More than 40 original series. Over 60 seasons. Sales in more than 80 countries. Elisa Viihde original series like Arctic Circle and Summer of Sorrow have risen to the top of the Finnish cultural field during the past decade.
Underlying the success of Elisa Viihde’s original series are passion, professionalism and determined development. These characteristics are also clearly represented in Sari Lempiäinen, Executive Producer of Elisa Viihde original series.
Sari has had an extensive career in the creative field, working in several production companies before joining Elisa, where she is now in her fourth year. Her route to Elisa was not the most typical:
Sari had been “on the other side of the table”, working in a production company producing two original series that Elisa had ordered. In other words, Sari already had a good idea of what her work at Elisa would entail.
However, she couldn’t have predicted everything.
“Suddenly, I was working in an office surrounded by not just other producers or TV and film professionals, but a diverse group of professionals carrying out different business operations and different tasks, like marketing, communications, design, data analysis – you name it. It's a huge source of richness”, Sari explains.
“I get to challenge my own thinking in my everyday work – that's something I've really enjoyed about working for a big company”, she adds.
Although Elisa is one of Finland's leading technology companies, Sari says that it also offers a “land of opportunities” for people in creative field.
Elisa Viihde serves as a platform where technology and creative content meet.
Sari says that in discussions with production companies about producing series, more and more people are talking about the possibilities of new technologies. Elisa wants to be at the forefront of this.
“In the future, for example, we may be able to create worlds that previously only major Hollywood productions were capable of. When building something new, it's really important to make sure that we start using these new opportunities responsibly and with respecting and protecting copyright.”
“Someday, it will be possible for more and more people to create and make more diverse content accessible – it's a really great thing for all the professionals and audiences in the industry”, Sari says.
Elisa's artificial intelligence expertise is among the best in Finland, and Sari says that they are also utilising this expertise in the process of making Elisa Viihde original series.
For example, AI helps in pre-production when the team are making plans and searching for information, as well as in post-production, e.g. in creating various effects and image enhancements.
AI also removes some current limitations and can enable completely new kinds of creative dimensions that were previously unattainable: “With the help of AI, we could create, for example, shooting environments that look like outer space”, Sari explains.
However, you can’t have AI without the people. Sari points out that in artistic projects such as producing TV series, technology alone is not enough. You also need authenticity and humanity to create interesting and impactful drama. This comes from the professionals behind the technology, like Sari.
“Technology is a tool that helps us humans make content more interesting, spectacular and emotional.”
At the heart of producing any TV series is the people – the creators themselves, and the partners and customers that the content is created for. And in Sari's case, there’s a huge passion for what she does.
Sari is fascinated by the opportunity to bring together the views of people who look at things from different angles through her own work.
“I get to work with so many different kinds of people and see how the parts come together to create something that’s more than just the sum of those parts. It is always inspiring to see how an idea first develops into a script on paper and then into a finished series at the hands of dozens, if not hundreds, of professionals, as well as how the different phases of the work are carried out that help the series get to the point where customers can watch it.
“We all do this work for the customers. I do think that it is a matter of taking their needs into account on a broad scale, and in the end, the most important thing for me is that they are interested in the content we order”, Sari adds.
Sari's work is not lacking in versatility: in addition to her own role, she currently works as a substitute for a colleague on parental leave, with responsibility for the movie acquisitions for the Elisa Viihde movie rental service as well as for collaboration with international studios.
“In Finland, the quality is really good”, says Sari.
In her work, Sari sees this in continuous improvement: the ambition to make ever higher-quality drama and constantly reach new audiences.
The key to success has also been to create a diverse range of content, as well as to collaborate with top creators and actors. At the international level, the fascination is in exoticism.
“We are a small northern country, and we have our own mindset, which is interesting for other people. The Nordic nature is also an important part of our stories – Lapland, our forests and our thousands of lakes – these are fascinating to audiences far away”, Sari explains.
For example, All the Sins – the most internationally successful Elisa Viihde original series – is a great example of the power of Finnish locality in international success”, Sari says.
There is also a lot of research-based data in the background.
“We’re constantly studying what is being produced around the world to see if there are trends we need to follow, and at the same time, we are monitoring what people here in Finland are watching”, Sari says.
International collaboration is a big part of Sari's everyday work. The importance of human relationships cannot be underestimated in international series production. According to Sari, these relationships are the foundation on which successful, long-term collaboration is built.
This human dimension unites Finland and the world – and brings Finnish stories into the international cultural field.
“Elisa Viihde original series have a good reputation around the world, and hopefully it will benefit the entire domestic field of creators”, Sari says to sum things up.
Elisa Viihde original series are known for their diverse and compelling stories. However, the versatility is not limited to what is shown on the screen; it also extends behind the scenes, to Elisa’s team of creators.
Sari has been delighted to see the range of opportunities the company offers to creative professionals, and how she, as a creator herself, is constantly able to learn more from people with different backgrounds.
“There are a lot of opportunities here, and many tasks in the creative industry also intersect”, Sari says.
According to Sari, that is the magic of successful stories – they are born from being an Elisian: courage, versatile expertise and continuous learning.
Which Elisa Viihde original series has had the most memorable production process for Sari?
“The boring, politician's answer is: all of them, but in different ways.”
“One basic requirement of the job is to be able to keep your enthusiasm about the content you're producing. Elisa Viihde original series are also wonderfully diverse, with multi-phase production processes – from commissioning to release – so there are plenty of opportunities for memorable moments. That’s the absolute best part.”