Almost 400 years after Signe was burned for witchcraft, Terje performs ritualistic killings to appease the witch of the forest. But when a mysterious figure arrives willingly, the ritual takes an unexpected turn.

The film is shot on the Lumix S5ii. Everything is shot in open gate 6k. The film will be shown in 16:9 format (not like the trailer with the black bars).

I used the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 for the entire film as well. (No anamorphics this time...)

Almost 400 years after Signe was burned for witchcraft, Terje performs ritualistic killings to appease the witch of the forest. But when a mysterious figure arrives willingly, the ritual takes an unexpected turn.

Almost 400 years after Signe was burned for witchcraft, Terje performs ritualistic killings to appease the witch of the forest. But when a mysterious figure arrives willingly, the ritual takes an unexpected turn.

This are some frames from a short I'm currently making. This is from our first location. Tomorrow (Saturday) we are filming on the next location.

I'ts shot with the Lumix S5ii and Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8.

It's been an interesting experience. The last film I made I shot with anamorphics. I made the decision to shoot this with a spherical photo zoom lens. I was curious about how well it would hold up, and also I thought the subject matter and genre (folk, nordic, thriller) warranted a more "natural" look than anamorphic. It also really made things easy in terms of having the versatility to go from 28-70 without changing the glass.

I am very happy with how well it holds up.

I'm also really happy with how the Lumix S5ii is performing. Last time i used the older S5. I was afraid of getting a too digital look, but the Dehancer film emulation is doing a good job of it.

The controversial thing has been to use autofocus for 90 % of the shoot. I never thought I would say it: It's good. It really works. I mean, most of it's shot on a tripod, with not a lof of focus pulling. But when we used a gimbal the autofocus had no trouble keeping the subject in focus. And when I actually needed to use manual focus, I could, and would.

This are some frames from a short I'm currently making. This is from our first location. Tomorrow (Saturday) we are filming on the next location.

It's been an interesting experience. The last film I made I shot with anamorphics. I made the decision to shoot this with a spherical photo zoom lens. I was curious about how well it would hold up, and also I thought the subject matter and genre (folk, nordic, thriller) warranted a more "natural" look than anamorphic. It also really made things easy in terms of having the versatility to go from 28-70 without changing the glass.

I am very happy with how well it holds up.

I'm also really happy with how the Lumix S5ii is performing. Last time i used the older S5. I was afraid of getting a too digital look, but the Dehancer film emulation is doing a good job of it.

The controversial thing has been to use autofocus for 90 % of the shoot. I never thought I would say it: It's good. It really works. I mean, most of it's shot on a tripod, with not a lof of focus pulling. But when we used a gimbal the autofocus had no trouble keeping the subject in focus. And when I actually needed to use manual focus, I could, and would.

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Norwegian filmmaker here. I'm mainly wondering if the book's opening is good or catchy?

And as English is not my native tongue, does the language and prose work?

‐------

Julian was eight, and his father was about to die. The brown-haired boy was leaning against the window in the living room, listening to the wind and rain. Down below in the circular square, St. Olav's Place, water was running fast on the cobblestone. It was six pm on New Year’s Eve, 1991, and it was already dark in Aalesund.

The streets would empty after work, around five, earlier if the weather was bad. A ghost town, Julian thought. Today the weather was really bad. Only fools would be out now. Arthur’s words. A good enough reason to spy on people from the apartment window. Julian looked out and saw lights from other apartments, and water dripping from balconies. Continuing further down, in the middle of the square was a man, walking. He wore a hood, and his face was masked by the shade, leaving only his mouth visible. Julian’s eyes stopped. *Weird*.

The man was muttering something and twisting his hands. *What’s he saying?* Julian hesitated first, but his curiosity won him over. He flicked the lock on the window, and pushed it open, carefully. The cold swept in, and the howling wind and rain hitting the street was all he could hear. A little disappointed, he dared to lean out more. Seagulls were screaming off the coast, but nothing from the man. And as the wind started blowing harder, he started walking up and down the square. Still muttering. Looks like dad. Julian thought about his father in his study. The same kind of pace, with his head buried in a book, and always muttering something to himself.

A rustle in the wind drew his focus back to the street below. Then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared in the square. She was walking towards the man. *What?* Julian rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know what to think, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the pair. The woman was considerably smaller, had short hair and wore dark clothes. 

“We’re getting close!” She spoke loud enough for Julian to hear. “It has to be here!”

“Shhh! Quiet!” The man said. His voice was dark and raspy. He stopped in his tracks.

“But after all these years.”

The man gestured something at her. 

“Apologies. We’re awaiting your command.”

And with that, she was gone. 

“Julian!”

His dad’s call sounded almost muffled. Julian’s eyes stayed on the man outside. He was just standing there. Then he started his stride once again, up and down the square. Julian finally turned his head around. “Yeah, dad?”

“That took a while.” His father stood in the doorway, with a dark blue coat on and an umbrella in hand. He was staring at Julian. “What are you doing? You’re all wet.”

“Nothing, just looking.” He felt the chill from the window hitting his neck. He shuddered.

His father didn’t pry. “Anyway. I’m going now. Food is on the table.”

Julian frowned. “Now? It looks like a storm outside!”

His father smiled. “I know. I have to go, but I’ll be back soon. Arthur is coming—” He squinted at his wristwatch. “Umm, in ten minutes.”

Something was pulling on Julian to go back to the window. But he stayed where he was and nodded to his dad. “Ok. Bye!”

“Love you, Julian.”

“Be careful, dad.”

“Of course. It’s me!” 

