Nathalie Söderqvist / actress

Oscars 2016

Hollywood is getting ready for the Oscars.

Hollywood is getting ready for the Oscars.

 

Idag är det äntligen dags för Oscarsgalan – årets event här i Hollywood. Förberedelserna har pågått hela veckan och igår var jag och Maria på plats för att se hur det gick för dem med röda mattor, Oscarstatyer och repetitioner. Årets tema verkar vara trianglar och slogan i år är: ”We all dream in gold.” – ”Vi drömmer alla i guld.”

I år kommer jag att se galan på SACC-LA:s Oscars party och så klart hålla tummarna för de nominerade från våra nordiska länder 🙂

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Today it’s finally the Academy Awards – the event of the year here in Hollywood. The preparations have been going on all week and yesterday I and Maria was there to see how they were doing with red carpets, Oscar statues and rehearsals. The theme of the years seems to be triangles and this year’s slogan is: ”We all dream in gold.”

This year I’ll be watching the gala at SACC-LA:s Oscars Party and will of course cross my fingers for the nominees from the Nordic countries 🙂

 

The Dolby Theatre.

The Dolby Theatre.

 

Here the stars will arrive tomorrow; the beginning of the red carpet.

Here the stars will be arriving tonight; the beginning of the red carpet.

 

Chris Rock is the host of the award ceremony and this year's slogan is "We all dream in gold."

Chris Rock is the host of the award ceremony and this year’s slogan is ”We all dream in gold.”

 

Behind the scenes of the Oscar.

Behind the scenes of the Oscar.

 

Preparations in progress.

Preparations in progress.

 

Preparations in progress...

A lot of people are working behind the scenes to make everything happen.

 

Preparations in progress.

Tonight the bleechers will be packed with fans.

 

Rehearsal.

Rehearsals.

 

The entrance.

The entrance to the theatre.

 

The entrance from above.

The entrance from above.

 

The soon to be red carpet.

The (soon to be unveiled) red carpet.

 

The stairs that lead up to the theatre.

The stairs leading up to the theatre.

 

Mr Oscar.

Mr Oscar.

 

I'd be this happy if I won an Oscar...

”I want to thank my family…”

 

Rehearsals in progress.

Rehearsals in progress.

 

Maria and I are trying to pull off our celebrity looks.

Maria and I are trying to pull off our celebrity looks.

 

Who will win Best Feature Film 2015?

Who will win Best Feature Film 2015?

 

 

Preparing for a shot in the ad agency.

Preparing for a shot at the ad agency.

 

Nu i veckan jobbade jag tre dagar på en norsk långfilm som delvis spelas in här i Los Angeles. Jag spelade en ”ad agency executive” på reklambyrån där filmen tar sin början.

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This past week I worked three days on a Norwegian feature film that, partly, is shot here in Los Angeles. I play an ”ad agency executive” at the ad agency where the story begins.

 

With Daniel and Adam, who played my co-executive respectively our client.

With Daniel and Adam, who played my co-executive respectively our client.

 

One shot in the lobby was filmed through a mobile phone.

One shot in the lobby was filmed through a mobile phone, which is being set up in the background.

 

 

Vinprovning i Santa Barbara

Beautiful landscape surrounding Firestone winery.

A beautiful landscape surrounding Firestone’s vineyard.

 

Norr om Santa Barbara ligger Santa Barbaras vindistrikt. Otroligt vackert! Kanske inte lika känt som Napa Valley, men det görs många bra viner här också. Främst är området berömt för sin pinot noir, mycket tack vare filmen ”Sideways” som spelades in här. Förutom att åka runt till de olika vingårdarna och provsmaka viner finns det även tasting rooms i byarna i området, som Solvang och Los Olivos.

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North of Santa Barbara you find Santa Barbara Wine Country. Amazingly beautiful! It may not be as famous as Napa Valley, but a lot of great wines are produced here as well. The area is most known for its pinot noir, thanks to the movie ”Sideways” that was filmed here. The many vineyards have wine tasting, but there are also tasting rooms in the villages in the area, like Solvang and Los Olivos.

 

Fess Parker vineyard.

At Fess Parker vineyard.

 

Wine tasting at Foxen 7200 winery.

Tasting amazing wines at Foxen 7200 winery.

 

Happy cows in Santa Barbara Wine Country.

Happy cows in Santa Barbara Wine Country.

 

Sparkling wine tasting at Riverbench winery.

