"Briskly paced character play skirts formulaic pitfalls via J. Soren Viuf’s creative handheld shooting..."

~John Anderson, VARIETY, Review of "@urFRENZ"

 

The assignment: shoot a feature film in fifteen days. Six+ pages a day. With kids, teens, cell phones and computers that must be synched up for every scene. For no money. With a skeleton crew.

Now throw in a first-time director.

Getting the picture?  In anyone else’s hands, this reads like a recipe for an Alan Smithee film, instead of a professionally shot feature.  But with Søren as our DP, our indie film production, "@urFRENZ," was a monumental success.  In his hands, the RED camera was the brush with which he painted a beautifully moving…look at that, he’s got me metaphoring.

As the film’s writer-director, I was thrilled to be working with a DP who approached his craft through the lens of a storyteller.  Søren has a gift that goes beyond the shot.  An ability to pre-visualize a scene in relation to the overall narrative that makes for a smooth and fluid transition from the page to the camera to the editing room.  And Søren’s easygoing manner—“how bad can life be, we’re making a movie”—spills over to the rest of the crew.  His natural facility with people both above and below the line allowed us to come in on time & on schedule.

He made me look good. He made our film look brilliant.

~ Jeff Phillips, W.G.A., Writer-Director: @urFRENZ

 

I hired Soren to be my DP on a short film I was directing after acting for him in The Patrolman
which he wrote and directed. I felt completely comfortable working with Soren as an actor. I saw
his technical expertise on full display on set as he guided the film. We communicated easily. I
felt clear in my understanding of what he needed from me, and we developed a strong rapport.

 

When I needed a DP for a project of my own, Soren came immediately to mind. Hiring him was
the single best decision I made in producing my film. I cannot overstate the value he added to
my project. He assembled a professional crew and anticipated every technical need, and he
offered all that, as well as his own estimable knowledge and experience, in service of my story
and my artistic vision. Throughout our collaboration, I always felt that Soren was listening to me
and trying to help me make the film I wanted to make. I would work with him again in a
heartbeat.
~ Michael Evans Lopez, Writer/Director: Til Death

 

When making the critical decision of choosing a DP, J. Søren Viuf is my first choice. A creative visionary with the ability to apply abstract thought to practical situations, he gets his team together into a cohesive unit that responds both professionally and personally to his informed guidance. With patience and adherence to a strong work ethic which includes diligent preparation before shooting, Søren’s on-set creativity flows freely, allowing for new ideas to enhance structured planning. When the camera is in his hands, I know I will get the shots I need to make the picture I intended to make. He understands how to capture the film’s emotional integrity all while crafting some distinctively impressive visuals.

~ Courtney Slusser, Director: The Audition, Junky Tai-Chi

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Søren came on to set with no prep when another gaffer dropped out the day before, and he more than filled those shoes.  He took an immense amount of pressure off of my shoulders.  I could tell Søren what I wanted for a lighting setup; then he would take that vision and make it better.  Søren is a top notch professional - he will come at your project with experience, passion, and knowledge.  I look forward to working with him again. 

-Titus Fox, DoP

​

Working with Søren was a terrific experience. He has an amazing gift for imagining and visualizing the perfect shots for each scene, and the technical expertise for then creating them – efficiently and consistently. Equally important from my perspective as an actor: his professional demeanor and respect for the talent with whom he's working. Søren creates the perfect environment for eliciting from us our most honest and excellent work. It was an honor to have the opportunity to work with a young DP of this caliber early in his career, which will no doubt be stellar.

~ Debra Leigh, Actor: Love, Cary

Søren is the most talented filmmaker I ever had the opportunity to work with. He has great technical skills, as well as brilliant creative skills. Søren created ideal conditions for me as the director; I didn't have to worry about the camera and could completely concentrate on my actors and their performances. Søren loves his work and will without a doubt make it to the top.

~ Nicolai Schwierz, Director: Grey Sheep, Deserted Brothers

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"Søren is talented cinematographer with the ability to look at the whole picture and make sure it all fits together in the end. He is also a great communicator, I never had to worry about what was going on with camera because Søren was always working hard and anticipating future setups. Søren's willingness to collaborate also ensures that the film will be is best it can be. Equally important, he is a joy to have on set because of his ability to balance work with fun. "

- Shannon Marie Welch, Producer/1st AD, The Cypherian, @urFRENZ

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Søren's professionalism is only surpassed by his artistic vision. However, he is first and foremost a director's cinematographer. No shot is done without thought as to how it contributes to both the story and characters. His deep understanding of cinema allows him to not only create films with distinct visual styles, but capture the essence of the actors he's filming. Simply put, Søren will prove to be essential to even the most skilled directors.
- Sabrina Parke, Director: Love, Cary

​

I was fortunate enough to meet J. Søren Viuf through my producer, who had worked with him before. After a very productive discussion I was confident we had made a great choice in bringing him on board. On set, Søren’s professionalism and skilled eye for composition helped me to give the exact, if not, better look to my film. It was the first time that I felt I didn’t need to worry about the camera at all. I got to focus on my story and my actors, and I know the project benefited greatly from Søren’s imagination and creative thinking. I would highly recommend J. Søren Viuf as a DP, and intend to have him back on my set for any future projects.

-D.K. Johnston, Director: The Cypherian, Cause for Divorce

When it comes to picking a DP, my first choice is always Soren. He knows his equipment, but more importantly he knows story. For me, he's been an essential collaborator. He's always perceptive and brings new ideas to a project that have a tendency to enhance it. On set, he brings efficiency, professionalism, and a sense of humor - three things I feel are essential to keep a set running. Plus, the end product turns out beautifully. I'd be hard pressed to think of anything else I could ask out of a cinematographer.

- John Squire, Director: Safehouse, BUG

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“I worked with J. Søren Viuf on his film "THE VIGILANT" in March of 2007. The production took place in the Mojave desert, so it was a tough task for the entire crew. Søren's hard work, endurance, and anticipation was inspiring to work with and often pushed me and the others around me to give our best efforts. He works quickly, safely, efficiently, and after seeing the results, beautifully.”

- Nick Erickson, Director

"Søren and I have worked on over thirty productions together. I have worked with Søren more than anybody else. Besides the fact that he is very hard worker, his passion towards filmmaking/photography can be easily seen. I am not a person who believes in gift from birth. I believe that discipline and hard work makes the differences between success and failure. From his outstanding storytelling, cinematography, and photography, you can easily see how passionate he is and how hard he has been working towards his dream."

- Yuki Noguchi, Cinematographer/Director: Simplicity and Complication

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Having worked with Søren on several projects I can say he belongs to a
rare breed in this industry. He is incredibly talented and knowledgeable
while also humble and focused. On-time, prepared, and always professional
he is not only an great addition to any production or creative team, he is
an essential one.

- Tom Ptasinski, Director

​

"J. Søren Viuf is both artistically talented and exceptionally professional. While working on our shoot (which required us to shoot 26 pages in 3 days), he was indispensable in terms of his efficiency as well as his visual input; helping us stay on track while at the same making sure we got the best possible shots we could. Most importantly, he was an absolute pleasure to have on set, which you can not put any price tag on."

- William Savage, Director: Morning Departure

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"Having worked with Søren on several occasions, I have been particularly impressed at his tendency to shoot very few takes and his confidence to move on when he knows the shot is in the can."

- Dan Parsons, Director of Photography