”NordlandCollege of Art and Film”) in Lofoten. I have always dreamed of making a science-fiction movie, so this was a dream come true. I wrote the script, directed the movie, edited it, made the music (not for this teaser though), I was the sound-designer and made alle the effects. I had a premiere in Lofoten that went really well and I got a lot of good feedback. Lately, I have sent the film to different shortfilm-festivals.
This short was filmed using the Red One camera. It was a bit strange for me having someone other than me operating the camera, since I have always done that myself. It worked very well however and I got more time to talk with the actors and instruct them.