What makes this project really unique?
There are so many aspects that make this film truly unique. The first is that we are bringing out a film which is based on our national heritage and our common Nordic roots. We sometimes say that the first draft of the film was written by Snorri Sturluson some 800 years ago. Then from a local standpoint, this is the first ever full feature animated film out of Iceland. It demanded that we would bring together some of our country's finest talents, starting with writer Fridrik Erlingsson, through our own Gunnar Karlsson who is co-directing and creates the fantastic characters and art, entrusting Arnar Gunnarsson with the CG Supervision and all being directed by the successful feature film director Óskar Jónasson [Reyjkavik-Rotterdam]. And no less vital was then teaming up with our co-producers in Ulysses from Hamburg and Magma Production in Ireland and topping it all with fantastic talents on every front, throughout the production.
Thor-Valhalla is the biggest project for your company and it's quite an achievement to have raised €8.3m for an Icelandic animation film in the middle of the world financial crisis...How was the budget shared with each co-producer, and how much was raised from public sources and MGs from sales and distribution?
The film is by far the biggest film project to be produced in Iceland. When we set on this voyage in 2004 we had a vague promise of our first venture funding. With that, and great development support, we set sail for a very thorough development period of two years. It then ended up taking us over three more years to raise the needed financing to start production. The division between the co-producers is that we have around two thirds of the production here in Reykjavik and Ulyssess and Magma stand for the remaining third. The work-split is for the most part reflected in the financing split. We have managed to rally up really wide public funding support for the project with film-funds, both local, Nordic and European bringing over €3 million to the table. We then benefit from tax-incentives in all the production countries. Pre-sales account for around 10% of the funding and then we have great private investors backing us up here in Iceland. There are all in all 24 parties behind the funding, so the complexity level is somewhat high.
What were the biggest challenges during production?
The entire production was a challenge from start to finish. We had a very detailed planning laid out. When we attended the Berlinale Market in February 2010 we were immediately pressed for delivering the film in Stereoscopic 3D. In only two months we revised all production planning and managed to raise further €1.1 million to compensate for the increased costs and by May that year, we were producing full force in S3D and managed to demonstrate that at the Cannes Film Festival that spring. It was a very challenging period when this was going on and it made a very complex project still more complex.
Where was the animation work done?
All the production is done in four studios, three of them owned by us, the co-production partners, and the forth in Hamburg, closely linked to Ulysses. As being the lead producer, CAOZ has been involved in the entire production process, including animation. Then animation, composting in parts and lab is done in Germany and animation and sound in Ireland. We do all the Stereoscopic 3D work here in Reykjavik as well as the lighting, further compositing work and renders which turned out to be extremely complex.
How is the film being released in Iceland and what's the international release strategy?
The release here in Iceland is the biggest film release ever in Iceland with 24 screens in 12 different places. Sena our distributor is doing a great job to get the film to the widest possible audience here.
As far as international release goes, it will start from mid-February 2012 onwards in Europe. The plan is to have the start of the international release at the Berlinale. We have been working with Cinepool, our international sales agent towards that. There are already over 50 countries that have bought the film. We are also already full force on licensing and have just signed a major licensing and publishing contract with Egmont, who will offer Legends of Valhalla for the first time at the Frankfurt Book Fair, taking place this week.
You were supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond High 5 for Kids for Legends of Valhalla. Where are you on your online computer game development?
Nordisk Film & TV Fond is a funding partner in the film as well as giving us the opportunity to start development of an on-line game based on our concepts. The High-5 programme was a real break-through for us in cross media and landed us both Nordic Game and Media development support for the online game. We will complete the development phase in January and are very optimistic to be able to complete production funding so we can be on the market with the new game by year end 2012.
What's next for you?
We are a minority co-production partner on Egill - the Last Pagan with Lichthof of Hungary. The story is based on the Icelandic Egil's Saga. We will complete our part of the production this winter, but we do part of the animation and music as well, with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson composing the score. We have also contracted VFX work but I really hope that that we will soon be working on Legends of Valhalla 2.
By Annika Pham