An organized chaos of professional amateurs. That is a plausible description of the summary of the 2014 Carnival movie, Överliggaren (The Perpetual Student). A lot of things about its content is still classified, but it is certain that there will be car chases, washed down with concert performances in the carnival movie.
Photo: Jens Hunt
Inside the heavy doors of the University building, I am greeted by the Communications Manager, Max Lidgard. He is holding a garment bag in one of his hands. Extras in long, shiny dresses and tuxedos hare rushing by. A well-dressed scene is about to be shot for this year’s Carnival movie, and Max will also serve as an extra this day. Later this week, there is a car chase scene on the agenda. A couple of days earlier, a Lund police division came through as extras, providing a police car for the shooting outside Gamla Kirurgen. What is to become of all this? Finding out what the genre of this movie is, is not an easy task. There is a lot of mystery-making attached to this year’s Carnival movie.
“I’ll tell you this: it’s supposed to appeal to as many as possible,” says Max, who apart from that, does not want to comment on the movie content.
“It’s every genre and style at the same time,” says the Studio Manager, Carl-Wilhelm Bennet.
“He is the manager of the entire chaos,” he says. A total number of a little more than 40 people are present for today’s shooting. The aggregate amount of carnies involved in the Carnival movie, runs up to about 100.
I keep trolling for information on the movie storyline. I find out that the name of the leading part is Sara, but I remain uncertain whether that is the name of the character or the actress.
Photo: Jens Hunt
It is a mid-February Saturday and it is a little after one o’clock. The first shooting session was scheduled to start now, but it seems to be a few minutes delayed. Actors, technicians, extras, and others involved in the shooting of the movie are running around looking busy. The team is planning on working until late at night.
“We’re about halfway through. It’s awesome, it’s a cool movie to make. Nobody was probably ready for the amount of work that actually brings,” says Section Manager, Amanda Ralfsson.
She points to the large number of retakes that have been made since the shooting began, February 2nd. A total number of 180 different settings have been shot in 10 studio days.
“Everybody is really professional, and they have so much drive. You can really tell, and that makes it all a lot of fun,” she says.
Photo: Jens Hunt
We are walking up the stairs, entering the University building assembly hall, where the first session takes place. Carnival General, Fanny Ramel, who was last year’s Film Manager, is talking to a man with long hair, styled like a poodle. Photographer Dennis Trulsson is here to help out. It is his third Carnival movie. In comparison to the previous shootings of 2006 and 2010, he perceives the crew to be unusually calm.
“It looks as it usually does, a lot of people running around. The final product always comes out great in the end, but people seem surprisingly calm. Previously, the pace has been higher at this point,” he says.
It’s probably just to be pulling people’s leg, it seems.
Photo: Jens Hunt
Somebody shouts from the stands to a technician. Suddenly, the director’s voice is heard through the speakers. He calls for silence. In a showcase stand, you see the camera, slowly swiping across the stage. The piano is in place, there are well-dressed extras to fill up the assembly hall benches, and a guy in a tailcoat is standing in front of a microphone. Just as the clapperboard shuts, the take is stopped. A shade is placed incorrectly. After a few minutes of lightning adjustment, it is time to go again.
“This scene should have a nice atmosphere and be emotional, and don’t forget to switch your phones of,” are the orders from director, Magnus Hellström.
The clapperboard shuts a second time, and the assembly hall is dead-silent. A powerful voice is heard, as the leading part of the scene starts singing Amazing Grace. The piano accompanies the song, and the atmosphere is tangible. The forearm hair stands. The director did not really have to bother asking for an emotional atmosphere.
Photo: Jens Hunt.
After the take, Amanda Ralfsson returns. She operated as an extra in this scene.
“Half of the cast already participating in different places had to fill in as extras,” she says.
The Carnival General says it has been difficult to recruit a sufficient amount of extras for this movie.
“Lots of people are interested, but don’t show up. But the extras usually are impressed and happy when they come to the shooting sessions, and they really do realize that this is real,” says Fanny Ramel.
On the way out after the session, I find Technical Manager, Paul Birch, at the entrance of the University building. He is standing by one of the great pillars next to a host of black boxes filled with technical equipment. Paul, who is in charge of the logistics arrangements and driving the truck with all the equipment, was here as early as ten o’clock this morning.
“It’s a lot of fun despite the inconvenient hours. The professionalism is crazy, even if everybody but the photographers are amateurs,” he says.
April 26, it is time for the premiere of the 45 minute movie. First, it will play at the SF theater in Lund for those who have been involved. So far, there is no fixed date for it being played publicly. Whether it will play at the Kino theater prior to the carnival as well, like the previous carnival years, or be played exclusively during the carnival weekend, is also not determined yet. The fact that it seems to be a crammed movie made by motivated students who have spent a considerable amount of hours, is in itself, a legitimate reason for looking forward to the premiere of The Perpetual Student.
Text: Lisa Blidnert
Translation: Maximilian Aleman-Tennell
