Lasse Elkjaer – Introducing LA-Based Danish Film Composer

I had the pleasure to chat with Los Angeles-based Danish Film composer, orchestrator, and multi-instrumentalist Lasse Elkjaer.

Elkjaer is an award winning composer, who has worked with film composers such as Christopher Young, Spiderman 3 (2007), Jacob Groth, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009), and he collaborated on his award winning score with Hollywood cellist Tina Guo, whose cello can be heard on scores by Hans Zimmer, such as The Lion King (2019). Elkjaer moved to Los Angeles 7 years ago to study Scoring for Motion Picture and Television at University of Southern California with a Fulbright Scholarship, and has been there ever since.

Thank you so much for joining us Lasse! This is a real pleasure.

Lasse, can you tell us what brought you to this specific career path?

Growing up as a kid in the middle of the VHS boom, I fell in love with movies. My absolute favorite
childhood past time was watching movies that my family and I rented from the local video store. I
also spent a lot of time cutting out pictures of Indiana Jones, ET, and such from magazines, and
creating collages with my movie idols. We were pretty obsessed about Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and
the score for that movie was one of the first scores that made a very strong impression on me.
I was drawn to the idea of working in the movie industry early on, but I put that on hold when I
started to do competitive gymnastics, and later on when I became serious about guitar playing and
I distanced myself from my sport, I was deep into guitar hero land. So it was first in my early twenties
that I fully understood it was the music in movies that my heart was really beating for. I still
remember the turning moment, when I picked up a book with interviews with Hollywood composers
and realized that I could relate to their words more than anything else in the world of music. Before
that, I primarily focused on my career as a guitarist, and freelanced as an orchestrator and arranger
for musical theater, and whenever an opportunity arrived for me to help as a composer, I was more
than happy to do so. Even though I’d always been writing music, it honestly never occurred to me
that I actually could have a career as a film composer. But after I read that book, I got very excited
and started my career path in film composition.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you’re working on right now?

Because of the lockdown, I’m finally able to find time to release some of my own music, something
that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Besides releasing a handful of my soundtracks, I’m also
releasing a solo album titled “Vignettes and Landscapes,” with my instrumental music recorded with
orchestra and smaller ensembles. The album belongs to both the classical and film scoring worlds,
and consists of compositions I’ve been writing throughout the years. So genre-wise, it’s not too far
from what I do when scoring movie scenes, but it’s still a bit different. One could say that the biggest
difference is that the music is not dictated by another person’s movie scene, but based on the movie
and images that are in my mind, which usually gives the music a different edge.
I was also invited by the Industry Club for Film and Media Composers in Denmark (BFM) and the
Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists (NOPA) to facilitate film scoring based webinars.
I discussed how it is to work as a film composer in Los Angeles, and different approaches and
working models composers use. Other topics I touched on are how to manage sleep when dealing
with deadlines, how to structure one’s day in blocks, and productivity and effectiveness.
How film composing is dealt with in Norway and Denmark is very different from here in the States, so
it was interesting to share my insights and hopefully be able to inspire my colleagues.
I’m also working on putting all that information into book form, so as I continue to develop content for
more classes, I’ll write new chapters.

Who are some of the most Interesting people you’ve interacted with? …maybe there are some stories about
them that you can share?

Beside singing happy birthday for John Williams, being asked gently to step aside by Ennio
Morricone when I was blocking his way at an event, I would say that Golden Globe nominated film
composer Christopher Young and Emmy Award Winning Danish composer Jakob Groth, have been
the most interesting and insightful people I’ve interacted and worked with. Both have been very
giving with knowledge, support, and advice to get me going with my own career, and I am very
grateful to have been under their wings.
Most of the Danish movies I watched in my childhood were scored by Jacob, and I always made a
point of watching his movies and TV-series, so I was very well aware of who he was when I finally
met him in person at the conservatory, where he was my film scoring professor. I was happily
surprised to learn that he’s just a big guitar nerd as I am, so when I began working for him, we
always had something to talk about.
Chris was very generous with me as when I was new in town he showed me around, and he
introduced me to a lot of nice restaurants and places, to make me feel more at home.

