Two Beers: Helge Mathisen

Samfunnet, UKA and NMBU´s filmdude nr.1

Sofie Bergset Janols Journalist Margreta Brunborg Photograph

Chances are you´ve seen him before. Walking, sometimes nearly dancing, while he captures moments on tape. These clips really make up most of the films from Samfunnet and UKA, and a lot of the content from NMBU. But who is this man? Who is Helge Mathisen?

Margreta and I meet Helge at Samfunnet. Trough the office wing, past a quiet bodega, into an empty Aud.Max., and up a way to steep staircase, we eventually find the editing room. When we enter, we find Helge working on one of his many projects. The sensation that Helge has an incredible control over his work comes instantly. I can really understand now how well the things Tord (TT-Editor-in-chief) had told me beforehand fits the man; “Helge is Samfunnet, UKA and NMBU´s filmdude nr.1”.

Film enthusiast at four years old

When I ask where the interest in film comes from, Helge can tell me that its somewhat always been there. Some of the first things he can remember is his four-year-old self finding a screwdriver, using it to open av VHS-player and peeking inside. His father working as a cinema engineer might have had some influence, but the world of film and movies had fascinated him from the very first moments. In the living room of their family home at Espa, Star Wars and Jurassic Park where playing on repeat. When he, as most other children under 10 years, didn´t understand the English lines, it was easy to make up ones own. He tells how he entered his own world as “director of my own movies”.

The years at Ås

A teacher once told Helge that “The things you enjoy doing on your spare time, is not something you should make into a career”. An advice he for a long time listened to. When Helge first came to Ås in 2013 after completing military service, he started a bachelor in renewable energy. This study was the following year replaced by city- and regional planning studies, where he is currently. From 2017 to 2019 he worked at VitenSkolen as a part of Vitenparken where he worked with coordination, marketing and implementation of fun activities for children.

Første møte med Samfunnet

The study offers were not what got Helge to choose NMBU. Not the beautiful campus or the convenient and accessible location of the school. When he as a 7-year old, on a school trip, had his very first meeting with Ås, it was Samfunnet who impressed him. The teachers who had arranged the field trip, had themselves studied at Ås, and wanted to bring the class inside Samfunnet. Aud.Max was huge compared to what Helge was used to at home. And the bodega gave promises of nights filled with interesting conversations, “you imagine all the world problems you could solve in there”. The environment here has shown to be a great fit for Helge. When I ask him what he likes the most about Ås, he mentions the words “open, free, safe and good”. The coolest thing is to just be whoever you are. If you´re weird, its cool. And even though it´s a cliché to say, he admits how liberating it felt to leave a quite closed and small community and move to a bigger place like Ås.

Fra filminteressert til filmprodusent

It was after UKA 2016 that Helge started to work on his interest in film and movies, and also worked during UKA 2016 as a filmvolunteer. A short time after his experiences from UKA he applied to a position at the learning center instead. It was here he started making films for NMBU. The advice eceived from his teacher those many years ago no longer made sense. He realized that making a living from an interest one loves was a good idea. “The energy you use on something that you´re passionate about, will be more properly canalized”.

When mini-UKA and UKA 2018 came, Helge took a position of responsibility. He now worked every day during UKA 2018. In return of his workload, he got “an opportunity to try all sorts of things”. For instance, he got the chance to experiment with “earth-zoom-tools” on the film from the opening. More time with editing gave him an even more increased appetite for films:“It´s like you´re always on a voyage of discovery, that is when you get addicted”.

Celine Våga Translator

Photo: Yanko Aung

Photo: Yanko Aung

Photo: Yanko Aung

Photo: Yanko Aung Thus, he applied to the Film- and photography committee in 2019, where he currently works as a NK (next in command). He refers to his position as a his “creative playground”, where he both gets to test out new ideas and “show how good Samfunnet at Ås is”. In January 2020 he started the project to introduce podcasts to Samfunnet. What gradually started as Tuesday-refills on Soundcloud has now become Agarmetropodden on Spotify. Helge himself is not pod-responsible but has during January been the temporary substitute as pod-chief.

Produktiv under pandemien

It is clear to me that Helge is a person with a lot of projects going on. 2020 was not an exception. On the contrary. It actually became the most productive year Helge has had when it comes to the production of films. It all reached a climax in august, where his summer job consisted of making digital tours of NMBU. Then he had the responsibility of producing a digital matriculation. He also made UKA´s music video and put together the digital Graskurs. He was behind a great amount of the filmed content of the digital Graskurs, like the promotional film for the CRE8-conference, NITO, foresters´ association, the Film- and photography and Samfunnet. He was furthermore the chief of the film committee during UKA 2020, and also produced films here. Including the film from the opening weekend. I was not exaggerating when I guaranteed you that you most likely have seen one the films that Helge has made.

