Text: Jukka Peltola & Mika Ringman
Photo: Mare Ollinkari

Way We See had a possibility to interview one of the most talented Finnish musicvideo / advertisement video directors there is, Stobe Harju. Currently he belongs to the roster of Nitro FX, one of the most visually acclaimed film and animation production houses in Northern Europe.

Stobe is a fairly young guy, in his 30's, but he has achieved a lot in the advertisement and musicvideo industry, winning some respected awards in Finland and abroad. He has worked with bands like Nightwish, Poets of the Fall and Lovex.

Stobe is known for his visual, fantasy approach in most of his videos. To demonstrate the art and the fantasy world of Stobe, you should really check out Nightwish - The Islander and Poets of the Fall - Carnival of Rust

But why should we interview a musicvideo director? We are a movie site after all.

Mostly because music videos have become more or less kind of a short movies. The industry has evolved from the 80's when all you needed was strippers, harley davidsons and couple of live scenes from the bands gig.

If you are not still convinced, you just have to see his work and hear what the man has to say.

Name a few of your favorite directors and movies?

It's a good thing you asked me to list some of my favorites instead of making me list my top 5 movies. It would've been impossible. I've a hundred favorite films. I guess it is due to the fact that I try to watch every films as objectively as possible. That's why I consider so many of the early 20th century films to be brilliant. You have to take into account the fact that back then people went to a theater to watch the flick and they had to be able to take in - absorb - everything at once. Everything had to be crystal clear, but at the same time interesting, too. It was wild.

And there's always the danger of people getting the wrong idea if I am to list just a few films. Still, it has to be said, I've been motivated by classics like Blade Runner, Shawshank Redemption, North by Northwest, The Fifth Element, Fight Club, Casablanca, Schindler's List, Alien and others. At the start of the new millennium I got extra energy from seeing my childhood favorite novel on the big screen - namely The Lord of the Rings. I have to raise my hat to Peter Jackson, who I think managed the project with flying colors.

David Fincher, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Hayao Miyazaki, Darren Aronofsky, Peter Jackson, Frank Darabont, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Alfonso Cuaron, Sergio Leone, Chan-wook Park, Clint Eastwood, Tim Burton, Brad Bird and, of course, Orson Welles are all names without whom my life would've been a hell of a lot more boring. I could easily add a hundred or so names and titles to both of the above lists.

Your music videos are easily identifiable by the their dream-like qualities, visuals and editing. What kind of films would you like to direct?

Films with the said qualities. I've always felt fascinated by weird pictures and allegories. I believe I've a lot to give to visual storytelling, which is possible only in feature films.

Fantastic elements feature in someway in most of your music videos. Do you consider yourself tied to that genre?

Not in the least. A German record label executive once asked me, after hearing what I had in mind, if I even could tell a story that was based on real life. Of course I can, but why would you want to see something you are able to see everyday in a supermarket on television or on the big screen? And why do they want an artist whose songs deal with the fantastical or the peculiarities of everyday life to be wrapped in a cloak of banality? Depiction of reality can be full of the most interesting and touching subjects, but to shoot them still requires something that'll feed the minds of the audience. There's no need to reinvent the wheel.

In addition, every video I've directed has told a story based on real-life. Everyone of these videos has just been dramatized and clad in heavy visuals. You can say I am quite capable of making videos with fantasy elements, but I do not consider myself tied to that genre. Come to think of it, drama and thrillers are my favorite genres too. Um, am I allowed to say I also like romantic comedies?

You've directed rock stars, but not actors. How do you see yourself as a character director and do you think your experience with musicians has helped you in managing actors?

I do believe that every director should have a deep understanding of dramaturgy when directing actors. It is the actors that tell the story, not props. When working on TV adds, you are always dealing with professional and amateur actors. Musicians can be classified as actors, too. These are people that make a living by performing in front of audiences. They pick roles to play. In music videos they do what they do everyday: they perform.

There's no real difference between an actor and a musician. They both try to conform to the director's vision as good as they can. So the door swings both ways: working with musicians helps when dealing with actors, and vice versa.

What's your take on the international film industry at the moment?

It could be said that the challenges are the same for everybody. Budgets keep getting smaller, and every project is put into production only after a thorough consideration. The number of big productions gets lower, I hope only temporarily. The mid-sized projects might even grow a little, because the big studios are wont of taking risks. It might harder for new guys to make it, because the studios place their trust in veterans who have shown they can create box-office hits.

Still, it can well be that in the near future it will be the new guard that make it, as you have to able to create good and interesting films even more cost-efficiently. I hope all this just means more good films in theaters for the moviegoers.

On the other hand this might be just the right time to develop new channels and get more film industry professionals to Europe and Finland. The production costs here are a lot lower than, for example, in the US. This might be our trump card.

You've won lots of international awards for you music videos and adverts. Have you received any calls from film production companies?

From the film studios I don't think I've gotten any calls, nor have I received any offers made while sober, but a lot of offers have come from various music video and advertisement companies. I've told everybody I want to work in Finland too, but it seems it isn't possible. Everybody wants me to just jump in.