Which people in cinema history inspire you the most and why?

Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer, who absolutely floored me the first time I watched his
masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) with Richard Einhorn’s music Voices of Light. I’m
mesmerized by the movie and very much in love with Renée Jeanne Falconetti’s performance as
Joan. Stunning piece of work, with an incredible past to it!
Recently deceased composer, Maestro Ennio Morricone is definitely one of the magnificent entities
in the film composer community, that is hard not to be inspired by. What he achieved with his music,
is pretty revolutionary! To me, his score for Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), is his
masterpiece. I really could not believe my eyes and ears the first time I watched the movie.
Everything about it is done with such skill and always gives me the chills.
Jerry Goldsmith’s writing really can be terrifyingly good. Studying his scores for Alien (1979) and
Poltergeist (1982) always makes my heart pump fast, in awe with the talent which lies behind every
note in those scores.
Composer Basil Poledouris just speaks to me in such a special way through his music. His
masterpiece Conan The Barbarian (1982) and The Blue Lagoon (1980) could not be bigger
opposites. He really understood how to handle emotions, from the ultra masculine to the sweetest
and most romantic, something I really appreciate and always take a note of!

How has your business evolved, as a result of the pandemic?

What happened to most of us, is that we immediately had to start working from home, when the
pandemic started. I’ve always had a home studio available, so it was not a significant change for me.
But what has changed, is that I now have a lot of virtual meetings instead of in person meetings,
which used to be harder to schedule. So that has opened some interesting opportunities, because
people have quickly shifted to the virtual world, and are more open to do so, because it can be done
quickly and spontaneously from home. Since the state of emergency was announced, Zoom has
exploded and it was quick to evolve its features to offer seamless meeting experiences. Zoom
meetings, webinars, jams, and concerts even began to appear and people have been connecting
and pushing the boundaries of what is possible to do remotely. Whereas I used to wait until I was in
Denmark to schedule in person meetings with my European contacts, and that seemed to be their
preference as well, now it’s completely fine to use Zoom instead, which has set things in motion for
me in very interesting ways, especially as the entertainment world is moving faster in Europe at the
moment.

What do you do, to bring goodness to the world?

I do my best through teaching. I’m a former music teacher and private music tutor, and I strongly
believe that teaching is a powerful medium to make a difference for people, and bring positivity to
the world. Everyone remembers a great and motivating teacher who perhaps believed in them when
they were about to give up and encouraged them to keep going. Teaching is not for everybody, and it
can be quite intimidating, but it’s a great way to reach people, and give them takeaways they can
use immediately or later in life. Even though it’s only music I teach, there are still tools in some
ideas, that can make people think and re-center their lives. It’s important to inspire, and to find
people who can inspire you.
In connection with teaching, I’ve been collaborating with ClassDojo, the world’s most-widely used
communication app for pre-K-8 schools, creating the soundtrack for the 12 episodes of their latest
Big Ideas series, that focuses on emotional intelligence. It was rewarding to be able to use my music
and knowledge of child psychology to enhance the emotional messages of the videos.

What tips would you give to your colleagues in your industry to help them thrive and not
burnout?

Have a clear path, be passionate about your work, and make sure to create the right team around
you. If it also helps you to pick up the phone and rant about life, collect guitars, eat ice-cream at
1am, go for it! Whatever helps you to continue and keep your focus.
Also accept that you ARE going to burn out at some point, and you will need time to recover. It’s like
being an athlete, if you keep exercising non stop, and do not find the time to rest and take in the right
nutrients, then you’re going to burn out and damage your body and mind. So if you put the pedal to
the metal, then you’re going to hit the wall at some point. Just plan for it and be prepared.
I like to keep in shape, eat healthy, and I don’t really have a taste for alcohol. I still sleep like a
teenager when I go on vacation, and that’s how I take good care of myself.

