The Poetry in the Flaws: Casper Balslev’s Love for the Imperfect
Casper Balslev is a Danish film director known for his compelling storytelling and distinctive visual style. He has directed commercial films worldwide for leading brands such as Audi, Renault, Mercedes, Volkswagen, LEGO, Heineken, Novo Nor disk, and Carlsberg, as well as helmed projects for cultural institutions like the Royal Danish Theatre and broadcasters including TV2 Denmark and DR Drama.
Beginning his career in photojournalism, Casper’s background in documentary, street and fashion photography shapes his authentic and cinematic approach. His early branded shorts for Danish clothing brand Han Kjøbenhavn gained recognition at the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase, marking a smooth transition into film directing.
Casper has collaborated with top global agencies including Mother New York, Forsman & Bodenfors, Wieden+Kennedy, Havas Paris, and Publicis Milan. He has received numerous accolades for his work including a Cannes Lions in Craft and a Eurobest Gold for Best Commercial Film Director.
Beyond advertising, Casper has directed music videos and worked with artists like Alt-J, IGGY POP, MØ, Marina & The Diamonds, and Seinabo Sey. His short films have been showcased at international festivals, and his feature documentary Ele na’s ‘Inner Fire’ was selected for the renowned CPH:DOX festival in 2022.
Since 2023, Casper has served as a creative director for the Danish heavy metal band, 802, directing short films that helped elevate the band internationally. Through his work for the band, he scored the Most Promising Act at the Danish Heavy Metal Awards and a UKMVA nomination.
Casper lives in Copenhagen with his three children and their French bulldog. Outside of filmmaking, he enjoys cooking, exploring nature and collecting vintage film posters.
He co-founded the Scandinavian production company New—Land and is now represented in the US by INSTITUTE.
Casper sat down with LBB to discuss his upcoming campaigns, his work with the Royal Danish Theatre, and his love for all things wacky and off-beat
Name: Casper Balslev
Location: LA/ Copenhagen
Repped by/in: Institute US/ new—land Europe
Awards: Gold direction Eurobest, Bronze Cannes lion, Gold Ciclope.
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Casper> I’m directing an anti-cannabis and driving campaign for the Danish Road Safety Council, combining real-life stories with animation, which is a bit on the trippy side.
I’m also working on an exciting campaign titled ‘The Last Letter' for Scandinavia’s postal service, PostNord and developing my debut feature film, a Danish modern crime neo-western – think ‘Fargo’, if you will. Hoping to shoot it next year.
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Casper> I love that any brand – big or small – has the power to craft and unleash bold, exciting campaigns. And as a visual storyteller, I’m inspired by the endless tools at my fingertips to bring those stories to life. I can develop an idea on the page with pre-viz AI tools, and shoot it with a good old 35mm kodak stock, to make it feel alive.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Casper> For me, a well-written and tightly-structured script dictates everything. It’s the foundation from which I direct a film. Every beat, detail, and emotion must already live on the page. I love the process of writing scripts – it’s where the entire vision begins to take shape.
I’m most excited by stories that open with a strong hook or world idea – something surprising, bold, or extreme. I love moments of dark humour, rich imagination, and unexpected turns. Maybe we open on a Mars landing gone wrong, or a monster squad stranded in a desert when their hearse runs out of power, or we open on a bloody boxing match knockout? Whatever it is, I want to feel that jolt from the very start.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Casper> I always develop the idea and script on paper before adding any visuals. If it works on paper, it will translate successfully in reality. It’s all about identifying the core essence of the idea.
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?
Casper> I always like to look into brands and their histories – where they come from and what they stand for. But sometimes, a script is just so good that it becomes a great idea on its own, regardless of which car brand or beverage it’s selling. My job is to make myself genuinely interested in a brand, even if only for a short while. Sometimes it feels like earning a BA or master’s degree in that brand – you dive deep and work with them intensively for three months.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Casper> The executive producer is always my closest partner on any production – or in landing any job. It’s a close collaboration from the moment the brief lands on my desk: through pitching, working with the agency, into production, and all the way to final delivery.