Sparkling wine tasting at Riverbench winery.

 

The picturesque Danish village Solvang.

The picturesque Danish village Solvang.

 

Wine tasting in Solvang.

Wine tasting at Santé tasting room in Solvang.


So many more vineyards to visit...

So many more vineyards to visit…

 

Enjoying the sun after a wine tasting at Fess Parker Winery.

Enjoying the sun after a wine tasting at Fess Parker Winery.

 

 

 

 

Red carpet with Swedish actor of Force Majeure, Johannes Bah Kuhnke

Red carpet with Swedish actor of Force Majeure, Johannes Bah Kuhnke.

 

På lördagskvällen, första helgen av Santa Barbara International Film Festival, gick jag på Virtuosos Award på Arlington Theatre i Santa Barbara. Priset går till skådespelare (i år sju stycken) som har fått genombrott under året. Innan själva prisutdelning intervjuades alla pristagare på scenen. Jacob Tremblay, som spelade i ”Room” vann allas hjärtan med sina charmiga och kloka svar 🙂 Efter prisceremonin var det VIP-party där vi bland annat skålade med pristagarna med 130 år gammal konjak.

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On Saturday evening, the first weekend of Santa Barbara International Film Festival, I attended the Virtuosos Award at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara. The award goes to actors (this year there were seven of them) who have distinguished themselves through performances in films the past year. Before the actual award ceremony all the recipients was interviewed on stage.  Jacob Tremblay of ”Room” won everybody’s hearts with his charming and wise responses 🙂 At the VIP party, after the award ceremony, we celebrated the winners toasting in 130 years old cognac.

 

Got the opportunity to have a chat with actor Jacob Tremblay of "Room".

Got the opportunity to have a chat with actor and Virtuosos winner Jacob Tremblay of ”Room” at the VIP party.

 

At Arlington Theatre, waiting for all the award winners to arrive. Here O'Shea Jackson Jr. of "Straight Outta Compton".

At Arlington Theatre, waiting for all the award winners to arrive. Here O’Shea Jackson Jr. of ”Straight Outta Compton”.

 

Elizabeth Banks in a beautiful red dress talking about her performance in "Love & Mercy".

Elizabeth Banks (in a beautiful red dress) talking about her performance in ”Love & Mercy”.

 

Jacob Tremblay is being interviewed on stage at Virtuosos Award.

Jacob Tremblay is being interviewed on stage at Virtuosos Award.

 

Red carpet at Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Red carpet at Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

 

 

Filmfestival i Santa Barbara

At Santa Barbara International Film Festival with director Mikael Berg and producer Kim De Venne.

At Santa Barbara International Film Festival with director Mikael Berg and producer Kim DeVenne.

 

Första helgen i februari var jag i Santa Barbara för att gå på den internationella filmfestivalen de har där varje år. Det är en helt otrolig festival. Förutom filmer från hela världen (bl.a. med ett nordiskt fokus) har de en massa prisceremonier, seminarium och event. Första dagen där var jag på USA-premiären av Bille Augusts film ”Stille Hjerte” med efterföljande Q&A med honom, manusförfattaren och producenten. Filmen var fantastisk! Jag grät nog mer än jag gråtit till någon annan film.

Nästa programpunkt på festivalschemat var Writers Panel på vackra Lobero Theatre. De hade lyckats få dit nästan alla av de Oscarsnominerade manusförfattarna – imponerande! Och så klart väldigt intressant att höra om deras skrivprocess och hur de jobbat med just de Oscarsnominerade manusen.

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The first weekend of February I attended Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It’s an incredible festival. Except for movies from all over the world (they even have a Nordic section), they have a lot of award ceremonies, panels and events. My first day there I was at the US premiere of Danish director Bille August’s movie ”Silent Heart”, followed by a Q&A with him, the screenwriter and the producer. The movie was amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever cried that much watching a movie.

Next up was the Writers Panel at the beautiful Lobero Theatre. They had managed to get almost all of the Academy Award nominated screenwriters to be there – impressive! And of course very interesting to hear about their writing process and their work with the Academy Award nominated screenplays.

 

Q&A after the screening of "Silent Heart" with producer Jesper Morthorst, screenwriter Christian Torpe and director Bille August.

Q&A after the screening of ”Silent Heart” with producer Jesper Morthorst, screenwriter Christian Torpe and director Bille August.

 

Writers Panel with the screenwriters of Inside Out, Room, Ex Machina, The Martian, Straight Outta Compton, Anomalisa, Carol, The Big Short and Spotlight.

