From slope videos to a million-euro business

The story of Flatlight Creative House began with skateboarding in the early 2000s, as the company founder Miikka Niemi rolled behind his friends with a VHS camera on his shoulder.

In 2017, Flatlight’s own Finland 100 project 100 Moods from Finland will take viewers on a virtual trip through a hundred Finnish landscapes shot with 360 technology.

The company will also carry out a worldwide tour where viewers can ‘teleport’ themselves to locations such as the top of a fell by stepping into a space filled with video projections.  The Arctic know-how of this Northern production company is a major asset.

The fact that the company comes from Lapland is important to Niemi. He says that being from Lapland is both an identity and an attitude. It means fulfilling your promises and doing everything as well as possible. Especially when viewed from an international perspective, the northern location is very beneficial.

“Our backyard is Lapland with all four seasons, and that’s what separates us from the rest. If we’re in, say, Cannes, the fact a company like ours comes from Rovaniemi and not Helsinki generates more interest.”

Managing Director Niemi still shows the same kind of curiosity and enthusiasm in his work as he did a decade ago. Developing something new and stepping outside of your comfort zone is inspiring. Niemi strives to think about the company’s possibilities on an international scale, while keeping his focus close.