The cinematographer is another relationship I rely on deeply – my second brain on set, and my closest creative collaborator during the shoot. As well as someone I can share my frustrations with.
Then obviously the creatives and the agency behind it. We have to jump in the same boat and build a relationship on that.
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?
Casper> I love scripts and ideas that allow you to create visuals and moments that have never been seen before. I have done a lot more cultural stuff, like for the Royal Danish Theatre, which wanted campaigns rooted in reality. As a director with roots in photojournalism, I like stories that have heart and are inspired by life.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Casper> I believe my work contains more humour than people often realise. While I’ve made many dramatic and emotional films, I’ve also created a number of offbeat and wacky pieces, and I would genuinely love to explore more humour-driven projects. There’s an idiotic button in me that I’d love to press more often.
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
Casper> Yes. It was frustrating. We were already under budget pressure.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Casper> I once traveled to China to film with a live panda. We had all the necessary permissions, paperwork, and preparations in place – until we arrived in Chengdu. That’s when we ran headfirst into a level of bureaucracy I hadn’t known existed. We ended up staying nearly a week, navigating a maze of government officials, panda handlers, and competing interests. In the end, we secured the permit, but had only twenty minutes to shoot with the panda. Those brief moments became the live-action plate for a phone commercial.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Casper> I have been directing commercials for over 15 years. Receiving feedback can sometimes feel overwhelming, but more often than not, it is said to improve the outcome. Over the years, I have built up the experience to know when to push, when to listen, and when to simply just go with the flow.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?
Casper> I’m a founding partner of the Scandinavian production company new—land. Since our inception over 10 years ago, we have maintained a diverse roster with a nearly 50/50 split between men and women. We are committed to fostering diversity within our company, both among our directors and throughout production. Several of our directors’-assistants have ended up with great directing careers.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?
Casper> I’m a live-action director with an authentic eye from my photojournalistic background. Lately, I’ve been experimenting a lot with AI – for treatments, visual explorations, animatics, and pre-vis. It’s an amazing tool for that kind of work. But when it comes to true realism – humans, emotions, those little imperfections that make something feel alive – AI still has a long way to go.
That’s what I love: imperfection and the poetry in the flaws. I think we’ll see a wave of AI-driven work for a while, especially in commercials and filmmaking, but eventually people will always come back to what feels real – the true story, the human touch, the genuine expression.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best?
Casper> Copenhell ‘666 - Reasons to party’
I directed this film for the Danish metal music festival, Copenhell. It’s a fun piece of storytelling where I got to hit my inner idiot button by combining intense narratives with wacky characters and ideas. How often do you get to work with zombies?
Lego - ‘Build to unbuild’
This had a fun, lighthearted storyline about using Lego to destress from your hectic everyday life. It blended humorous storytelling with cinematic everyday scenarios, while authentically integrating VFX. We shot this in a studio backlot in Bulgaria, and had a great time recreating the vibe of a New York subway.
Alpine - ‘Go straight’
This car spot was clear on paper and in concept, and there were endless possibilities to shoot and tell the story. Initially, we considered making it part-animation, but I was brought in to develop it into live action on a relatively fast turnaround. We shot it over the course of a week in and around Paris, as well as in the Pyrenees mountains.
Royal Danish Theatre - Collected Experiences
When I first got the brief, it was fairly open: to ‘make a mashup compilation from The Royal Danish Theatre, including its many stages, genres, events, and workshops, taking place both in front of and behind the scenes.’
My approach was to compose a piece of music made up of all the sounds and visuals collected across the theatre. We spent a full week shooting and documenting every corner of the place, from grand performances to quiet backstage moments.
Editing it all together was like solving a massive Rubik’s Cube, it was intricate and layered, but one I found deeply rewarding. The result was truly unique and a rare opportunity to create a film like this.
