Klas Eriksson
Bachelor of Media Arts (Moving Image)
First job after graduation: App designer at MEA Mobile
Occupation: Director and writer at Makers Only
Filmmaker and designer Klas Eriksson has kept himself busy since graduating from Wintec. He spent three years designing smartphone apps for NZ company MEA Mobile, freelanced full-time as a designer and TV/video director, and has co-founded a production company called Makers Only.
He regularly draws on the ‘second-nature’ production processes he learned during his Bachelor of Media Arts study. Klas’ favourite aspect of the degree was the mix between theory and practice, he says. “In moving image, the lecturer would always show us these great films and we’d talk about what makes them great, the techniques used, and then you got to go out and apply that to your own work. That was perfect for my particular process.”
After completing the degree, Klas worked at MEA Mobile as lead creative based in Singapore. An early highlight was the success of MEA app iSupr8. “It’s a great feeling to know that so many people are using something I made to make creative work of their own.”
Other notable projects in Singapore included directing a Movember Campaign, which received a Moscar award, and the History Channel Documentary ‘Remembering Jaywick’, about WWII operation Jaywick. Klas also directed commercial work for Volvo, Starhub, GlaxoSmithKline and the Thai Tourism board. He enjoys feeling the quality of the work improving with each project. “As a result, people trust you with more and more money to make them stuff,” he says. “The quality of your work and your ability to collaborate with other people is all that really matters in the real world.”
In Stockholm, where he’s now based, Klas started up a production company and creative studio with two friends from high school. ‘Makers Only’ specialises in live action production and animation and also assists with creative strategy and branding. The company is busy and going well, he says. Klas’ directing work continues, heading projects such as APAC campaign for Schick Razors, and the Global Asthma Awareness #spacetobreathe campaign for Electrolux. At the time of writing, he was in post-production on a documentary about climate change and its impact on the indigenous Sami population of northern Sweden.
