sound & vision
creative hub
Gateway Studios
Our team
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's role beyond daily management and operations primarily involves shaping the strategic vision and creative direction for Gateway Studios. She aims to develop and expand Gateway Studios’ competence and engagement as a forward-looking and innovative organization that dares to go its own way and explore unconventional solutions and opportunities. In a time of frequent changes, where technology offers unprecedented opportunities, it also brings ethical and business challenges. In a market where competition is increasingly global, she wishes to contribute to influencing future conditions and frameworks for the creative industry in Norway.
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.
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.
Head of Music Production
Espen Ramsli Fredriksen
Espen is a co-owner of the company and an experienced music producer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator. His projects range from the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra, TV shows like "Dancing with the Stars", various artists to game projects, including "Warhammer 3." Espen's expertise spans different genres, and he is able to create tailor-made compositions that match any style and expression. He always focuses on the customer and interprets and transforms their ideas into captivating, original music. Espen values collaboration and is dedicated to creating music that not only captures attention but also resonates deeply, with rich melodies, creative arrangements, and a clear focus on detail.
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.
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 & 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 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.
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.
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.
Marketing and Engagement Coordinator
Kasia Kowalczyk
Kasia is our vibrant marketing and engagement coordinator. Her education in Visual Merchandising from Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design forms the foundation of her creative expertise. Kasia has several years of experience as a freelance graphic designer, photographer, and interior designer. Her strength lies in leveraging visual storytelling and engaging content to capture our target audiences. Kasia's perspective on brand storytelling through design and visual content is inspiring and contributes to promoting Gateway Studios' vision in the ever-evolving landscape of media and entertainment.
Sound Engineer, Music Producer, and Musician
Henrik Richardson Fossum
Henrik, our dynamic sound engineer and musician, brings a unique combination of experience and expertise to Gateway Studios. He is a trained drummer from the Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford, UK, and has worked with personalities like Paul Stacey.
His career includes collaborations on "Stand Up" by PBUG and participation in Ronni Le Tekrø's "Kingdom Of Norway" project. Henrik's versatility is evident in his work with artists like PB Underground and Lola’s Day Off. As a dedicated sound engineer and musician, Henrik's distinct rhythm and sound technical expertise significantly contribute to the diverse projects at Gateway Studios.
Head of Podcast
Line Gevelt Andersen
Line, leading our podcast initiative, has extensive experience from her time as editor and host at NRK. In 2021-2022, she contributed to the growth of NRK's podcast department.
Line has broad expertise in program management and control, as well as concept development. She has a vision to develop engaging podcasts, focusing on quality, compelling narratives, and a connection to the audience. Line will ensure that our podcasts not only capture listeners' attention but also set the agenda and spark debate.
Billie
Comfort and Distraction Director 🐶
Billie
Comfort and Distraction Director 🐶
Pictures for Gateway Studios: Kasia Kowalczyk
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.
