Conversations with Victor Plank Harms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Plank Harms.

Introduction: TV producer and filmmaker Victor Plank Harms is known for producing some of the biggest series in the United States, such as the TV shows Alone: Frozen, Impractical Jokers: After Party, and the film Between Two Islands. VoyageLA met with the US-based Danish storyteller for a chat about his path to success in the competitive film and TV industry.

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today?
I think my story goes something like this: storytelling is my passion my hobby, and I’m grateful that I have been able to turn it into a career as well. I love my job as a TV producer and filmmaker. Every story is different, which makes every day at work exciting. As a producer, you often get to travel internationally and meet people from different subcultures that are largely unknown. Sometimes my “office” is set on a beach in East Africa, a mountain in Greenland, a desert in Abu Dhabi, or a women’s prison in the Philippines with dancing inmates performing a routine to Pharrell’s “Happy” as a part of their rehabilitation program. And of course, sometimes my office is in an actual office when I’m in preproduction or postproduction.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think working in the film and TV industry provides anyone with a straightforward path to success, but I always knew that I wanted to work in film and TV. Personally, I started my career as a production assistant in Denmark. I remember my early years in the industry as super fun and a bit tough. One of my first bosses told me that the production assistant is always the first crew member to show up on set and the last person to leave after the shoot. I have had pretty much every single assistant position on a film/TV crew that you can think of. I have been a set runner, an extras’ coordinator on scripted shows, an audience coordinator on Who Wants to Be Millionaire Denmark logged a ton of footage, and I made bucketloads of coffee. Ultimately, I learned a lot working as an assistant, and it inspired me to study film and television in Denmark, Canada, and in the United States. That’s the short version of how I got into the industry.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a TV producer, I have been fortunate to produce some of my favorite shows, such as the survival format Alone: Frozen for the History Channel [currently streaming on Discovery Plus], the comedy show Impractical Jokers: After Party for truTV [available on Max], and, most recently, a new docuseries called Love Off the Grid for Max with the creators of 90 Day Fiancé.

In my native Denmark, I have served as the showrunner of the dating show Finding Prince Charming Denmark, the first dating show to air on Danish TV, featuring a cast of all gay men competing to win the heart of the nation’s most eligible heartthrob. I was also the showrunner of the dating show Singletown Denmark, where five couples press pause on their relationships and spend one incredible summer living their best single lives in the city. At the end of each week, the couples take part in a “Love Locket Ceremony” to either choose to reunite and leave the show as a couple or to stay in Singletown. Basically, the showrunner manages every creative aspect of the TV show while making sure the show is delivered to the network or the streaming platform on time and within budget. As the on-location showrunner, I was responsible for overseeing the preproduction and the filming of the show.

I have worked in film and TV for fifteen years. As a TV producer, I specialize in unscripted programming: travel, docuseries, survival, love and relationship, dating, LGBTQIA+, and home renovation — I love anything with a plot twist. It was a dream come true to work on the survival show Alone: Frozen as a story producer. I’m a big fan of Alone as a format, and it’s one of the most-watched TV shows in America, so it was exciting to work on the franchise.

As a film director, I’m currently working on my film Between Two Islands. It’s an observation documentary that offers a voyeuristic portrait of the diversity in America. The experimental film explores a world that only exists for twenty-six minutes at a time. The world begins when the orange boat, the Staten Island Ferry, takes off from an exciting island, Manhattan, and ends when the passengers get off on the other side. Between Two Islands is the story of the quiet but colorful everyday life that we are usually too busy to notice. The film is expected to premiere at several film festivals internationally next year.

What does success mean to you?
In my field, I guess you can define success like this: if your crew wants to work with you time after time, and if people enjoy watching your shows and films, then you are a successful TV producer and film director. It’s a huge bonus if you are also able to spend time with the people you love, friends and family. Oh, and driving down Highway 1 through Big Sur in California makes me happy and eases my mind; throwing that in the mix to remind myself that success is not only linked to how much money you make or how well you do professionally.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.victorplank.com
• Instagram: victorplank
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/victorplankharms
• Other: www.madskillsmedia.com

Image Credits
K.Havemann