Today we’d like to introduce you to Amalie Lorentzen.
Amalie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to LA when I was 19 years old. In retrospect I was still just a kid, moving from Denmark halfway around the world to live on my own. I’ve known for a very long time I wanted to work in the film industry. Of course, I have my dreams, as everyone else does, about which specific roles I’d like to pursue, but I’ve always said I’d just be happy to get to help make film and tv. So I started at UCLA: Extension as soon as I moved here to study Directing. It’s a cool program, but I’ve never been one to learn by sitting in a classroom, I learn by doing, so I was looking forward to getting my work authorization, so I could go out and experience everything first hand. One year later, I got my certificate and I started my OPT, which meant I had a year to work in the industry and gain enough experience in order to obtain an O1 visa. I worked for a photographer for a few months, where I helped him edit together videos and assisted on photoshoots. After that, I got a job at a Post Facility. I think I worked for about 3-4 months on my O1 application, it’s a lot of work and takes a lot of dedication and time, especially because I was already working 12 hour days. But I put in the work and my visa was approved. After the Post Facility, I wanted to work more freelance on shows, so through contacts I found work here and there. And I worked my way up from PA to Supervisor, which is where I am today.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The idea that anyone can have a smooth road in LA seems absurd. I mean there’s not just obstacles, there’s bumps, twists, turns, fires, earthquakes, what have you! (Metaphorically and literally). When I first moved here, I got to live with two beautiful young women, who taught me so much about life and being who I am. I’m sort of an awkward person, physically and socially. I had a rough time fitting in back home, because I just always stood out, literally – I’m 6′, have orange hair and I have an (unhealthy) obsession with movies. I’ve moved six times while living in LA, I’ve experienced everything from roaches to parole officers to blood leading into the apartment building. Once I got my visa, I got a chance to work on a show whenever their current Post PA wasn’t available. I thought I was gonna get a chance to come on full time, when the PA decided to leave the show, and the post team were so sweet and great, they tried to fight for me, but unfortunately there was another nepotism hire and I had to move on. Not to sound petty… oh dear I think I did.
I’ve experienced a lot of variety in my work, I’ve been yelled at, worked 18 hour days without overtime and gotten 6am calls from London. This is all pretty standard for my industry of choice though, so I’ve learned to take the bad with the good. But I think one of the biggest struggles I’ve had here has been the loneliness of LA. I’ve gained and lost a lot of friends in my time here, some moved away, with some the conversation just faded and others the distance did us in. LA is such a beautiful, but very large city, and some days having to drive 1.5 hours to get to work and 1 hour to get home, you just lose energy and don’t have time to hang out. The second hardest thing is I’ve missed so much back home; weddings, funerals, births, birthdays, family illnesses, anniversaries, graduations – the list goes on and on. Sometimes it’s been worth what I’ve gained by being here, but sometimes it’s really not. When you don’t get to say goodbye to someone you’ve known your entire life or see one of your best friends say “I Do”, those are the situations where you really start to rethink life and how you choose to live it.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I currently work in Post Production on a TV show, but I’ve worked in both Production and Post on both Movies and TV. As I mentioned, I’ve wanted to work in this industry for so long, since I was about 10 years old. So just being where I am today is an extreme accomplishment that I am very proud of myself for having reached, but also just so thankful for everyone around me, having helped me get here. Because I definitely would not have been, where I am today, without the support from my family and friends. As a Post Supervisor I get to work and help the Producer run Post on a show. I get to help with the cuts and talk to the execs and creatives. I get to see each cut go from person to person and slowly become the show, we will later know it as. It can be extremely stressful and exhausting, but also very pleasing.
Even though I’ve spent a lot of time working in the industry however, I haven’t given up on what I really want to do, which is direct. In my time here, I’ve only made two shorts, but I’ve gotten to write a lot and draw and I try to be creative as much as I can. I directed ‘Potasiom’ while I was at UCLA: Extension and ‘The Waiting Room’ a couple of years ago.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I honestly don’t think I would’ve done anything differently, because I wouldn’t want to give up any of the things I’ve learned and gained. Even if that means I’ve lost moments and regretted actions, I’ve ended up gaining experiences that I will get to live with forever. I’ve recently learned I have Pure O, which is a kind of OCD, which is mainly obsessional. For me the OCD has been there a big part of my life, lurking, warning me when something might go wrong and making me take certain actions to avoid it. A part of the therapy is to learn to not take part of the actions, the compulsions and thoughts. I’m learning to carry that over to my life in other aspects, not regretting decisions, because it can never be undone. You just have to learn and evolve, and then you know better next time. I’m sure there’s 1000 things I shouldn’t have done in my time here, but I don’t know where I’ll be if I didn’t do them, so it’s not gonna change anything. Besides I’m very pleased with where I ended up and what I learned along the way. And I wouldn’t be starting over anyway, because I’m not even close to being finished.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amalielorentzenflash/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1279504978
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5967715/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Image Credit:
Elisa Lopes, Amanda Sears, Laura Kunov
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