Writers Panel with the screenwriters of Inside Out, Room, Ex Machina, The Martian, Straight Outta Compton, Anomalisa, Carol, The Big Short and Spotlight.

 

Lunch between events at a great Mexican place in Santa Barbara with Mikael, Jim, Palli, Lisa and Kim.

Lunch between events at a great Mexican place in Santa Barbara with film makers Mikael, Jim, Palli, Lisa and Kim.

 

Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Lobero Theatre.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Lobero Theatre.

 

 

 

Self tape auditions

My friend Dany helps me with my self tapes.

My friend Dany helps me an early morning with one of my self tapes.

 

De första veckorna tillbaka i Los Angeles har varit fullspäckade med auditions och ovanligt många av dem har varit self tape auditions, dvs. att du filmar din audition själv och skickar den till casting directorn (rollsättaren) istället för att göra den ”live”. Ofta behöver du då en reader, dvs. en person som läser motspelarens repliker, så mina snälla vänner (och tillika fantastiska skådespelare) Dany och Jani har ställt upp tidiga morgnar och med kort varsel för att hjälpa mig.

Det finns både för- och nackdelar med self tapes. En fördel är att du kan göra hur många tagningar du vill – hos en casting director har du oftast bara ett försök på dig. En nackdel är att du kan göra hur många tagningar du vill… Vilket innebär att det tar lång tid att titta igenom materialet och sedan välja ut den tagning du tycker var allra bäst och den du ska skicka.

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My first weeks back in Los Angeles have been filled with auditions, and many of them have been self tape auditions. A self tape audition is when you film your audition yourself and send it to the casting director instead of meeting her/him and doing it ”live”. Usually you need a reader – someone who reads the other person’s lines – so my dear friends (and amazing actors) Dany and Jani has come by early mornings and with short notice to help me.

There are pros and cons with self tapes. One advantage is that you can do as many takes as you want to, to make it perfect – at the casting director’s office you usually only get one take. One disadvantage is that you can do as many takes as you want to, to make it perfect… Which means that it will take you quite some time to watch everything and to decide which take is the best one, the one you will send to the casting director.

Sometimes you have to be creative to, for example, get a great lighting.

Sometimes you have to be creative to, for example, get a great lighting.

Screenshots från en del av senaste veckans self tapes:
Screenshots from some of the last week’s self tapes:

selftape (2)

selftape (3)

selftape (7)

selftape (5)

selftape (6)

 

 

Me and Birgitta at the red carpet.

Me and Birgitta at the Scandinavian Film Festival LA 2016

Förra helgen besökte jag Scandinavian Film Festival LA för att bland annat se den danska filmen ”En Chance Til” av Susanne Bier. Filmen var väldigt gripande och bollade med vad som är rätt och fel och att handla efter det.

Scandinavian Film Festival LA är en jättefin festival som hålls under två helger i januari varje år och visar filmer från de nordiska och baltiska länderna, bland annat ländernas respektive Oscarsnomineringar. Förra året var jag där med ”Fröken Julie”, som då fick äran att representera Sverige tillsammans med ”Turist” och ”En duva satt på en gren…”.

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Last weekend I attended the Scandinavian Film Festival Los Angeles to see the Danish movie ”A Second Chance” by Susanne Bier. The movie was very touching and dealt with what’s right and wrong and how you act according to it.

The Scandinavian Film Festival LA is a film festival I highly recommend to everybody. It is held two weekends in January every year and shows movies from the Nordic and Baltic countries, and always the countries’ Oscar nominated movies. Last year I was there with ”Miss Julie”, that got the honor to represent Sweden along with ”Force Majeure” and ”A Pigeon Sat on a Branch…”.

 

Two of the Danish movies screened this year: A Second Chance by Susanne Bier and their Oscar nomination A War.

Two of the Danish movies screened this year: A Second Chance by Susanne Bier and their Oscar nomination A War.

 

The founder and president of SFFLA, Jim Koenig.

The founder and president of SFFLA, Jim Koenig, presenting ”A Second Chance”.

 

Red Caret before the screening of Miss Julie at the Scandinavian Film Festival 2015.

Red Caret before the screening of Miss Julie at the Scandinavian Film Festival 2015.

 

Last year's screening of Miss Julie followed by Q&A with me and director Mikael Berg.

Last year’s screening of Miss Julie followed by a Q&A with me and director Mikael Berg.