What are five things you wish someone had told you when you first started and why? Please share
a story or example for each.

1. Be less patient

I once sat on a project for years, before I had to give up and put it to sleep. After been married with it
so intensely for such a long time, it was really difficult for me to change my artistic vision, which was
necessary for me to move on with it. In this case, I’m quite sure that it would have been better to be
a bit impatient, so when I finally got to that crossroad where the opportunity arrived, then I would
have been able to mold my emotions around it, and to face the necessary compromises to go
forward.

2. Have a mentor and create a reliable team around you

It took me years to get a professional mentor, and when that first happened, then it was a game
changer! I’m really good at something, and not so good at something else. That “something else”
I need people to help me with! So, to have the right mentors and a great team around you can be
extremely important! But also make sure to be selective when you choose collaborators. Bad advice
will always be bad advice!

3. Travel to find opportunities

When I got the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, a plethora of opportunities opened up that were
not available to me in Denmark. Here in America I have built special skills and gained knowledge
within my field, that can be valuable to where I came from, so that opens up for even more
opportunities. I also had to travel to another country to find my fiancé, so there must be something to
it!

4. Be Authentic

Before anything else, you’ll need to ask yourself, who am I as a person and artist. And you have to
think about that very clearly. That is the foundation of an authentic career.

5. Do not take life too seriously; make sure to have fun.

You’ll always run into disappointments and failures throughout your career. If you take it all
personally and too seriously all the time, you’ll just exhaust yourself and will not have the necessary
energy to turn things around. There’s an art-form in finding something to laugh about even during
tough times. I recently saw an interview with my favorite classic rock band, Deep Purple. Having a
good sense of humor was what made them able to stick together, through all the absurdities they
had to go through over the years.

Is there any Danish food that you miss, in the States?

I do miss the good old Danish “rugbrød,” my mom’s rice pudding and ris-ala-mande, and the smell of
a Danish hotdog instantly makes my knees weak. So whenever I’m in Denmark, those are very high
on my list!

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch
with?

I was very lucky to meet Norwegian director André Øvredal at an event just before the lock-down
here in Los Angeles. I’ve been admiring his work since Trollhunter (2010) which really is a fantastic
movie, and I would love to sit down and have a proper conversation with him. He really has a lot of
interesting work taking shape, and I think the direction he is going with his career is very exciting. His
cinematic sensitivity within genre movies is absolutely fantastic, and the way they’re grounded in
reality even if they’re set in a fictional fantasy world, is admirable. He is also just a very nice person,
which really is something to take a note of.
I also wouldn’t mind having lunch with Barack Obama. Brilliant person! I deeply admire him and
Michelle.

How can people follow you on social media to see what you are doing?

• Website: https://www.lasseelkjaer.dk
• Email: musicoffice@lasseelkjaer.dk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasse.elkjaer_music/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lasse.elkjaer
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lasse_elkjae

PS. A side note from EuroCircle Team: Lasse mentioned “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”, if you have not seen those fantastic Swedish movies yet.  They are based on Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series – they are truly fabulous. So are the books!

Los Angeles – Feb 20 2020

LA’s premier French band with an international twist, Paris Chansons, will be performing at the historic Culver Hotel! Unforgettable French music from Aznavour, Dassin, Piaf, Adamo, Macias, Dalida, to Zaz & Stromae PLUS beloved classics in Russian, Italian and more!

Thursday, February 20th
Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8PM!
$20 cover plus 2 item minimum
(choose from a menu of delicious drinks and appetizers)

Don’t forget to purchase tickets in advance. Give the Culver Hotel a call after and RSVP to be seated near our Eurocircle group! You don’t want to miss this!
GET YOUR TICKET HERE

Link to purchase your tickets available soon. Save event page (and the date!) and check back in a few days.

