Creator Highlight: Henrik Ringnér
DIRECTING A DREAM.
Between busy schedules, we sat down with Henrik Ringnér and spoke about the difficulties of following your gut, dreaming big and looking in the rear view mirror.
Q: First off, who is Henrik Ringnér?
Henrik: Oh wow, that’s a big question! Well, I’m in my thirties, and I’ve spent a lot of time filming F1 content that’s super inspired by cinema and music. I’m really into storytelling, and I love when people open up about their experiences and what they’ve been through. That has shaped a lot of where I’ve ended up.
These days I’m based in Stockholm, but I’ve traveled all over, worked a lot in sports, mainly F1, as many people know and I’ve been lucky enough to build a platform together with some top athletes.
"I think I can do this"
Q: How did you get into what you’re doing now?
Henrik: In school I was really into math and physics, but when I graduated I had this moment of, “Okay… what do I actually do now?” My plan was always to move to Lund for university, but then I saw Crash (2004) and one of my dad’s favorite movies, Once Upon a Time in the West, and everything changed. Those films just hit me with this “wow” feeling, and they stuck with me for days, weeks, even months. I didn’t really know why at the time.
Then I got cast as an extra in a short film that was being shot in Skåne, Sweden, and that was the first time I ever stepped onto a film set. There were like 40–50 people all working together, and I remember thinking, “Woah… this is what it’s like? Maybe I actually want to be behind the camera, not in front of it.” Right after that, I bought my first camera.
I started filming my friends, doing little skits, going on trips, and eventually landed my first gig shooting an aftermovie for an event in Skåne. Two years later, I got a part-time job at Sony Mobile as a video editor, also creating some content, and that’s when I thought, “Shit, I think I can really do this. Maybe I should just go all in.”
Q: And how old were you then?
Henrik: I was like 19, maybe 20 or 21, I don’t remember exactly. But it was about two years after I first picked up a camera. It wasn’t until that moment at Sony Mobile that I realized I could actually work with something that felt fun. School and all the jobs I had before never gave me that feeling. Looking back now, the younger me would never have believed we would end up here today.
Q: Do you ever need to pinch yourself to see if it was all a dream?
Henrik: Oh yeah, for sure.
A couple of years ago I was in Lund, Skåne, giving a lecture on F1—but it turned into me talking about how I got into that world and, eventually, how I ended up standing there giving that talk. It became this whole meta thing, because ten years earlier I would’ve been in that same crowd, listening and looking for inspiration.
So in a way, it felt like I was talking directly to my younger self. That was definitely a big “pinch me” moment.
Q: If you could meet that younger version of you, what would you tell him?
Henrik: I’d tell him, “You’re doing the right thing.” All those thoughts like, “I’m not good enough,” “Will I get another gig after this one?” “Am I creative enough?”, I still have those today. The difference now is that they’re just packaged differently. There will always be these thoughts that try to slow you down. The most important thing is to remind yourself every day of the goal you’re working toward. At the end of the day, I still have the same doubts I had when I started, I’ve just learned how to handle them better.
Q: Speaking of worries, something a lot of creatives struggle with is burnout or creative block. Have you experienced that?
Henrik: I haven’t really talked about this before, but when I decided to officially leave McLaren, that was a really tough call. Mainly because it gave me such a platform, not necessarily as “Henrik Ringnér”, but for the F1 audience. These are people who are insanely passionate about the sport, the teams, the drivers. And with that comes really high expectations.
I started right before Drive to Survive launched on Netflix, so the sport was about to explode. I was definitely in the right place at the right time. So why would I ever want to leave that? I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities I had and for the team taking a chance on me. I was even offered the role of being a dedicated creator for one specific driver. But in my heart, I’ve always wanted to work in film and cinema, making movies, series, documentaries. I want to write, direct, and be part of big projects. And the truth is, I just couldn’t see a path toward that dream if I stayed in F1.
So I had to ask myself some tough questions: If I stay here for five more years, where will that take me? Can I keep growing creatively? What’s missing that I can add? And honestly, the list was really short. I hit a personal crossroads. I thought, In ten years, where do I want to be? And the answer wasn’t “content creator in F1.” So, I made the decision to leave.
Of course, there was a lot of anxiety and uncertainty around it. What helped me was talking with friends and family, mapping out different outcomes, and realizing I had to take the leap. Looking back now, I’m really glad I did, because I’m moving in a direction that feels true to me and makes me excited for the future.
Q: Let’s change gear and do some rapid fire. Favorite camera right now?
Henrik: Olympus MJUI-I
Q: Most overrated camera item?
Henrik: The camera body.
Q: Most underrated camera item?
Henrik: A good SD card. You should never have to worry about memory.
Q: You have to choose - analogue or digital?
Henrik: Analogue.
Q: You get one least meal - what is getting served?
Henrik: Pancakes, made by Mom.
Q: Best place you visited and why.
Henrik: Japan. Kyoto if I have to be specific. As a swede, it feels like you get transported into a different world. I love it.
Q: Favourite airport and why.
Henrik: Hongkong. I have some fond memories from there where i edited some videos from the Australian GP.
Q: Favourite artist/band?
Henrik: Norah Jones
Q: You are on a roadtrip with your closest friends - what song do you put on?
Henrik: Kavinsky - Nightcall or M83 - Midnight City.
Q: If you could work with anyone in the world - who is that person?
Henrik: Denis Villeneuve
Q: Most unexpected DM you've ever gotten?
Henrik: Charles Leclerc in 2021.
Q: What's the last thing you pack for a trip?
Henrik: Clothes. Gear first!
Q: What's something you always forget to pack?
Henrik: A book, because I can never fit one but I always wish I have one.
Q: Let’s move on. What would you say is the most underrated thing about being a creative?
Henrik: Ouff, good question. Honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is your instinct and trusting your taste. If you like something, you don’t always need to explain why. It’s just your gut feeling. It’s so easy to overthink and start bringing in strategy, logic, or trends, but at the end of the day, your instinct is the strongest tool you’ve got. And for me, it’s the thing that’s given me the most.
Q: What about the most overrated thing?
Henrik: Oh god, that’s trickier… but I’d probably say equipment. Don’t get me wrong, it matters, but I see it more as tools. Like, you wouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail, right? If I need to shoot a water droplet in super slow motion, I’ll need the right gear for that. But most of the time, the gear itself isn’t what makes the difference. You can do amazing things with what you already have.
I remember something Christopher Nolan once said, don’t quote me on this, but someone asked if a bigger budget makes for a better result. And his answer was something like: Your idea has to match your budget. That’s the sweet spot. It’s not about whether you have 2 million dollars or 200 million, it’s about how you make the most of what you’ve got.
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