Every week we interview one or two people in our team so you get to know us better. First out was Richard Jarnhed.
Simon Kölle, an internationally award-winning Film Composer and Film Producer is one of the founders of Tulpa Creatives. Simon is an accomplished writer with some 20 years of experience as a professional. He has composed music to feature films, TV-series and a lot of other formats. He has also produced several feature films and been a co-producer or executive producer. Simon is a storyteller with a background in the music industry as a label owner and working with distribution. In the film industry Simon is a creative producer and film composer that also work with distribution.
The interview with Simon was made in april 2019.
What made you pursue working creatively within the film, tv and/or gaming world?
I have always loved movies and stories in general. As a kid I fell in love with gaming, most of all Roleplay Games but also Computer Games and eventually Live Action Roleplaying in the Nordic LARP tradition. Film music I became fascinated with via roleplaying to begin with and could not even dream about working as a Film Composer back then and even less as a Film Producer.
I found Theatre, was enrolled on a Theatre School and I immensely enjoyed working with Physical Theatre. My focus was directing and writing.
After school I studied Theatre Science at the Stockholm University and Dramaturgy and Creative Writing. I also founded (with three friends), and was the Creative Leader for, a Theatre Company called Teater 418. At our peak we had more than 60 people working with us in different projects. We became a small movement. I wrote and directed 6 plays that was played mostly on tours. Many of the ones active in the group moved, entered prestigious schools and as I saw the limitations of theatre and its scene, I left it and closed down Teater 418. Many of the ones we worked with created own groups and found success on their own.
I then entered a phase where I learned to create music in this modern-day era and told stories via music and radio theatre. After some 10+ albums and running a record label I felt ready to move on. To run a label taught me a lot and we were a label releasing music that was “cinematic”, and we also sold film scores. Our project also evolved, and we made instrumental music that many reviewers called “music to non-existing films”.
I studied more Dramaturgy, Fantasy Literature and Medieval arts & history. But after studying Film Music at Stockholm University I felt ready to take the leap over to become a Film Composer. I knew everything had been leading towards me fulfilling my dream of becoming a Film Composer. I was also cheered on by the likes of Ennio Morricone, Oliver Stone, many reviewers from all over the world and Swedish National TV. 2009 I felt ready and I met director Richard Jarnhed and we started to work with the film “Stay Down”.
Parallel with composing and running a label I also kept on writing stories for different companies, LARP organizers, Magazines and later also ran a couple of websites. I always though kept my focus on film, tv and gaming. I kind of knew that my different, rather motley experiences would someday or somehow be beneficial.
2013 I took my first steps as a Film Producer and I loved it. I will though never stop composing music for movies and TV-series and I think the two professions are a perfect combination for me.
In 2-3 sentences who are you?
I am a storyteller, a creative mind that loves to create and produce. I like to peruse what I enjoy and do things wholeheartedly. I also love life and would love to live to be 500 years old.
What motivates you and why do you work creatively?
For me working creatively is something I feel chosen to do. To create something out of ideas are like magic. I am motivated by both the process and the result.
Tell us one memory from your previous work that still to this day inspire you.
After the opening of my first play I felt a bit down, if people understood my intentions or not, I could care less about but at the same time I wanted to reach the audience. One of the first ones coming up to me was a young talented musician who said something like ”I have always hated theatre but if it is like this, I love it!”. Later, people created study circles and added analysis of the play in their education and it blew my mind. A year after the opening I got a package sent to me with summaries and texts about the play from a group of newly arrived (to Sweden) individuals that inspires me to this day. All these people of different age, gender and nationality that saw different things in the play affected me immensely in a positive way.
What’s Tulpa Creatives for you?
Richard Jarnhed calls it a Mothership and I like that analogy. It’s a dream come true.
What’s your dream?
I dream a lot and like to make dreams come true. Dreams have been a major inspiration for me since childhood. More concrete I want to create something lasting.
How do you see yourself?
A Flexible, creative, hard working man that loves to live a good life and to create. I am very much a person inspired by other people, art and I am always looking forward to different stuff. I also truly love my family and friends.
What’s your biggest strength’s/assets?
I would say my dedication, work ethic, do or die attitude and creativity. I also have a lot of energy and a lot of will power. I never give up!
From Angel Heart, 1987
Name three movies and/or TV-series that inspired you a lot in your life.
Twin Peaks, Jacobs Ladder, Angel Heart
Do you have any advice for young film makers/writers out there?
Don’t hesitate and really go for it. Maybe you cannot start out making the biggest projects right away but it’s extremely important to get work done. Don’t let people put you down! It’s difficult for everybody.
Which film makers/writers has influenced you the most?
David Lynch has inspired me a lot. I don’t think everything he has done are the best, but I truly believe he’s a master. I am also influenced by Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick and of course Andrei Tarkovsky. These days I am though very much inspired by contemporary film makers (often creators of TV-series).
When it comes to writers, I enjoy the Beatnik authors like William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac to mention a few.
If you got the opportunity to remake a movie or TV-series, which one would you go for?
Lord of the Rings, I would have liked to do it grittier and more down to earth and less like a big matinée.
Working with a project, is it harder to get started or to keep going?
I would say that for many it’s easier to start than to keep going but for me I love to get started and love to keep going. To keep going when it’s tough you need to dig deep, and I will go the extra mile if I believe in a project.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your work?
Everybody has thoughts about what you do. They have opinions and sometimes you listen too much on them. I have experienced a situation where I listened way too much on people which effected the end result. Since that and similar things more recently I have come to listen more on what I believe in. Other people’s input is important to be able to take in but not if you forget about yourself and your own vision.
Mention one thing you think would make the film/tv/gaming industry better, what would it be?
We need to enable systems that makes it easier to create films and TV-series.
Get to know Simon even more on his personal website: www.simonkolle.com
