As in previous years, we thought it was nice to have a year summary because it has been an eventful year! And it is only when you sit down with a cup of coffee and go through the calendar that you see how much has happened.
In addition to many exciting, fun, and challenging productions, we have also had our first year of operation of the photo and film studio, Studio Ask, together with Sporenstrek Reklame. Studio Ask is available for hire for film, photography, and events; see the website for more information.
We have had several rentals of the Studio to other production companies, in addition to private companies. We have also entered into a collaboration with Bryllupskollektivet, which arranges beautiful weddings, and had our first wedding in the Studio in spring 2022.
Now let's sit back and look back on the productive year!
Din Skyr
In a campaign where Skyr followers can vote for the next Skyr flavor, we made the commercial for Skyr's new taste; blackcurrants and vanilla. The advertising agency McCann wanted a Willy Wonka universe with a good mix of images in the studio and animation.
The very talented Øystein at StoreO was tasked with creating the animation, and we shot everything else in our studio. We built an electric 'Skyr' lift and painted it in the same color tones as the animation. In that way, we created an illusion that the animated world matched the real one.
The yogurt cup is also filmed in a clean version without graphics. This is to easily insert new graphics when a new flavor hits the market. This way, they have commercials lasting for several years.
Magnus Devold, "Boss for a day."
Normann Fleischer needed assistance with photography when they were to create a new web series for Svea with Magnus Devold. The series was a four-episode mini-series in which Magnus Devold visited four companies using Svea's digital products. Magnus was given various daily tasks and performed brilliantly in front of and behind the camera. We provided a two-camera production with Uffe Mulvad and a light rig suitable for quick scene changes and difficult lighting conditions. Thanks to Joachim in Normann Fleischer for a brilliant collaboration throughout the year on this and other productions!
Tine receipt films
Tine, the biggest dairy producer in Norway, has a significant need for content for her social media channels, and together with Sporenstrek, we delivered several films throughout the year.
In 2022, colorful butter varieties became trendy on SoMe, and Tine wanted a recipe film about this. Over two shooting days, we produced several recipe films for Tine, including sponsor films for TV. The films were cut into longer formats in how-to and short 6-second films as non-skippable ads on YouTube. Josefin Linder at Sporenstrek Reklame took great stills for the campaign.
Christians Bra Brød
We love working with start-ups and people who dare to invest in something new. When our industry colleague, Christian Enger, started his own bread-baking company, Christians Bra Brød, which supplies a unique recipe through a subscription model, we just had to join in making a commercial for this. With Sporenstrek Reklame, we created a dark and rustic universe where Christian could shine in front of the camera and tell his story about how this bread mix came to be.
Commercial for Hongqi
One of the year's biggest highlights was making an epic commercial for the newly established car brand in Norway, Hongqi.
Hongqi is a Chinese car brand that has existed since the 60s but has only supplied cars to the Chinese government and has not been widely known.
The advertising agency McCann developed the idea and concept, and naturally, Hongqi wanted beautiful Norwegian nature in his commercial. We found the perfect family of mother, father, and their two children to be part of the commercial and took a film crew with us on a seven-day filming trip in the beautiful West Country. With our main base in Stryn, we had easy access to several locations throughout the shooting week.
Both planning, filming, and post-production were done at record speed throughout July, and the final commercial aired at the end of August.
Thank you to the team for your fantastic effort during these intense shooting days. Thanks to Motorgruppen and McCann for a great collaboration from start to finish.
Lofoten Helsprø
The creators of McCann, Kim Amundsen, and Martin Berulfsen, developed a new song based on the old classic "Ro, ro til Fiskekjær" and asked us to make a type of commercial and music video based on this song. In connection with Lofoten's new product, Lofoten Helsprø, they wanted an advertisement with lots of energy and humor. Stories produced a 15-second commercial music video.
Jonas Thomassen and his team created a catchy 15-second song based on the creators' text. Saurus Animation supplied the singing burger, and Christian Schüssler directed the actors.
Skyr
Ahead of producing the top film for Skyr, we produced a simple recruitment film to connect with Skyr lovers all over the country. From several hundred applications, five lucky Skyr lovers were selected and allowed to participate in the advertising campaign, where each individual had to present their favorite flavors.
McCann's creative team and director, Christian Scüssler, interviewed the participants about why they loved Skyr and which flavors they liked best. The result was humorous portraits of some real Skyr lovers. We cut this into four 15- and 6-second commercials for viewing on digital channels.
Summary
2022 has been a hectic and content-rich year, and we look back on this year with a big smile. We have had various types of assignments within several genres, proving that no challenge is too big for our fantastic team. Although platforms, formats, and lengths constantly change, we always return to good storytelling and quality as the major success factors for a good commercial.
We want to extend a big thank you to all our partners for your excellent cooperation throughout the past year! No two assignments or days on set are the same, but it has to be said that we all enjoy ourselves at work and always work together towards fantastic results. We look forward to next year with several exciting projects together.
Thanks to all our talented freelancers and colleagues for a great production year. Together, we have produced high-quality commercials throughout the year. Their commitment and creative abilities have been a great asset during filming.
An essential piece in all our productions is the talented director, Christian Shüssler, and we thank you for the fantastic collaboration in 2022. Describing the importance of a director with overall creative responsibility for production is challenging. Still, it is an indispensable resource to the team and has a say in the outcome of any film. Christian has a unique ability to direct actors on set and develop productions in advance.
Many thanks to the team at Sporenstrek Reklame by Monica, Ine, Josefin, and Mia for both companies in our premises at Studio Ask and for collaboration on productions. It is enjoyable to work closely with such talented people as you, and we are looking forward to an exciting year in 2023 where we will challenge ourselves together on new productions!
Last, I would like to extend a big thank you to Kari Marie Sandbukt. She has been responsible for all marketing and content production for Stories and has also been a great resource as project manager and casting officer on larger productions. It's easy to forget to make yourself and your work visible, so thank you for making Stories visible.
We wish all our partners and customers a happy new year!
With best regards,
Peter Bryng
CEO
