"For me I really feel the script... it's so important to me that I get the feeling of the script and have it shown in the visuals, all of the elements that go into creating the feelings of the movie are very important to me, and that is what I am so passionate about," says Sophie. "Camera movement, lighting and framing, lens choice and colors, these are all a part of what gives the movie a sense of mood and feeling and therefore supports the story."
"[Sophie] made us able to visualize our humor into the aesthetics of the piece," explains Risvig. "She works hard to achieve her ideas and ambitions during the productions that she has been involved in. Sophie is good at reaching out to collaborators and this is the most important lesson to learn in our industry."
Hailing from Denmark, Sophie discovered her interest in cinematography through her first love- photography.
"I started doing cinematography in my early 20s. I always knew I wanted to do films, but I felt I needed the courage to make the transition from being a photographer to being a DP," Sophie admits. "Sometimes it's just about putting it out there, letting people know that you are a DP and starting to film a lot of cool stuff on your own."
When she was just starting out several years ago, Sophie began shooting her own projects, such as the films "Wretched" and "Madeleine," which garnered a positive reception in Denmark. She made it a point early on to take on various roles within the camera and electrical departments of numerous sets, such is the nature of passion driving someone to progress towards their goal. Her understanding of the inner workings of the camera department and the experiential knowledge of every person's role within it, which she's gained by doing them herself, has made her an even stronger leader when it comes to leading her department as the cinematographer on each project.
"She's easy going and eager to explore and learn. Her curiosity always makes her the best version she can be," says director Kathrine Vintersborg, who brought Sophie on as her cinematographer of her upcoming film "On Deep Water," as well as on a plethora of commercials. "She is patient and easy to work with and she is a good collaborator."
In addition to her skill in capturing long-form narrative stories for film and television, Sophie's adaptability and visual prowess has also led her to be tapped as the cinematographer on a wide range of commercials for well-known Danish companies including Nifty Cup, Hipzen, Radon Spy and HK.
Commercials are all about grabbing a viewer's attention, something that is becoming more and more challenging to do considering that everyone is bombarded by advertisements pretty much all day long. One of the best ways for a company to make their commercial stand out in today's oversaturated market is to create an ad that is visually appealing and pulls viewers into the story-- one that makes them ask, "Oh, what's this about?," and leads them to make the connection of how the product is personally relevant to their life.
Sophie's flair for infusing each shot with a cinematic feeling were key in her work as the cinematographer on a series of upcoming commercials for the Danish brand Nifty Cup, a cup holder designed to reduce waste by eliminating one-time use cardboard sleeves and provides consumers with a reusable cup carrier.
Though they are still in post-production, Sophie gave us some insight into what we can expect from the first of the three commercials she shot for Nifty Cup, which are due out later this year. For the first one, which centers on a girl in a cafe who watches the same woman struggling to juggle five to-go coffee cups everyday and decides to help her by offering her a Nifty Cup, Sophie's skill in lighting was tantamount to capturing the mood of the shots and key in brightening up the atmosphere of the otherwise gloomy Danish day.
While explaining the technical aspects that went into capturing the shots for the first commercial it becomes clear just how extensive Sophie's knowledge of her craft truly is.
"I shot the first commercial with the lady in the cafe on RED weapon with leica lenses. I had a kino flo on white balance 5500k, with diffusion in the corner by the window to give a bit more punch," she explains. "Since it was a pretty grey day, I also had a arri 650w tungsten in the corner by the lady to give her an edge light, I had a flag by the light so we didn't get too much spill of light, and I also had a white board in front of the lady to give her a little fill under her eyes."
Sophie's ability to tune into the vibe the director is going for and capture it on screen has made her a sought after cinematographer. This was key to her success as the cinematographer on the Nice, Nice, Nice commercial series that was released last month for HK, Denmark's largest union for salaried employees.
"I was brought on the project very late so it was a lot of knowing your skills and just working on the fly," Sophie admits. "As the cinematographer on this project, I tried to execute the director's vision was well as I could."
Starring famous Danish actor Jonas Schmidt, who's known for his roles in the award-winning comedy series "Danish Dynamite," the films "Tour De Force," "The Detectives," "The Olsen Gang in Deep Trouble" and many more, the four-part series was created in the vein of a satirical web series, and Sophie captures it perfectly. From the first episode, 'The Internet Never Sleeps,' to the final episode 'A Some Video to the Internet,' Sophie's purposefully awkward camera movements and natural lighting for Nice, Nice, Nice bring to mind the beloved series "The Office."
For Sophie Gohr, versatility, intuition and incredible communication skills, not to mention the ability to multitask as the head of her camera department on each project, has set her apart and made her one female cinematographer to watch.
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