Flemming lights up film and TV
At Nordisk FIlm he is known as ˝Flemming Light˝ but "Larsen" is his real surname. He is the last Stage Electrician employed by Nordisk Film, and actually took the job to relax but things didn't turn out that way.
Flemming has been with Nordisk Film for 22 years now and, although the job content has changed considerably since he first began and the department has shrunk over the years, he sets off for work every morning with a smile. His official title is still stage electrician, but his role now is more that of stage manager since the number of lighting assignments has dwindled.
Flemming knows all there is to know about the film studios at Nordisk Film in Valby. He maintains them, making sure everything is ready for the customers’ arrival. He is always on hand when the studios are in use to answer questions like where can you connect a 22,000 Watt HMI lamp, or what’s the best place to build a huge indoor swimming pool.
A far cry from relaxation
When Flemming first started working for Nordisk Film back in 1988, the new Danish TV channel TV2 had fully booked studios 3 and 4 in Valby. In fact, when Flemming took the job, he envisaged being able to relax a little after many years of being on tour with theatre productions, but he soon realised his mistake. There was not much spare time when the entire department had to be built, and in addition to the TV programmes recorded in the Valby studios during the week, Nordisk Film also handled the recording of TV2’s sports programmes at the weekends.
When not on a football pitch screwing in bulbs, he devoted all his energy to studio 3, where the popular Danish entertainment show Eleva2eren was recorded in the first half of the 1990s.
˝Every week featured a new celebrity, and I had to design the lighting for every artist. I was experimental, but no-one ever rejected my designs. We didn’t have the smart equipment that the stars used on tour, so we had to make do with what we had. When Tina Turner was here, for example, we didn’t have mobile lamps. So instead we attached a long pole to the stage lighting and one of us pulled it so the lights could be moved to follow the music!˝ Flemming explains.
Should have been a Skaw painter
Although there is less call for Flemming’s lighting expertise these days, he keeps his skills up-to-date. He is currently in charge of the lighting for Anna von Lowzow’s new documentary about the crown jewels of the European royal families. He also designed the lighting for a documentary film about the Danish Skaw painters.
˝’You know, I really should have been a Skaw painter! Art has been a big part of my life, and I’ve learnt a lot about light, shadow and cropping from the works of the artists of the golden age. So being involved in the production and meeting relatives of the Skaw painters was awesome,˝ Flemming recalls.
After so many years of setting the stage for others, Flemming has fallen victim to a few occupational hazards.
˝I’m always critical about what I see, but I can forget about the technical aspects as long as I feel entertained. If what I see bores me for even a second, I start counting the lamps,˝ he grins.
Flemming knows all there is to know about the film studios at Nordisk Film in Valby. He maintains them, making sure everything is ready for the customers’ arrival. He is always on hand when the studios are in use to answer questions like where can you connect a 22,000 Watt HMI lamp, or what’s the best place to build a huge indoor swimming pool.
A far cry from relaxation
When Flemming first started working for Nordisk Film back in 1988, the new Danish TV channel TV2 had fully booked studios 3 and 4 in Valby. In fact, when Flemming took the job, he envisaged being able to relax a little after many years of being on tour with theatre productions, but he soon realised his mistake. There was not much spare time when the entire department had to be built, and in addition to the TV programmes recorded in the Valby studios during the week, Nordisk Film also handled the recording of TV2’s sports programmes at the weekends.
When not on a football pitch screwing in bulbs, he devoted all his energy to studio 3, where the popular Danish entertainment show Eleva2eren was recorded in the first half of the 1990s.
˝Every week featured a new celebrity, and I had to design the lighting for every artist. I was experimental, but no-one ever rejected my designs. We didn’t have the smart equipment that the stars used on tour, so we had to make do with what we had. When Tina Turner was here, for example, we didn’t have mobile lamps. So instead we attached a long pole to the stage lighting and one of us pulled it so the lights could be moved to follow the music!˝ Flemming explains.
Should have been a Skaw painter
Although there is less call for Flemming’s lighting expertise these days, he keeps his skills up-to-date. He is currently in charge of the lighting for Anna von Lowzow’s new documentary about the crown jewels of the European royal families. He also designed the lighting for a documentary film about the Danish Skaw painters.
˝’You know, I really should have been a Skaw painter! Art has been a big part of my life, and I’ve learnt a lot about light, shadow and cropping from the works of the artists of the golden age. So being involved in the production and meeting relatives of the Skaw painters was awesome,˝ Flemming recalls.
After so many years of setting the stage for others, Flemming has fallen victim to a few occupational hazards.
˝I’m always critical about what I see, but I can forget about the technical aspects as long as I feel entertained. If what I see bores me for even a second, I start counting the lamps,˝ he grins.
