Bicoastal HSI Productions has entered into an agreement to set up a U.S. satellite of Stockholm-based production company Pettersson Akerlund.
Per the deal, Pettersson Akerlund partner/director Jonas Akerlund said that HSI will initially represent him and another director from the Swedish studio, Johan Renk, for spots and music videos in the U.S. Akerlund-who had previously been repped in the U.S. through Oil Factory, Hollywood-said that plans call for additional Pettersson Akerlund directors to eventually gain HSI representation.
In the States, Akerlund is best-known for directing Madonnas Grammy Award-winning Ray of Light music video as well as Prodigys controversial Smack My Bitch Up clip, which won a 98 MTV award for Breakthrough Video and was honored by the MVPA as music video of the year and for best editing. Other notable, Akerlund-helmed videos include Metallicas Turn the Page and The Cardigans My Favorite Game.
Akerlund also maintains affiliations with London-based independent rep Jane Fuller for spots, and with Bandit Films, Paris, and Hamburg-based HKF for spots and videos in France and Germany, respectively. Currently, he is without music video representation in the U.K. (where he was formerly handled by Oil Factorys London office).
HSI president Stavros Merjos confirmed that the company is setting up what will be Pettersson Akerlund USA. While Merjos said they are just now working out the details, the new company is slated to be based in Culver City, where HSI has acquired a building that it is renovating. He declined to comment on further details.
Akerlund told SHOOT that although the deal with HSI came together quickly, he had long thought about opening a U.S. branch of his Stockholm shop, which he co-owns with executive producer Lars Pettersson. I approached a couple of different companies, said Akerlund. I decided that HSI was the right company to work with; they understood what I wanted to do. I kind of wanted to do it now because I know Im going to be busy in production again pretty soon so I decided to have a deadline do it now or never.
Akerlund also sees considerable potential eventually unfolding for his studios other directors in the American market. I realize now that its a gold mine I have here with my other directors, said Akerlund. All of them have better reels than I had when I came to America three years ago. So I figured in order to keep everything together, and not keep my company in Sweden on the outside of what happens in America, this is the best wayAAnd HSI thinks thats a great idea.
Besides Akerlund and Renk, the other directors on the Pettersson Akerlund roster are Klas Ahlund, Emma Hvengaard, Magnus Skogsberg, Mattias Edwall, Mats Stenberg, Thomas Alfredsson, Camilo Altera, Peter Marin and Joakim Ahlund.
To date, Akerlund has done no U.S. spots. Ironically, he has done over 200 commercialsfor European and Scandinavian markets-compared to only 30 music videos. Akerlund acknowledges that U.S. record label interest in him picked up after 98s Smack My Bitch Up in which an unseen characters bawdy nighttime romp (the directors cut offered fondling, female nudity, vomiting and drug abuse) is depicted in first-person POV style; the aggressive character is revealed to be a woman at clips end. Akerlund acknowledged that the clip was inspired by one of his nights on the town, albeit spiced up a bit to shock the Americans, he said with a laugh.
That clip ultimately led to the offer from Maverick Records last year to do Madonnas Ray of Light, which further increased Akerlunds profile in the music video world. However the director says spots are one of his priorities. Ive been so busy I havent had time to [do commercials], said Akerlund. Commercials are my goal. I want to work with the best creatives and the best agencies. Id like to meet agency people I could work closely with, which is what I like to do. Youre very lonely when you work on music videos.
Among Akerlunds foreign commercials are campaigns for Wasa bread via Lowe Brindfors/Stockholm; spots for KappAhl clothing and Swedish soft drink Festis, both via Riffifi Advertising, Stockholm, and Zoegas coffee via Rommberg McCann, Stockholm. He recently helmed spots for the Swedish Social Ministry intended to warn youngsters about the dangers of illegally produced alcohol; the public service ads were created by Stockholm-based Mattsson & Friends.
Last year, Akerlund said, he spent five months shooting in the U.S. Anticipating that he will spend as much, or more, time here this year, he has rented a Hollywood Hills house. I go where the jobs are [so] it doesnt really matter where I live, says Akerlund. But I really like to work in America its like a dream for me to work there.
