sound & vision
creative hub
Gateway Studios
Our team
Project Coordinator
Dorina Marie Eldøy-Iversen
At Gateway Studios, Dorina orchestrates our projects with a blend of artistic finesse and meticulous coordination. With over two decades in cultural event production and 23 years as an experienced actor and musical artist, she is a tremendous resource and enrichment for our team. Dorina's impressive repertoire includes key roles in renowned theaters such as The Norwegian Theatre and Nordland Theatre, among others.
In 2020, Dorina embarked on an ambitious venture by founding Tonga Productions. This initiative reflects her commitment to the cultural sector with various events from intimate gatherings to large-scale productions. Among other things, she co-authored and acted in the music theater piece "The Sea", which premiered in 2023 to rave reviews, and won her the Sandefjord municipality's culture prize for her efforts. Dorina is simply an indispensable resource for Gateway Studios, playing a crucial role in shaping our cultural storytelling.
Head of Music Production
Espen Ramsli Fredriksen
Espen is the acting CEO and co-owner of Gateway Studios. He combines his creative background with solid leadership experience to drive the company's development and achievement of goals. Espen is known for his clear and effective communication, and he builds strong relationships with clients, partners, and employees. With many years of experience in music production, composition, and arranging for large projects, he has developed a balanced mix of artistic insight and business acumen. His deep understanding of industry demands and client expectations enables him to establish lasting and trusted relationships.
Sound Engineer, Music Producer, and Musician
Hans Tore Malum
Hans Tore is the technical operations manager at Gateway Studios, with a solid background as a maintenance technician and many years of experience as an electrician. He has developed strong technical expertise, combined with leadership and organisational skills, enabling him to handle complex projects efficiently. In addition, he has an education in sound and music, which gives him a unique ability to understand both the technical and creative sides of studio work. At Gateway Studios, Hans Tore ensures that all projects are delivered to the highest standard.
CEO
Heidi Thon
Heidi brings a diverse background and expertise to Gateway Studios. She has extensive experience in leadership, strategy, innovation, and marketing within tourism, creative industries, business, non-profit organizations, and global aid. She is educated at the University of Oslo, BI Norwegian Business School, and McGill University, and has also completed a leadership course in performance management and goal achievement at Harvard Business School. Heidi has held the role of CEO for nearly two years, and in addition to managing the day-to-day operations, she has developed the company both organizationally and financially. She has played a central role in shaping the strategic vision and creative direction for Gateway Studios and has been responsible for the project management of the construction of the new studio complex in Drammen. She is now, at her own request, transitioning into a role as a strategic advisor, where she will primarily focus on strategic business development, innovation, and sustainability.
Head of Sound Engineering and Post-Production
Jan Magnus Nymo
With 15 years of experience in the film and TV industry, Jan Magnus has acquired specialist competence and a very good reputation within all aspects of TV sound design. His skills include everything from location recording to dialogue editing and mixing final soundtracks. Jan Magnus has worked on a number of shows, including recent projects like "Dummedag" and "Superhero School" for NRK, as well as "Grandpa" for TV2.
Jan Magnus has a deep and intuitive understanding of storytelling through sound, and translates directors' visions into grand auditory experiences. He is known as a sympathetic, efficient, and adaptable guy who works well under pressure and in various environments and settings. He believes that most things can be solved with a positive and collaborative attitude, and in many ways represents everything we at Gateway Studios wish to appear as and be.
Executive Music Producer and CTO
Javed Kurd
Javed is a co-owner of Gateway Studios and a renowned music producer, mixer, and guitarist with over 30 years of experience in the music and entertainment industry. His career includes collaborations with artists such as Ingrid Bjørnov, Jahn Teigen, DDE, The Monroes, KORK, Aurora, and Bill Champlin (Chicago), and he has been heavily involved in music production and further development of TV formats like “Beat for Beat”, "The Voice", "Melodi Grand Prix", and "IDOL"
Javed has also been the music director, arranger, and/or conductor on the biggest theater stages in Norway, like "West Side Story" at Oslo Nye Teater, «Markus og Julie» at Trøndelag Teater, and «90-metersbakken» at Teatret Vårt. He has contributed as a musician on theater productions like “Hair” and “The Singing Miss Detective”, has extensive experience from event productions as musical director, and has been a key supporter as a musician on Ingrid Bjørnov's award-winning shows.
Throughout his career, he has contributed to over 100 album releases, either as a producer, mixer, composer, arranger, or musician.
