we shot on location and in a studio – with some of the set pieces and large scale backdrops used on location.

the production design comprised much of the background – using oversized building modules, that were fabricated just for this production, and custom-designed photo backdrops to create a dynamic urban façade.

many of the soft-focus reflections, as well as a number of other optical effects, were created in camera, by way of the production design.

the art department consisted of 10 people in total, and this is the second large scale commercial production that i have done with director jan gleie, whose free-flowing aesthetics greatly appeal to me. on one hand, he has a very concrete idea of what he's going for, but he also gives me a lot of freedom through which to intepret his ambitions. everything that i've ever shot with jan has employed a fluid, spontaneous approach in ways that mirror his d.i.y. origins yet as a result of working with larger budgets, i've always had an abundance of extra options standing by, with a larger crew ready to implement them.

much of phillippe le sourd’s photography was handheld, and he proved to be quite inventive in his approach. backdrops were reflected onto glass positioned at various angles directly in front of the lense. he also shot through sheets of melted plexiglass to create an organic shifting-focus effect; the glass was handheld, moving with the camera. actually, it was more like dancing with the handheld camera.

so much material was shot – but, as is often the case, only a small percentage makes the final cut. still, it was a pleasure working with jan and phillippe le sourd (who has shot features for ridley scott and wong kar wai, among others).

anecdotal notes - a total of five languages were spoken on set: english, danish, french, swedish, and german. i managed alright with four out of the five.

more information on le sourd's work can be found here.