I've gotten a lot of advice from industry professionals who, like myself, have a family and kids. Many of them have wrecked their relationships because of their careers. The job requires you to start from scratch, requires you to work for months on end, especially when selling or starting productions. The time might come when I need to think how to mix, work, passion and family.

Feature films are the king of audiovisual products. How do you plan to secure your place amongst the other directors?

From what I've heard, it doesn't require anything else than just will and skill. Heh.

In reality it is who you get to know. The deeper you are with the in-crowd, the better your chances of making movies. If you get to know people and by then have the knowledge, skill and ideas, I believe you will go far. The most important thing is to keep the costs at a minimum - do not overshoot the budget. Once you've done that, you will carry the mark.

You have to think about your first project. Many promising industry professionals have had their first project bomb. It is usually because some fresh film directors have to accept just about anything offered, even if the script and production stinks to high heavens. It is understandable to get excited for your first project as there are thousands and thousands of people waiting for their break. It is a bit more easy for us, here. I, for one, try to be patient, although... Um, if you have a good script, let's go get the money and film it! Ha, I wish it would be so easy.

What are your long-term goals?

Thankfully I haven't any, not any clear ones at least. I've always wanted to do something I can dig up after forty years and be happy with what I see. Run of the mill stuff I deem nightmarish. I am lucky working for Nitro as the style of the productions varies so often.

The next big step would be a feature film. Disregarding some small things I've done, I'm in no big hurry to work on one yet, but I don't think that Ridley Scott was either.

I've understood you're interested in writing scripts. What are you working on at the moment, what's the premise?

I'm hoping writing a script would mean directing the film, too. At the moment I'm working on two scripts, and I've lots of ideas stashed.

On top of the list at the moment is - surprise, surprise! - a fantasy story that I've been working on with a scriptwriter friend of mine, Mikko Soukka. It's a story of one's individuality and the value of life. The genre of the film is hard to define, as it has thriller, action and drama elements on top of fantasy. I call it the protagonist's personal road movie, which just happens to be framed with fantasy. It is quite a big thing when it's ready, but it's more of dream than reality, at the moment.

Music Industry has changed a lot since the widespread use of the Internet, bringing less known bands and musicians to the limelight. Do you think the same will happen with movies?

You mean the future of films via the Internet? It's funny, but I see those two as completely different entities. As a kid I loved movies because that got you a few hours by your self. When I grew up, it meant going to see a flick with a friend and then spending hours talking about it in a bar. I believe going to the theater will remain the way to enjoy a movie - you just can't beat it with the stuff on the web.

For the music industry the Internet has just become one more way to distribute music. The web is the most cost-efficient and the easiest way to get publicity. This has meant even the smaller bands can make it, at least in some capacity, although it is usually done by distributing music and not videos. Still, the fact remains, that you enjoy music and music videos in the same way: on your sofa.

Movies in the web can still be considered an infant, because there are no business models for making money through web distribution. The watching experience and profit making are still wrestling for supremacy.

Still, for marketing movies, there are no better alternatives. I, for one, could not anymore live without HD resolution trailers and movie sites. They are the best references I can find for watching how other directors are constructing and lighting the scenes. On top of that, the possibility to buy digital copies from the Internet has gained a foothold. But I still think the best way to enjoy movies is in a theater. On the other hand the Internet nowadays offers us a legal alternative way to see films and the possibility the get acquainted with the process of making movies - like with WayWeSee.com.

WayWeSee is tying to create something new. And as always with something new, you are taking a risk. Do you like to play safe, or are you a risk taker?

If you don't take risks, you won't work miracles. Still, one has to consider them, before barging in. You have to know your limits and strengths. When you know where you stand - and are willing to make sacrifices - it is hard to fail. I've taken a few leaps of faith, in my time, but when you get burned, you might learn.

The successes of The Blair Witch Project, Mad Max, Reservoir Dogs, Super Size Me, Rocky and of course Deep Throat show that you don't always need humongous amounts of money - all it might take is a fresh idea and lots of luck. Do you think WayWeSee, as a concept, is strong enough to really take off?

Of course. Everyone of the titles mentioned is legendary, although it has to be said that after The Blair Witch Project there really hasn't been a form of digital exploitation the likes of which was done with cheapies like Deep Throat. The latter, by the way, represents a genre I wouldn't want to deal, at least in a hands-on capacity.

Super Size Me, on the other hand, represents the current school of documentaries in which the amount of footage is colossal and technical quality takes the backseat. The same style can be seen in Michael Moore's works. The difference is that Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) differs from Moore in the sense that he usually play the role of the guinea pig, which means he takes quite big risks. Rocky is the film that brought Cinderella stories back to the theaters, although, I believe, not one of the said genre has fared as well since then. Mad Max recreated the Steampunk culture, which is one of my favorites - me likes!

Everyone of those titles is a great example of things done and gone right. It is good that you have set your sights so high. The way you presented the question apparently shows that you can go forth and support any genre, as long as the premise is good enough.

So the answer is yes. I, myself, see WayWeSee as a party, whose foremost mission is to connect aspiring and passionate filmmakers and to create contacts with financiers and film industry professionals who would be otherwise hard to reach. If and when you happen upon a great story in WayWeSee, nothing is impossible. It's the same as when we were discussing risks and getting into the business - you just have to be patient.