Javed's composition talent has also resulted in popular opening vignettes for shows like "Nytt På Nytt" and “Beat for Beat”. He is widely known for his precision and attention to detail, and his experience across genres and artist expressions always adds a unique, creative touch to every project he is involved in.
Event coordinator
Konrad Haga
Konrad grew up in a family deeply rooted in culture and was exposed to all forms of it from a young age. He started early on the theatre stage but soon realised that it was behind the scenes where he felt most at home, where he could contribute to the production itself. When Konrad moved to Trondheim, he quickly became an active contributor to Studentersamfundet. Here, he helped lead and produce Trondheim’s largest concerts and events. Over time, he found his niche and began working as a booker and production manager at Havet Arena in Trondheim, a major new cultural venue in the city. Now, he has moved back to the capital and has joined the Gateway Studios team, which we are very excited about! As an event coordinator, Konrad helps ensure that our productions and events are delivered with top quality.
Sound Designer & Sound Engineer
Lars Kjellberg
Since 2015, Lars has completed his apprenticeship and further development under the competence and leadership of Javed Kurd, becoming a central part of the sound team at Gateway Studios. His expertise in post-production of sound and sound design has contributed to the success of popular TV shows like "Norway's Got Talent", "Maskorama", and "The Voice". In addition, he has worked on sound design for films and mixing for live shows, including "Good Morning Norway" and Premier League broadcasts.
As a music supervisor for "Norway's Got Talent" and recording technician alongside Javed Kurd, Lars has worked with artists like Ingrid Bjørnov and TOBB.
Head of Studios & Executive Producer
Magnus Due-Tønnessen
As Head of Studio and Executive Producer, Magnus ensures that all our clients enjoy a seamless experience from start to finish.
Due-Tønnessen is a highly respected figure in the Norwegian TV industry, with over 20 years of experience from some of Norway's largest production companies.
He served as COO of Fremantle Norway for nearly ten years, a company he co-founded in 2014 with Petter Testmann-Koch. He also has a background with Dinamo, where he held key roles in productions like Eurovision Song Contest, Gullruten, the Amanda Awards, and the Nobel Peace Prize Concert.
Magnus brings unique expertise and extensive experience in both management and production within TV and entertainment, nationally and internationally, making a strong contribution to advancing our focus areas and continued expansion.
Head of Event & TV Studios
May Kristin Krispersen
May Kristin's journey at Gateway Studios is proof that creativity, skill, and dedicated work can shape a person towards more responsibility and leadership. She holds a bachelor's degree in music and is a versatile singer and artist who has made her mark, both on stage and behind the scenes. In recent years, May Kristin has built a reputation as one of Norway's leading vocal coaches, helping professional artists as well as aspiring talents on their path to an artist career.
As the head of our TV studios, May Kristin brings professionalism, friendliness, and order to artists and customers. She ensures that public events and TV productions are conducted in a welcoming, safe, and predictable manner. May Kristin envisions Gateway Studios as something more than TV studios; she aims to build a vibrant community center. By opening doors to conferences, concerts, and art exhibitions, she strives to showcase our work and resources to a wider audience, to promote collaboration and to contribute to building up emerging talents. Through openness and collaboration, May Kristin aims to make Gateway Studios a vital force in shaping Norway's cultural landscape.
Technical Operations Manager
Njål Honohan
Njål had a visible presence on stage in his younger years as a boy chorister/soloist in five opera productions and one theatre production. After an apparent voice change during the dress rehearsal of Brundibár at Vestbanen, Njål stepped back from performing – and can now be found behind the stage curtain. He has broad professional experience, including in security and technical roles, and has also spent 10 years working in the festival industry, including for Tons of Rock, Slottsfjell, and Øya. Since 2017, Njål has been part of the Starworks/Taran team, and in 2019, he stepped into the role of stage manager. As the technical operations manager here at Gateway Studios, Njål’s wide-ranging experience, expertise, and good humour fit perfectly with the rest of the team!
Event & Production Coordinator
Oda Nedberg Helberg
Oda has an impressive and unusual combination of artistic and academic background - with a law degree and extensive experience in ballet dancing, musical training, and acting. At a young age, she was accepted at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance in London, and later continued her education at Bårdar Academy while studying management at the University of Agder. She recently achieved her new goal of graduating from law school.
Her experience and personality make her a valuable asset to our team. With her broad background in performing arts and law, and with a keen eye for details, she combines creativity and precision in event planning and execution. Previous roles have undoubtedly helped develop her leadership and organizational skills, which she now uses to coordinate and execute events smoothly and successfully.