Helge produced all together over 100 films and movies in 2020. Much of the reason for this great productivity comes from him increasing the efficiency of the system for input of raw material to film. It is clean, organized and fast. In this way the “recap” from the Dagny-concert could actually have been made in five minutes. But the key behind the productivity, I believe, must be the choice of lifestyle.

“Success breeds success”

Helge meditates 10-15 minutes both morning and evening. And he is also an early riser. Not the usual early riser, but wakes up for the day between five and six in the morning (/night). “It´s important to feel like you´re the first one out”, Helge tells me. An early start to the day, followed by a great consumption of water and a workout. He lives by the motto: You have to start the day with success to be able to breed success”. His motto is his own but inspired by the saying “success breeds success”.

In times where there is a lot to do and the days are long, Helge swears to powernaps. A powernap of “minimum 5 minutes” is important. I wonder if I have heard correctly, and surely, I have. Helge responds that he takes really effective powernaps. I´m most impressed. It´s clearly not just the film system he has improved, but also his bodys ability to fall asleep and recharge.

A balance

Powernap or not; Helge underlines that “everything can be done in periods”. If one worked intensely, one must also counter with equal amounts relaxation. And you have to have fun with the people around you, with your support system. He remembers back to the pre-corona-parties with the Film-and photography committee, before he concluded that not everything is professional and work. That it´s important to also loosen the grip sometimes. He admits that there is truth in the saying “work hard, play hard”, even though it´s a cliché. But movies and cliché´s belong together. In the same way as Helge Mathisen and film production. Something that we actually kind of already knew from the start. Towards the end of the interview, I´ve started to form an image of the man behind the films: A meditating early bird with many projects going on, and complete control of all of them. Furthermore, I have a feeling that Helge Mathisen, more than we are aware of, is an essential force which sculpts our impression of Samfunnet, UKA and NMBU.

HELGES FAVOURITES:

Kamera: Sony A7S III (not tested yet) Film: IMDb Top 250 (impossible to choose) Director: Denis Villeneuve Filmphotographer: Roger Deakins Filmcomposer: Trent Reznor og Atticus Ross

Regards to Helge

Poem from the old Vitenskolestyret

We give our regards to our friend and we promise, this is not a summary as it was in the Vitenskolestyre where we played with guns, drones and acid

The boy from Espa- a good lad with more handy abilities than most a charmer and a man of the woods that offers coffee by the fire

And what a spark, a technological wonder not surprising he has hundreds of customers, yes, a spirited man is he always says yes to everything, what manliness

When we ponder on the technological drone we must always take our phone out and he comes rushing on biycle, full speed handsome with beard and moustache.

He is always there to document, he sneak the camera out in all weather, ready to film celebrities in nye roles, so that he no longer needs to selge the “worlds best buns”.

It is closing on a decade since he came to the Agrarian Metropolis charmed many, both in the bodega and at school it is exciting to see what is planned for him for the Espa boy, now the veteran of the Studentsamfunnet.

Regards Mari and Erlend

Regards from friends

The creature called Helge, oftentimes Elge, is often seen running around Samfunnet with camera in hand, hunting for new victims to film. After a successful hunt, he retreats to his dark room to eat biscuits an ddrink Pepsi Max while the magic begins. It is a miracle that he doesn’t have diabetes (yet).

His accomplishments says a lot about his iron will. Be it something new at Samfunnet, hammock trip, exercise, editing, work or at seldom times, school. Maybe he should get a camp bed at Samfunnet.

Moose are social animals and seldom need encouragment to join in on the fun. They look at everything with a positive gaze and climbs all the hills. Ordinary days are never the same without Helge!

Hugs from Magnhild and Anne Guro Helge is a wonderful person and a true friend. He was one of the first people I met when I moved from New York City to a little town called Ås. He is always there for you when you need help, including the time I needed to be driven to the økonomi building to deliver 13 cooked turkeys during a desperate American Thanksgiving emergency. And he’s always the life of the party, pumping the music loud or getting people to dance. Despite attempting to be good at cooking, I would NOT leave him alone with your grill- RIP our balcony in Palisaden 2015! But no matter the occasion Helge makes the best of things, from road trips to long talks about your dreams, he’s the best person to talk about your troubles with. He’s equal parts dorky and cool, and you’ll always see him with a camera, making moments and shooting memories. So skål to Helge who has shared many more than 2 beers with me ;)