To get a taste of the group:

Los Angeles – Dec 17 2018

EuroCircle Los Angeles Holiday Drinks at Freehand’s Broken Shaker Rooftop Bar

How about joining the EuroCircke crowd for last minute holiday drinks ar Freehand’s Broken Shaker next week?

Enter lobby and make a left to elevator and take floor to “Level R” to “Broken Shaker” Rooftop Bar
Join us for beautiful sweeping city views of downtown Los Angeles on Dec 17 at 7pm.
A nice outdoor evening of mingling and connecting with fabulous drinks and music.

Valet Parking is available and the 7th Street Metro station is just a few blocks away.

Los Angeles – Apr 29 2018

 A TOUCH OF DUTCH AT THE SHORELINE AQUATIC PARK IN LONG BEACH

Experience Dutch King’s Day 2018

the closest you will get to Amsterdam!

Los Angeles – Dutch King’s Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands and is observed by the Dutch around the globe. The largest King’s Day Party in the world happens in Amsterdam! The largest Orange Party in Southern California happens in Los Angeles!

Thousands of people come to celebrate the birthday of King Willem Alexander to enjoy the orange craze and hospitality at the Dutch King’s Day.

The event features an Amsterdam street party, live entertainment on stage, Dutch food vendors, fun attractions for kids and adults: games, arts & crafts, flea-market, photo stations, Heineken beer garden and DJ’s Dance Party.

EuroCircle San Francisco leader is the Dutch DJ Marc van Brabant – go to see them and enjoy the wonderful Dutch hospitality. As one of the visitors commented: “It’s about a sense of belonging and forming friendships. For one day, everybody feels the same. Bright orange and uninhibited!”

The event gains more local, out of town and even out of state visibility each year and has transformed into an annual gathering of Dutch culture and hospitality with a myriad of observers, revelers all decked out in phenomenal orange attire.

More information on our website: http://www.dutchkingsday.com

Susanna DG – Doing Good Productions and Life Coach in Los Angeles

Susanna Karoliina Goltche, neé Nieminen, knew she wanted to help people as a teenager. She decided she wanted to see the world when she was studying social sciences. She came to the United States as a student. and promptly fell in love with an American businessman and had a child. After her marriage ended she found herself  in a turning point in her life. She returned to her original idea of helping people. She became a life coach.

When she she still lived in Finland upon completing an internship at a Finnish Government Foster Care Institution and at Finnish Kindergarten and day care center, Susanna continued on to receive a certificate from Paimion Institute of Youth Leadership Studies (Paimion Kansan-Opisto) becoming a youth leadership counselor.  She went on to complete her internship working with handicapped and mentally disabled children.

When her schooling at the Finnish college was complete, Susanna relocated as an international student located at a U.S. college.  She continued her studies in sociology and psychology. However, Susanne’s creative mind and interest in entertainment lead her to film – she went on graduating (Film and Television production certificate Field Of Study Cinematography and Film/Video Production) from LACC film school.

After gaining experience in the entertainment industry working as part of E! Entertainment Television and Dr. Phil Show, Susanna took some time off to raise her daughter. After her divorce she trained at the Coaching Training Institute (CTI) in Los Angeles and received her certificate in life coaching, from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Life coaches concentrate on the present and the future,” Susanna explains.  She doesn’t see clients who have mental issues – those clients are sent to a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Life coaching is for otherwise healthy individuals, who need help in their working or private life.  A life coach is like a friend who listens and lends a helping hand.

Fearless (skydiving), direct, focused, intuitive and goal oriented, Susanna appreciates and welcomes coaching clients who are also committed to true inner growth, transformation and fulfillment.  She cares deeply about each and every client, wanting them to find inner passion, purpose, and to empower them to find the true feminine power within in order to step into their full potential and realize their greatness.

I asked what does she like to do most – coaching or entertainment?  She said she likes both –  she just like WORKING no matter what she is doing. She is one of those people who is good at multiple different areas and interested in multiple topics. My boyfriend is like that – he is super creative and genius with numbers.