Head of Communication and Sales
Synneva Erland
As the head of communication and sales at Gateway Studios, Synneva brings a strong combination of strategic communication skills and business understanding. With 12 years at the helm of her own communications company and experience advising national and international companies, she has both knowledge and a great passion for promoting a culture of learning, growth, and innovation.
Synneva is inspired by collaboration, sharing culture, and by people who are engaged and curious. Meaningful discussions and conversations lead to new insights and development. As the head of communication and sales, Synneva aims to contribute to further developing the good culture at Gateway Studios.
Synneva is trained as a singer and actress, and is recognized as one of Norway's leading speakers and conference hosts. In addition, she has taken several leadership courses at BI Norwegian Business School and is certified in leadership recruitment.
Synneva's combination of creative talent and strategic insight is crucial for our mission to build strong customer relationships and drive Gateway Studios towards success.
COO
Åsmund Knutson
Åsmund is a co-owner and our visionary network builder. He sees connections and collaborations across traditional lines, and dares to challenge existing practices in collaboration with customers and partners. With responsibility for sales, customer care, and strategic partnerships, Åsmund ensures efficiency and profitability for our studios, products, and services. His background as a drummer for shows like "The Voice" and "Beat for Beat" gives him a unique artist perspective, contributing to a broad understanding of customer needs. Åsmund values the interaction between people, and promotes well-being and a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Billie
Comfort and Distraction Director 🐶
Billie
Comfort and Distraction Director 🐶
Bilder for Gateway Studios: Kasia Kowalczyk, Heidi Thon, Torbjørn Tandberg, Pia Sønstrød, Jan Magnus Nymo
Our philosophy
At Gateway Studios, our foremost ambition is to make the customer and audience happy. Through professionalism and a yes-mentality, we will ensure that large and small productions and projects are carried out with pride and an eye for detail. We aim to be the first choice for our customers, both in Norway and internationally.
We believe in clear and effective communication, a proactive approach to every project, and personalized customization for each individual customer. We will work to promote collaboration, strengthen mutual growth, and contribute to sparking innovation throughout the creative industry. In a time of frequent changes, where markets and competition are increasingly global, we will be active drivers.
We will collaborate with, and challenge politicians and professional environments, to influence future conditions and frameworks for our industry. We invite you to be part of this exciting journey.
Sustainability
For Gateway Studios, sustainability has been a central part of the strategy from the beginning. Our commitment to sustainable operations is an integral part of our business. We seek to achieve these goals through long-term priorities and strategic actions. Some sub-goals can be achieved alone, while in several contexts they are part of a larger whole through actions and collaboration with others, primarily our customers, the business community, and the public sector. We have selected three of the UN’s sustainability goals as our priority goals:
Decent work and economic growth
At Gateway Studios, we have made a conscious choice to promote decent working conditions in an industry that relies on freelancers and temporarily contracted workers. We aim to offer stable and competitive employment contracts and work for inclusion and diversity in the workplace. This also includes trainees/students and job training for people with special needs.
Sustainable cities and communities
Together with Bærum and Drammen municipalities, we have engaged in contributing to sustainable local communities. Fornebu in Bærum and Tangen in Drammen are major urban development projects, and both are defined as zero-emission areas. Here, we are in dialogue with the respective municipalities about solutions with public transport, electric scooters, and bike paths, so that we reduce car traffic to our studios. We are aware that we operate in an energy-intensive industry, and have therefore initiated an inquiry in Drammen about the study of power intermediation for larger events and TV productions, to limit the peaks in power consumption.
Responsible consumption and production
Gateway Studios seeks to promote responsible consumption and production, and works among other things with proposals for practical measures such as selling audience tickets with public transport included, to reduce car use and parking challenges. In addition, we actively work with recycling, as well as prioritizing reusing technological equipment and furniture to reduce our environmental footprint.
Investing in in-house audio and video editing will drastically reduce the climate footprint, and eliminate the need for large, polluting TV buses. In-house technology will also reduce the need for personnel transport, lower energy consumption, and reduce the need for space.
Furthermore, we wish to invest in suitable studios adapted for virtual TV and film production. Here, environmental impact is reduced by eliminating the need for transport of large film crews and actors to difficult-to-access or vulnerable shooting locations, with significant emissions and environmental benefits as a result. Digital backdrops also contribute to reducing resource use and waste, which in turn provides cost-effective and flexible solutions.
