Behind-the-scenes of Pedal Power

What led to the production of Pedal Power? 

Emil: “The making of ‘Pedal Power’ became one of the most relevant and well-timed videos in the Nordics. Originally created to demonstrate our commitment to the sustainable future of production music, the making of ‘Pedal Power’ soon coincided with major shifts in legislation for production companies and sustainable filming practices across the territory.

In 2023, greener media production became one of the most important topics for all major Nordic production companies. The government, broadcasters, and key media institutions were launching new directives demanding production contractors follow a new set of green production codes. 

The Danish Government was first to release its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive which mandated all media companies to submit Co2 reports for their organisation and individual media productions. The Swedish Film Institute soon followed suit, demanding all sponsored projects follow their new green production codes.” 

 

Who created the film?

Pedal Power was created in partnership with Universal Production Music Nordics and the green production studio Sjutton Gubbar based in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

Having met with Sjutton Gubbar, Emil recalled "When I met Hampus and Joel, I introduced the loose idea of a musician 'frankensteining' around a scrapyard to build instruments and computers, sitting in nature to power a makeshift studio with homemade wind/water turbines etc. A 'who buys this stuff when you can get it for free' kind of person who was coincidentally the greenest producer in the world. The intro became a few hours of brainstorming and enough ideas and visual concepts to produce a feature film." 

 

Which music track was selected for the film and why? 

The film features the Swedish band ‘Maddox Street’ - a group of green composers from our Scandinavian label, Nordic ID, performing their track ‘Waves’ from the album ‘Greenest Hits.’ This album is a compilation of songs produced using sustainable practices and renewable energy sources, as part of our initiative Green Production Music.  

Regarding the music choice, Emil said: "The song is  written by a band that Sjutton Gubbar had previously worked with. The song just had the perfect tone for the film - it's organic and felt like a perfect line for the sustainable theme. Maddox Street also loved the idea of supporting and being a part of the campaign. Once we agreed on using the song to feature it in the film we were all good to go. As a bonus, we managed to release it as the lead track for our 'Greenest Hits' on Nordic ID which to date is the label’s most downloaded album 2024."

 

Where did the inspiration for Pedal Power come from? 

Sjutton Gubbar: “We both got a pretty clear vision of what we wanted to do early after speaking with Emil Axing (Digital Marketing Manager at Universal Production Music Nordics) for the first time. We soon came up with a funny and exaggerated story about a musician who has chosen to take detours and do everything in complicated ways to continue making music without leaving an impact on the planet.

Our friends at Maddox Street had just finished a new song by this time, and so we had that drumbeat in our minds. We knew that the film should just end with the drummer pulling off this awesome beat in the middle of the woods, zooming out, revealing more and more of the beautiful nature and then a seamless cut to a recording studio, showing the interior and the woods in the same frame. What would be more green than that?

But lastly, we decided to cook it all down to a one-take scene. We liked the idea of unfolding the story in one continuous shot and tying everything together in the final frame. Thanks to a fantastic collaboration with Emil, who was constantly our sounding board for the script and storytelling, we believe we’ve achieved a really great result.”

How did you approach creating the set for the Pedal Power film? 

Sjutton Gubbar: “It was three or four hectic days! We decided to build everything in the studio, partly to accommodate a 5-meter dolly and to have complete control over the lighting. It's not easy to find locations that offer the space and look we are aiming for. We then took a little help from our friend and set constructor who also share space in the same building. For the walls we built lightweight modules and made them so they would be easy to detach, store and reuse for future projects. And like always when building sets, we set up the camera and build everything according to that chosen frame and angle. It’s a very fun and creative way of working. Like you’re actually building the picture by hand.”

Emil: "Sjutton Gubbar's studio 'The Coalmine' was rebuilt from a chocolate factory and transformed into a creative co-working studio in Gothenburg. Although the name 'Coalmine' might not sound fitting with the theme of sustainability, the studio's refurbishment truly kept sustainability at its core. Furnished only using second-hand items, fixtures and decoration, 'The Coalmine' was also nominated or 'Sweden’s best-looking office 2023.' It occurred to me then that Joel and Hampus, as well as the studio they work in, were not far from my imagined musician. By sourcing most of the set second-hand, borrowing from friends, or building themselves, not only did they make this whole production super green, they also managed to build an amazing set, full of life that is stunningly sustainable and reusable."

"I believe that in many ways, the production, the location, the actors, and the musicians encapsulate the moral of the story and is a prime example of how creative work and sustainability go hand in hand naturally. Neither Sjutton Gubbar nor Maddox Street did anything differently from a “normal gig” in the making of this film, which made this whole process so fun and easy. The moral of the story: Whether you’re carving your own drumsticks, bargaining wallpapers at a flea market, or choosing a green-labeled song for your film, you’re doing a small favor for our environment and possibly your wallet. And that feels good, really good!”

 

What are you looking forward to in the future for sustainable production? 

Sjutton Gubbar: “This was a really fun project and very well-suited for us. We love creating sets and atmospheres and work with funny storytelling. We also felt we had full creative freedom, which isn't always taken for granted. We look forward to creating spin-offs on the same theme. It has a lot of potential. After doing this we are also a lot more self-aware of how we can work differently on future projects to minimize our environmental impact. It makes you be more creative.”

 

Soundtrack for a greener future 

Following the success of the Pedal Power film, we continue to craft carbon-conscious music through our Green Production Music initiative. By working with green composers who use environmentally conscious methods to create their new tracks, we will continue our commitment to more responsible music production. 

You can experience the soundtrack for a greener future by listening to our pioneering Green Music Playlist.