HENRIK HANSEN

Copenhagen native Henrik Hansen, recently signed to Flying Tiger Films in the US, is in the habit of continually challenging himself as a director.

"How to direct is fascinating to me because you have to focus on the talent as well as balancing the frame," offers a passionate Hansen. Commencing as a photographer in Denmark, Hansen gathered an instinct for balanced frames and lighting techniques, then devoted four formative years to assistant directing before gliding into directing full-time.

Shot in Moscow, Hansen's spec spot for Amnesty International is a powerful vision conveying the ruthless nature of forceful imprisonment. Inspired by Orwell and using visuals reminiscent of social realist art propagated in Stalin's oppressive regime, Hansen pieces together a nightmare of persecution; dark, lurid shots follow starving inmates sidestepping ravenous dogs in an effort to collect crass canteen food.

Hansen's more recent monochromatic "The Moose" for client Oresundsbroen through Publicis, Denmark witnesses a sea of moose entering Denmark from Sweden after the Oresundsbroen Bridge is opened. Low angles, smooth camera movement and selective focusing were captured with the help of renowned DP Robert Fraisse (Ronin, Seven Years in Tibet) to create a mood of splendor as the mammals sweep into town.

The Danish director is now primed for challenging boards in the US through Flying Tiger. "There's a lot of pressure with tight deadlines, and being creative can sometimes be very hard," admits Hansen. "But in a way I get a kick out of it!"

Webfiles

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SVEN & CARL

Directorial Swedes Sven & Carl pack a punch with the use of novel simplicity, larking around with comedic opportunities while maintaining the essential message their clients desire.

The duo are repped by 4 1/2 in Norway and Harry Nash in the UK and have been together for the last two years. Carl once edited spots for the now-infamous Traktor, later teaming with Sven after editing his film and spot work.

Sven commenced his career at Rally TV in Sweden, a chaotic but important schooling venture for him. "We learned about making TV commercials very quickly," reveals Sven.

While Sven writes, casts and directs on set, Carl focuses on the visual look during principal shooting and post. The team have created some memorable moments for clients McDonald's, Thorn, Avtalegiro and Twist. A recent memorable spot, "Bingo" for retirement specialists Storebrands through Virtual Garden, Oslo, is a case in point. We open with a POV shot from a seemingly teenage perspective; sliding in a rock CD, we suddenly realize the guy is a partying pensioner. Adorned with wrinkled yet tasty females, he cavorts around town, but is rudely awakened from his daydream to a bingo hall where a monotone voice calls out numbers -- "Plan Now, Play Later" hits the screen to emphasize retirement planning. Sven and Carl are now seeking commercial endeavors in the UK and the US but are proud of their homeland work. "It's good to have one foot left here because we still have good scripts -- nice, simple ideas and not very big budgets."