Mediengruppe Telekommander "Billig"

I remember getting sent the first album and video by Mediengruppe Telekommander in 2004. Back then I just started working for the music program "Tracks" on arte tv and I immediately fell for their mixture of nasty beats and counter-polemic slogans.

Ironic, how almost a decade later Stefan Fähler and I directed, what is likely to be their last video ever.



To make a long story short, the band happened to see "Mis-Fortune Cookie", the result of a 24 hour movie challenge we took part in a few weeks ago. Since they had always wanted a Zombie-themed clip, they asked if we could do it. We reckoned we could, so we said yes.

For the shoot, we tried to call on as many teamsters from "Mis-Fortune Cookie", as well as recruiting fresh talent. This time, Aläcks Pin Heiro is not hidden behind monster make up, instead he's opening the clip and getting eaten. Bine Fez Buk kind of reprises her role as Marcia, sporting the golden flip-flops, her famous bath gown, yet with an admittedly slightly altered attitude.


















Again, benefitting from our experiences with the 24 hour movie challenge, we were on a rather tight schedule. The first picture was shot on a Saturday right after midnight, the whole clip was finished a mere 2 and a half days later on Monday evening.

We really have to thank all the Zombies, bodies and helping hands behind the camera for making this a smooth ride. And we have to thank Mediengruppe Telekommander for the request to do a video like this.

Make sure to check out their final album "Die Elite der Nächstenliebe" and to catch them on their farewell tour. 

August recap, belated I know

    
I've been shooting some shorts for Radio Fritz in August.

On August 1, The Subways dropped by for interviews and this one ended up being a sideshow attraction at the 2011 New Music Award.

Although they are the nicest people, I'm always tongue tied around them, which is awful, because they're really nice and I always come across like an idiot and I wish I wouldn't, because they are totally sweet... Oh well, you get the point...




Two days later on August 3, I visited the preperations for the 2011 artbase, held at an abandoned tuberculosis clinic in the woods outside of Berlin. It was a great afternoon, taking a stroll through the ruins covered by the work of artists like 44 Flavors, Just and Alias, to name but a few....

You should definitely check it out if you get the chance, the exhibit is beautiful and permanent. There is the plan to turn the whole area into a kids academy. Go here to find out, what exactly that could mean...




Finally on August 29, I shot this little piece with German hip hop artist Marteria on the roof of the Admiralspalast in Berlin. After the 5 minute shoot, we nearly killed Marten's buddy Christoph who crashed with a makeshift staircase we made him walk down. Sorry...

The clip previewed Radio Fritz' own music festival "Die Neuen Deutschpoeten" showcasing only current German language music by the likes of Clueso, Bosse and many more... Marteria performed there in front of 13.000 people a few days later. After that, he was all over the tabloids, albeit for other reasons....

Scream or Die 24 h Challenge: MIS-FORTUNE COOKIE

Together with Ivi Roberg, Stefan Fähler, Bine Fez Buk, Aläcks Pin Heiro, Yuky Ryang, Eric Ségol, Michael Kerscher, Michael Bauer and Stefano Graziano I took part in the 24 hour horror movie challenge "Scream or Die" by the guys from the "Another Country" book store in Berlin. We were assigned a location (a car boot / trunk) and a title (guess which). The film had to be written, shot, edited and uploaded within 24 hours.

It's a horror movie, so parental control is advised and I'm not going to spill the beans on the story. After all, it's only 3:12. If you like it, like it on youtube! 

Hanin Elias "Future Noir" (official video)

Isn't it sometimes strange, when you think up something and it turns out almost exactly as planned? Spooky.

It's fair to say, that what you can see in the clip for "Future Noir" is pretty much what Stefan Fähler, São Paulo native Dácio Pinheiro and I brainstormed, having a beer after a beautiful day in the brazilian art park of Inhotim in March. Back then, Stefan was busy on the design of Hanin's album cover and press pictures and we thought, why not make a video, too?

Dácio returned to Berlin for a few weeks in May - so we jumped at the opportunity and did it. 

Hanin was a real sweetheart, performing like there's no tomorrow for way longer than we anticipated in beatuiful dresses by Trés Bonjour. But instead of complaining, during breaks she even gave us some really recommendable shoulder massages - so there is no crazy diva shit to be spilled. 

