Our clients are keen to embrace new technologies for image capture and SGO is always on the ball to make sure Mistika can work with these as soon as possible. Haavard Albertsen, Senior Mistika Grading / VFX Artist, Hocus Focus
The crew at Hocus Focus are extremely skilled and talented. What they do is a work-of-art.
Director Michael Pfleghar
Hocus Focus has been described as one of the industrys most creative and dynamic boutique post houses.Attracting international and local high-profile clientele, it is an inspiring example of how a small organisation can punch above its weight, win business and make money, with Mistika firmly part of its business model. Equipped with the latest Mistika technology and creative expertise, the company offers competitive services and facilities for every stage of the production process delivering stunning results across commercials, film and television drama and documentaries.View their latest reel herehttps://vimeo.com/155095528/604f4f625f
Well-established for over a decade, Hocus Focus is a leading state-of-the-art post production house located in the heart of Oslo. With stunning premises, the company hosts comfortable stylish suites for offline, online, VFX, grading, S3D, DCP right through to sound design. An additional Executive VIP Mistika Grading Suite is also available, suitable for larger projects, and is situated just outside of Oslo in a tranquil setting in Karljohansvern, complete with ocean view and meeting rooms. (See more here http://hocusfocus.no/out-of-oslo)
Director Michael Pfleghar, a key Hocus Focus client states, As a director I calculate how I do a scene based on the possibilities of post production. I was introduced to the Mistika system by Haavard Albertsen, senior Mistika operator at Hocus Focus in Norway. The treatments I write are also based on my experience and knowledge working with the Mistika operators at Hocus Focus. What you can do with the system is endless as long as you have the creativity and experience to make your visions come true. I always feel safe working with this system and the quality of the end result, makes it hard to tell - even for the trained eye, if it s a real shot on film or worked on by Mistika. Having a great system also needs great operators to run it. The crew at Hocus Focus are extremely skilled and talented. What they do is a work-of-art.
Managing Director, Lene Cathrine Albertsen says, Our philosophy has always been to enhance the clients vision and add extra magic into the final product. She adds, Since the very start of the Company, we have used Mistika as our main tool for colour grading, visual effects, compositing and DCP mastering. Having four Mistika systems set-up in one building, and one in Karljohansvern, enables multiple rooms to be used on one project. Lene Cathrine expands further, A client-attended grade can be happening in one suite while another suite can be used to create titles, VFX or additional roto-scoping tasks for effects or colour grading at the same time. We also embrace the flexibility of Mistika and its incredible ability to create scripts to perform tasks specific to our or our clients needs. Lene talks about Mistika at Hocus Focus, watch the video here
Hocus Focus is made up of an exceptional team of talented people, including Haavard Albertsen who is one of the most experienced Mistika artists in the world. Haavard thinks and breathes images around the clock and is deeply passionate about his work. He is one of the markets leading Mistika operators, with a wealth of knowledge accumulated over more than 15 years in the media sector. Today, Hocus Focus has four Mistika suites with operators that have all been trained by Haavard, with new interns currently in training to be future Mistika experts themselves.
Haavard comments on SGOs Mistika technology, and the future outlook at Hocus Focus As a creative tool, Mistika has always been at the centre of the Hocus Focus workflow. The quality and power of both VFX tools, combined with next-generation colour grading, makes Mistika the most powerful platform in the business. It gives you an unlimited way of solving your problems within ONE system. There is no need for export/import into the room next door. It's a magic box which gives me the ability to have a lot of tricks up my sleeve.
Haavard continues, Our clients are keen to embrace new technologies for image capture and SGO is always on the ball to make sure Mistika can work with these as soon as possible. We also support, where relevant, the use of S3D in various productions in Norway, as we have the confidence in Mistikas capabilities in all formats and resolutions, so there is nothing we cannot do for our clients. The Mistika platform has always been an extremely reliable and powerful resource for the high quality of work required to meet client demand. Watch the latest Julie Bergan music video titled All Hours that Haavard graded beautifully in Mistika. http://hocusfocus.no/archives/4654
Bengt Ove Sannes, who has been the Senior Mistika Operator/ VFX / Technical Manager at Hocus Focus for the past ten years, and is still working with the company on a consulting basis as a technical advisor, remarks,
The openness of Mistika and its Linux platform makes it easy to connect to other tools and systems. This means Hocus Focus can optimise both acquisition and mastering tasks, both to save time and avoid human errors.
Bengt, who is also a Mistika Freelance Operator adds, As a long time Mistika user, Im really spoiled when it comes to speed. The timeline approach to nodes means effects and elements can be moved around quickly, and the extreme performance makes in-session-rendering a thing of the past.
Producer Ole-Arild Svendsensays, Hocus Focus is such a fun and busy company to be a part of, approachable, inviting and also highly profession










