Meet Truls

We had the good fortune of connecting with Truls and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Truls, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I was always an active kid, but I never found something I was truly passionate about until I got my first DSLR as a gift. I became completely hooked on learning everything about cameras and spent all my free time experimenting and teaching myself. This was something that I litterlary couldn’t stop doing without getting restless.

I started freelancing in Norway while still in school, and eventually decided to take the leap and attend film school in Los Angeles. Since then, I’ve stayed here shooting. Filmmaking is about sharing stories that need to be seen and felt in my opinion.

Lately my focus has shifted towards the ocean. It’s such a vulnerable and under-covered part of our planet. Most of the time when you see it in the media, it’s tied to climate change or bad news. I believe the best way to make people care is to first make them excited. That’s really what drives me now, using film to spark that excitement and inspire people to care. Not only in the water, but on land based narrative projects and docs aswell.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a cinematographer, my job is to tell a story through visuals, and I’m always looking for the most honest, efficient way to do it. Some DPs pull ideas from other films, photos or paintings, but I’m most inspired by the world around me. I’ll notice how a full moon cuts through my south-facing window or how a streetlight blends with a hazy morning sun. My phone is full of quick snaps of moments like that, little lighting studies I can draw from later.

I also bring a unique perspective from my love of the ocean. Underwater, there are only a few colors and a very specific way light moves. Translating those qualities, soft diffusion, subtle color contrasts etc, into land-based projects gives my work a different texture.

Getting here wasn’t easy. When I moved to LA, I had no network and no track record. No one in this industry hands you opportunities.. You have to create them. Film school was my launchpad. I met other driven filmmakers, and together we shot something nearly every weekend, always for free. The school let us borrow gear, so we just kept creating. Those countless projects gave me real-world experience and helped me build lasting relationships.

If there is one thing I have learned, it is that persistence and collaboration matter more than anything. I want people to know that my work is about curiosity and capturing or recreating the small, fleeting moments of light and action that tell a bigger story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think one of the most unique things about LA is how closely intertwined it is with the film industry. There are so many fun and different ways to experience movies here, so I’d definitely take my friend to a few of them. Some of my favorites are the screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and catching classic films at the New Beverly Cinema.

I’d also insist on a dive trip to Catalina or Anacapa. Veterans Park in Redondo Beach is nice too, but the wildlife at the islands is on another level.

For food, I’d take my friend to The Formosa, the vibe there is just magical. And for drinks, we’d have to end up at my local spot, Brickyard in Hollywood. I love how it feels like a true neighborhood bar, even though it’s right next to the chaos of Hollywood Boulevard. It’s tucked away from all the tourists, and it’s the perfect place to hang out and shoot a few games of pool.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I feel like there are so many people I would like to shoutout, from mentor, teachers, people I’ve come to work very closly with proffesionally, that are currently some of my best friends. But I think it would be hard not to choose my parents (even though it might sound like a cliche).

I know I chose a very unconvential path for work and art, but they have always been encouraging and believed in me (or at least shown that they do). Even moving to LA from Norway, all by myself without knowing anyone in the US, something I know they were skeptical about, they only gave me advise and support. They are trying really hard to understand the buisiness of the film industry, even though it is so far from their life and experiences.

Website: https://trulsvalenaasland.com

Instagram: @trulsva