If you would like to hire Susanna for entertainment or any job please connect with her directly. All her information is below.

CONNECT WITH SUSANNA:

Susanna at LinkedIn
Susanna at Facebook
Susanna DG – Doing Good Productions
Email Susanna here

Los Angeles – Aug 30 3017

VIP Invitation – Wine & Cheese Served

Join Tanya Stawski at this lovely private residence for a glass of wine and cheese while you can check the house that is an ultimate expression of French architecture.
It is majestically situated at one of the highest corner points of Cheviot Hills with awe-inspiring views of a grand golf course & aerial serenity of Century City.
Recently featured in LA Times Hot Properties as a “Whimsical storybook style” was originally built in 1938 for celebrity Zasu Pitts & later sold to French actress Jacqueline Boyer.
The house if offered for sale at $3,465,000.

This house is one of a kind. More info at www.2653patricia.com

RSVP REQUIRED for admission – to RSVP please email Tanya by Aug 29th

Los Angeles – Jun 15 2017

BERTRAND TAVERNIER AND FRENCH NOIR
Director Bertrand Tavernier In Person!

JOURNEY THROUGH FRENCH CINEMA
Introduction by director Bertrand Tavernier.
Aero Theatre • Thu, Jun 15, 2017 • 7:30pm

GET TICKETS

West Coast Premiere!
JOURNEY THROUGH FRENCH CINEMA
VOYAGE A TRAVERS DU CINÉMA FRANÇAIS
2016, Cohen Film, 190 min, France, Dir: Bertrand Tavernier
Described by director Bertrand Tavernier as “an expression of gratitude to all those filmmakers, screenwriters, actors and musicians who have erupted into my life,” this documentary is manna from heaven to fans of French film. Spanning nearly half a century of the country’s cinematic history, the clips and reminiscences here showcase the work of luminaries including Jacques Becker, Marcel Carné and Jean Renoir as well as unjustly neglected talents.
TRAILER
In French, German and English with English subtitles. DCP

Los Angeles – Jun 01 2017

I’ve found a place in Santa Monica that does Salsa Lessons. So, this Thursday, June 1st, 2017, make sure you put on your dancing shoes and come join me at Wokcano, Santa Monica.

ENTRY – $8
I wouldn’t call this a traditional networking event where you’ll only be looking for Eurocircle friends, rather an event for you to meet new people and dance.
Salsa lessons and happy hour.
The first two hours of the night are for beginner to intermediate lessons. Then it is an open dance floor to dance the night away!

SUGGESTION: GET THERE AT 8 pm SHARP TO ENJOY THE 2 HOUR LESSONS.

THEY HAVE A FULL BAR FOR YOU TO ENJOY DRINKS, IN CASE YOU DON’T FANCY DANCING.

THIS VENUE HAS A $8 COVER CHARGE.

See you all there,

Cheers,
Sonny

Los Angeles – May 13 2017

LATE NOTICE: NOT TO BE MISSED! DESTINATION LUXURY PACIFIC POLO TOUR CHARITY EVENT THIS SAT
Hello Eurocirclers, Apologies for the late notice, but my friends at Destination Luxury, have put together their yearly Charity Polo Event tomorrow, Saturday, May 13th between 12pm – 5pm at the Will Rogers State Park.

HOLLYWOOD CUP III
Tickets include food, refreshments, wine, entertainment and more during this amazing experience.

They’re also providing a $500 virtual gift bag.
Purchase tickets here: PURCHASE TICKETS

Part of the proceeds will benefit Big Brothers and Sisters.

Pacific Polo Tour is committed to continuing the growth of professional polo in Los Angeles with all the prestige, glamour and excitement of this amazing sport. After the success of the first and second Hollywood Cup on 2016, we are pleased to announce a new series of acclaimed high-class polo events.