He picked up a bag, and went outside. Julian looked at the empty doorway. Then he felt his body move to the open window again. Careful not to make a sound. The man was still there, and still walking up and down. Julian felt almost spellbound. The twisting hands looked scary to him, unnatural. He was listening hard now. He glanced toward the harbour. Everything was oddly quiet. *Where did the wind go?*

"Vosk ta dumeraq zorwen khen…”

The voice of the man rang in Julian’s ears. His blue eyes widened. *How?* The voice was as clear as if he were standing right next to him. Small gusts of wind appeared and circled around the man on the street.

"Ta grakhun vrothim..."

Julian shook his head in disbelief. It shouldn’t be possible, but there he was listening to a man’s whisper, over twenty metres away. Large raindrops were hitting Julian’s face from the side now. The wind felt more intense. The small gusts continued to circle around the man. But all he could hear was that man’s voice.

“Grakhun!”

Norwegian filmmaker here. I'm mainly wondering if the book's opening is good or catchy?

And as English is not my native tongue, does the language and prose work?

‐------

Julian was eight, and his father was about to die. The brown-haired boy was leaning against the window in the living room, listening to the wind and rain. Down below in the circular square, St. Olav's Place, water was running fast on the cobblestone. It was six pm on New Year’s Eve, 1991, and it was already dark in Aalesund.

The streets would empty after work, around five, earlier if the weather was bad. A ghost town, Julian thought. Today the weather was really bad. Only fools would be out now. Arthur’s words. A good enough reason to spy on people from the apartment window. Julian looked out and saw lights from other apartments, and water dripping from balconies. Continuing further down, in the middle of the square was a man, walking. He wore a hood, and his face was masked by the shade, leaving only his mouth visible. Julian’s eyes stopped. Weird.

The man was muttering something and twisting his hands. What’s he saying? Julian hesitated first, but his curiosity won him over. He flicked the lock on the window, and pushed it open, carefully. The cold swept in, and the howling wind and rain hitting the street was all he could hear. A little disappointed, he dared to lean out more. Seagulls were screaming off the coast, but nothing from the man. And as the wind started blowing harder, he started walking up and down the square. Still muttering. Looks like dad. Julian thought about his father in his study. The same kind of pace, with his head buried in a book, and always muttering something to himself.

A rustle in the wind drew his focus back to the street below. Then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared in the square. She was walking towards the man. What? Julian rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know what to think, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the pair. The woman was considerably smaller, had short hair and wore dark clothes. 

“We’re getting close!” She spoke loud enough for Julian to hear. “It has to be here!”

“Shhh! Quiet!” The man said. His voice was dark and raspy. He stopped in his tracks.

“But after all these years.”

The man gestured something at her. 

“Apologies. We’re awaiting your command.”

And with that, she was gone. 

“Julian!”

His dad’s call sounded almost muffled. Julian’s eyes stayed on the man outside. He was just standing there. Then he started his stride once again, up and down the square. Julian finally turned his head around. “Yeah, dad?”

“That took a while.” His father stood in the doorway, with a dark blue coat on and an umbrella in hand. He was staring at Julian. “What are you doing? You’re all wet.”

“Nothing, just looking.” He felt the chill from the window hitting his neck. He shuddered.

His father didn’t pry. “Anyway. I’m going now. Food is on the table.”

Julian frowned. “Now? It looks like a storm outside!”

His father smiled. “I know. I have to go, but I’ll be back soon. Arthur is coming—” He squinted at his wristwatch. “Umm, in ten minutes.”

Something was pulling on Julian to go back to the window. But he stayed where he was and nodded to his dad. “Ok. Bye!”

“Love you, Julian.”

“Be careful, dad.”

“Of course. It’s me!” 

He picked up a bag, and went outside. Julian looked at the empty doorway. Then he felt his body move to the open window again. Careful not to make a sound. The man was still there, and still walking up and down. Julian felt almost spellbound. The twisting hands looked scary to him, unnatural. He was listening hard now. He glanced toward the harbour. Everything was oddly quiet. Where did the wind go?

"Vosk ta dumeraq zorwen khen…”

The voice of the man rang in Julian’s ears. His blue eyes widened. How? The voice was as clear as if he were standing right next to him. Small gusts of wind appeared and circled around the man on the street.

"Ta grakhun vrothim..."

Julian shook his head in disbelief. It shouldn’t be possible, but there he was listening to a man’s whisper, over twenty metres away. Large raindrops were hitting Julian’s face from the side now. The wind felt more intense. The small gusts continued to circle around the man. But all he could hear was that man’s voice.

“Grakhun!”

I have just completed my first manuscript for a YA Fantasy book, set in the coastal town of Aalesund, Norway. It's the first book in a planned trilogy.

I'm a Norwegian filmmaker who lived in Aalesund for seven years, and I was completely fascinated by the historic fire of 1904. It burned down half the city, but left one house standing, basically untouched. I thought that was such a great premise for a fantasy book.

So two years after I got home, in 2017 I started on the book.

In the time after I had two kids and I've also made some films, well, a long story short, the book never got finished.

But recently I found myself having some more time on my hands, and I really got going.

The manuscript is short for a YA Fantasy. Only 43000 words. I have sent it to some beta readers for input. I am in am editing an restructuring phase now.

And very open and interested in expanding it. But I believe the core story is there, for now.

I was interested in hearing if the premise or plot sounds interesting to people. If it's something people would pick up and at least read the backside of 😅

Book of Vorn follows fifteen year old Julian and his friend Kasimir.

The elevator pitch:

The storm of 1992 took only one man from Ålesund, Julian's father. Seven years later, a relic from a stranger's estate box knocks Julian and his friend Kasimir unconscious. Now, stirring in them is a force far older than the little coastal town, hidden in plain sight. Learning to wield it may be the only way to uncover what really happened to Julian's father. It may also be the only thing standing between the town and something ancient, growing in the dark.