Entertainment

User Preferences: Tech Q&A With Video Director Harald Haraldsson

Each week we chat about the tools of the trade with one outstanding creative to find out exactly how they do what they do. The questions are always the same, the answers, not so much. This week: Harald Haraldsson. Click here for more User Preferences Tech Q&As.

The Creators Project: Who are you and what do you do?
Harald Haraldsson:
I’m Harald Haraldsson. I create and direct videos and installations, sometimes hybrids of both. Usually my projects involve a healthy dose of technology and programming. My output ranges from interactive installations to commercials and music videos.

Videos by VICE

What kind of hardware do you use?
Macbook Pro Retina, Canon DSLR, and Samsung GALAXY S III. I use my hardware to code, capture, and connect.

What kind of software do you use?
I write code within openFrameworks/Xcode. I use Adobe CS6, Premiere Pro, and SpeedGrade for editing and grading. Evernote and Spotify take up the remaining RAM.

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What piece of equipment can you simply not live without?
Laptop, smartphone, and internet access—no different than most people. I hope someday soon to eliminate laptop from that list, thanks to technology and/or lifestyle evolution.

If money were no object, how would you change your current setup?
I would add three robotic arms, ARRI and Phantom cameras, full lights setup, and a bigger studio. Basically everything I currently need to rent for productions would be nice to own in-house for tinkering and prototyping. All this is useless without great ideas so I would pay some of my talented friends to add real brainpower to the setup. Full-time assistant to answer emails and write pitches would also be nice. This setup would render me unnecessary so I would spend more time out in the sun and gradually retire.

Love With You

Is there any piece of technology that inspired you to take the path you did?
Not specifically, most of my inspiration has come from films, still the ultimate medium for storytelling, visuals, and sound. Clockwork Orange, Se7en, and Terminator 2 probably inspired me most as a kid – to create something. The use of technology, music, and special effects in films like these indirectly led me to study engineering and I guess finally to where I am to day – creating visual experiences with technology.

What is your favorite piece of technology from your childhood?
My father’s film camera. Got the basics of shutter speed, aperture, and ASA early on—still relevant today.

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What fantasy piece of technology would you like to see invented?
Tiny programmable and networked devices capable of capturing 4K RGB video data + depth data + all kinds of sensor data. Not a fantasy at all, basically tomorrow’s smartphone.

@CreatorsProject