THE EVENT

Pacific Polo Tour invites you to be a part of their finest and most invigorating new event, the Hollywood Cup III. On May 13th, 2017 old friends and new polo admirers will come together to indulge in the breathtaking sensation of a highly competitive and professional polo match. Guests will set eyes on the excitement while savouring delicious dishes presented by Los Agaves Mexican-styled restaurant, accompanied by Lapostolle cocktails featuring their new mystical Kappa Pisco. Setting the atmosphere will be trendy and elegant décor, a live DJ, and of course the intensity dispersing from our competitive polo players.

Come celebrate the Sport of Kings with colourful polo-chic attire, including sundresses and hats for women, and smart casual for men.

Part of the proceeds will benefit CATHOLIC BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS
For more information please visit us at www.pacificpolotour.com
INFO: info@pacificpolotour.com

DLX team at: Sales@destinationluxury.com

HOLLYWOOD CUP III
Tickets include food, refreshments, wine, entertainment and more during this amazing experience.

They’re also providing a $500 virtual gift bag.
Purchase tickets here: PURCHASE TICKETS

Los Angeles – Mar 25 2017

SEEfest Presents: Animation of South East Europe @ ELAC, East Los Angeles College. FREE.
MARCH 25 @ 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
www.seefilmla.org

1:00 PM Screening of Short Animated Films from Southeast European countries:
The Blood, Bulgaria, 2012, 6 minutes

Choban, Croatia, 2014, 18 minutes
The Day of the Bleeding Gums, Bulgaria, 2014, 5 minutes
Dinner for Few, Greece/US, 2014, 10 minutes
Elmando, Romania/Italy, 2014, 4 minutes
Koyaa – Flower, Slovenia, 2013, 4 minutes
The Mediterranean, Turkey, 2014, 3 minutes
Mother Beast, Hungary/Spain, 2013, 7 minutes
Rabbitland, Serbia, 2013, 7 minutes
The Vast Landscape, Croatia, 2014, 11 minutes
Vis Dubium, Serbia, 2014, 7 minutes
SUROGAT, 1961, Yugoslavia, 10 minutes, Oscar winner
FLUTTER, USA/Bulgaria, 2017, 10 minutes

2:05 PM Panel discussion and Q & A. Mike Libonati, an animator and visual artist that runs ELAC’s animation department and panel moderator introduces the other panel members: Italian/American animator Cinzia Angelini, Animation Industry pioneer and expert Sarah Baisley, Editor in Chief of Animation Magazine Tom McLean, Vladimir Todorov, Bulgarian/American concept artist, illustrator and animator that has worked on projects such as An American Tail 2, Fivel Goes West, We’re Back, & Balto and Nouredin Zarrinkelk, Iranian/American animation director, writer, book illustrator and ex-President of ASIFA International.
2:30 PM An update to the Making of Mila: Creating a Quality Animated Film via the World Wide Web, A presentation by Cinzia Angelini.
3:00 PM Tribute to a Legend: Life achievement Award ceremony for legendary Noureedin Zarrinkelk.
This section starts with screening of “KELK E ZARRIN” (Golden Brush) which give a brief biography reviewing all Mr. Zarinkelk work – Screening of animated film Bani Adam (Excellencies) – Then presenting the award and Q&A.
3:30 PM: Closing remarks Announcing Latin American Animation Day on 2018

Article on Cinema Without Borders

To attend please RSVP to: rsvpanim@gmail.com

+ GOOGLE CALENDAR+ ICAL EXPORT

FREE event. RSVP: rsvpanim@gmail.com or call 310-422-4629.

Did you see the announcement last week?
Limited 8-Day Festival passes are now available for sale.
We are pleased to announce you can get the Festival Full-Access pass for 8 days of screenings, panels, The Business of Film Conference, events and networking without worrying about getting a seat.
Because of space limitations in most of our theatres, only 46 Festival passes are available. Tickets for individual screenings will be available in the coming weeks.
Get your Festival pass today, before they sell out. Limited to 2 passes.

NOTE: SEEfest Cine-Fan Members get a 20% discount on Festival Passes and tickets.
http://seefilmla.org/become-a-member/