Shetland Producer Louise Say Visits Mid-Norway to Share Regional Production Insights

Producer Louise Say, best known for the internationally acclaimed BBC drama Shetland, recently travelled to Mid-Norway’s Trøndelag region to share her experience producing high-end television drama in regional locations.

Stretching from the rugged Atlantic coastline, with its wild islands and small fishing communities, to breathtaking landscapes of fjords, forests, rivers and snow-covered mountain ranges, Trøndelag offers a striking variety of natural settings.

Shetland and Trøndelag: two coastal regions on either side of the North Sea, closer than many might think and connected by shared landscapes and storytelling tradition.

The international success series Shetland, which is both geographically and visually closer to Norway than London, has a particularly strong amongst its Nordic neighbours. The newest season will premiere on NRK on March 27th as part of the national broadcaster’s traditional Easter crime programming.

In addition to Shetland, Say has worked on major productions including Les Misérables and Dracula for BBC and Netflix, alongside a long career in documentary filmmaking.

Collaboration Between Screen Scotland and Midgard Film Commission

The visit grew out of collaboration between Midgard Film Commission Norway and Screen Scotland. After Scotland was recently highlighted as Country in Focus by the Nordic Film Commissions, Solveig Ræstad, Head of Midgard Film Commission, reached out to Cheryl Conway, Head of Screen Commission at Screen Scotland, to ask if they could recommend someone from the Shetland production to share their experience of producing a major TV drama in a remote location.

She recommendation producer Louise V Say, who was subsequently invited to Trondheim to give a masterclass at the Mid Norway Film Center´s industry programme connected to the Kosmorama Trondheim International Film Festival.

Masterclass with Louise Say - Photo: Hallvar Bugge Johnsen Midgard Film Commission — Q&A between film commissioner Solveig Sigmond Ræstad and Louise Say – Photo: Hallvar Bugge Johnsen Midgard Film Commission

Masterclass with Louise Say — Louise Say held an engaging masteclass – Photo: Hallvar Bugge Johnsen Midgard Film Commission

In her masterclass Say shared insights from producing Shetland, one of the BBC’s most successful returning drama series internationally, filmed in the remote landscape of the Shetland Islands.

Her presentation focused on the realities of producing large-scale television drama outside major urban centres — from logistics and collaboration with local communities to building regional crew and production capacity.

The Q&A session following the masterclass explored regional production models, international competition for productions and the importance of predictable incentive systems.

By sharing experiences from Shetland, the visit offered valuable insight into how strong local identity, landscapes and communities can play an important role in internationally successful television drama.

– Louise Say’s visit highlights the growing dialogue between screen organisations in Scotland and Norway and the shared interest in developing sustainable production environments outside major cities, points the Midgard Film Commissioner Solveig Ræstad out.

Film Music in Trondheim

During her visit to Trondheim, Louise Say also visited Øra Studio, a recording studio that has increasingly been used for film music projects. Through the initiative Norwegian Film Music, Trondheim has in recent years begun to position itself as a place for recording film scores.

The city has a strong musical environment, including ensembles such as the internationally recognised Trondheim Soloists, as well as a large community of composers and musicians. Øra Studio is also exploring possibilities for further developing its recording facilities.

Louise V Say and Studio manager Oda Aaring at Øra studio, which has increasingly been used for orchestral and film music projects.

Exploring the region

Røros

As part of the visit, Say travelled through several parts of Trøndelag County, a vast region that spans from inland mountain landscapes along the Swedish border to the exposed islands and coastline of the Atlantic Sea.

Røros is an UNESCO World Heritage mining town known for its preserved wooden architecture from the 18th century and distinctive winter landscapes. The town and surrounding landscapes have a strong screen history and have featured in productions including Netflix’s Home for Christmas, HBO Europe’s Welcome to Utmark, and – going further back – the 1973 film A Doll’s House starring Jane Fonda.

For Say, the visit left a strong impression. Having worked in many striking locations throughout her career, she described Røros as a place that truly stands out — noting that she has seen many beautiful places, but that Røros felt “really special.”

Louise Say in Røros - Photo: Solveig Sigmond Ræstad — At the frozen river by the old copper works in in the mining village of Røros – Photo: Solveig Sigmond Ræstad

Louise Say and Film coordinator at Røros Eli Riset — Louise Say and Film coordinator at Røros, Eli Riset – Photo: Solveig Sigmond Ræstad

Røros- Photo: Solveig Sigmond Ræstad — Røros is known for its preserved wooden architecture from the 18th century and distinctive winter landscapes- Photo: Solveig Sigmond Ræstad

Frøya Islands

The visit also included Frøya Islands, where Say experienced the dramatic Atlantic coastline together with Mona Strømskag, the municipality’s film coordinator. During the visit, she met Mayor Kristin Furunes Strømskag, Deputy Mayor Ole Morten Sørvig, and representatives from the municipality’s cultural administration to discuss how screen production can contribute to regional development.

In recent years, Frøya and Midgard Film Commission have gained international recognition for their successful strategy to position the island as a film-friendly destination. This work was recognized with the EUFCN Location Award 2024, presented at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2025, making Frøya the first Norwegian location to receive the prize. Frøya and Midgard Film Commission later on surpassed this by winning the Global Production Award for Emerging Location in Cannes.

The municipality’s film strategy has since 2020 attracted several productions to the island, including Nordisk Film Production’s Everybody Hates Johan, Spætt Film’s Norwegian Dream, 74 Entertainment’s Gold Run (Gulltransporten)for Viaplay, and the Netflix series Billionaire Island, produced by Rubicon TV.

Recently Frøya has hosted the upcoming drama series Rinnan, produced by Miso Film Norway in collaboration with Blaane Film for Amazon Prime Video and TV 2.

For a producer accustomed to filming in the windswept landscapes of the Shetland Islands, the rugged coastal environment of Trøndelag felt instantly familiar, Say noted — made even more compelling by learning about the municipality’s ambitious film strategy.