My View...

This is the view out of my window while at A. Film in Denmark at our new location on the Nordisk Film lot in Valby (Copenhagen). At least it was a few days ago, before it started snowing!

So what is it we see here? We see two of the oldest film stages in the world. On the left "Stage 2," built in 1909 and in use since 1910, and still usable as stage, with glass walls and roof. The inside is currently used as exhibition space of a few of Nordisk Film's most notable productions, with props and costumes. In the 50's and 60's it was used as the costume warehouse.

On the right we see another wooden structure. Now, keep in mind that founder Ole Olsen already shot his own films from January 1906, bought part of the area in the summer and was shooting at this location from September that year (though Nordisk film officially counts its starting date as November 6th 1906). But until 1908 all shoots were in the open air, even indoor locations, which means you often can see the walls blowing in the wind in those early films! Therefor they built "Stage 1," Nordisk Film's first stage built in 1907 and in use since 1908! The glass walls and roof were later replaced with wood when it became feasible to use artificial lighting. Stage 1 is currently called "Kinografen," and is used as the studio cinema.

In a corner in the back of Stage 1 is Valdemar Psilander's dressing room, with its original implements and many pictures of this famous actor of the silent screen, who, before he passed away of heart failure in 1917 was Nordisk Film's biggest star, together with Asta Nielsen who later became Germany's darling before WWII. Psilander was widely known over the entire world, though not everywhere under his own name. In Russia they called him Mr. Garrison, which they did not convey to the Danes, which resulted in confusion when a letter arrived at the studio inviting Mr. Garrison to a tour of Russia. They had no idea who this Garrison was, and Psilander did not get to go...

Of the other three original stages of the mid 1910's (3, 4 and 5), only Stage 4 is left. This was the dance stage at this year's Christmas party! The smaller Stage 3 was replaced by a much larger stage of the same name/number in the early 70's (our Christmas party's dining room and the stage of most of Nordisk Film's indoor shoots and TV shows of the last 40 years), while Stage 5 bit the dust only a few years ago when a new multistory Media building, which also includes the executive offices, was erected.

The face in the window reflected in the light of a Cintiq is mine...

For the curious, our move is nearly finished and we are already enjoying the Nordisk Film commissary food immensely! If you are disappointed because I am not posting Disney history, don't worry, I will return to that in a bit. For the moment, though, I am intrigued by the history of the new location of my own studio - please indulge me!