What you hear in the video is the Tying Tiffany Remix of her classic "Future Noir" (2004) taken from her new album "Get it Back". 

It's actually the second video made for the new record. Also, check out Donovan Vim Crony's clip for "Do You Know!!!". 

Hanin will perform next at "Chauffer dans la Noirceur" festival in the french Normandie on July 14, 2011 alongside acts such as Public Enemy, Balkan Beat Box and Bonaparte. She'll hit the stage at around 11 p.m., which should work perfectly, no? 

Curious what it looks like when she performs the new stuff? Check her official youtube channel and go through the snippets from her record release party on June 3 at HBC, Berlin.

Robyn "Call Your Girlfriend"

Without further ado here's our alternative fan version for Radio Fritz. Story two posts below.

Enjoy!

In the meantime: Stop Play Moon "Lucy"

 
In October 2010, one weekend after the shoot for the ESSENZ promo, I assisted Paulistas Dácio Pinheiro, Ivi Roberg and Alex Pinheiro at the shooting of the video for "Lucy" by brazilian hit makers Stop Play Moon.

As you can tell by the pictures, it was a melancholic fall afternoon, the streets full of leaves and the winter air already approaching. Luzie Loose turned out to be a perfect protagonist for the clip, not only because she shares the name with the song, but because she is one hell of a dreamy biker.





Also check out another clip for Stop Play Moon for "Mysterious Way", directed by Dácio Pinheiro. But beware: the song might get comfy in your head...

Preview: Robyn "Call Your Girlfriend" (Radio Fritz fan version)

In February Radio Fritz presented Robyn's gig at Astra in Berlin. So, because we like her, we inquired if her camp would be interested in a video to the song "Call Your Girlfriend" from her album "Body Talk", because there was a certain idea for it. Although they were already working on the official clip, they gave us the green light to shoot an alternative fan version.

















In March we put out a casting call on Radio Fritz.

Searching for girls, who had their hair cut like Robyn to pose as her lookalikes. Also, we asked for girls who can get very upset very fast. Soon you will see why. A lot of girls sent in photos and videos. Going through them was great, because you could feel these girls really wanted to be in a video associated with Robyn. And yes, some were a little funny, too.

I mean, it takes a lot of courage to send recorded footage of yourself not knowing who will see it, right? Thanks to every girl who took the time!

















I shot the video in April and May with the help of Alex Pinheiro, who was the rest of a proper team in one person. The girls let us into their homes, showed us their neighborhoods and were all, without exception, very easy to work with.

We traveled quite a bit for the girls who can get very upset very fast, but some of the lookalikes came a long way to be at their shooting in Berlin.

So, now it's done. In a few days we'll premiere our video at Radio Fritz, but when we do, you will find it above this post.

Right below is the official clip. Enjoy!

Sehsüchte Award Show

On May 7 actress Miriam Mayet ("Bedways") and I presented the award show at the 40th anniversary of the Sehsüchte Film Festival. We went through a total of 16 awards at the grand cinema room of the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen (HFF) Potsdam including honorable mentions, comments from the jury, film clips and, of course, thank you speeches by all the winners - all the while switching back and forth between German and English.


















Naturally, we were afraid the show would go on forever. But thanks to the brilliant timing of the organizers, especially Anna Luise Kiss, we were done in a little over an hour, which we suppose was a delight to everyone awaiting the legendary closing party.

Photos: © Sebastian Gabsch / sega-foto.de

Essenz "Vivat Entitas Okkulta"

So, here it is. Shot by Dácio Pinheiro and Michael Kerscher in October. Edited in January and met with content by the participants in February.



The video had it's public premiere as part of the 10th anniversary of the Orden für okkulte Kunst (OFOK) as a short film before the main feature of the evening at Z-Bar in Berlin, Mitte on September 23, 2011.

In the meantime: Kaya "Original"

I have been pretty busy in the past weeks at Radio Fritz hosting the morning and sometimes afternoon shifts as well. And, of course, I have been busy working on the Essenz video "Vivat Entitas Okkulta". It's almost finished, we'll get to that very soon!

In the meantime, my friend Kaya asked me to do a shooting of her performing "Original" at Poser Music studios, where she recorded some new material. It's quite an emotional song, we spent some hours behind closed doors, only the two of us. Although we tried out various different angles and I edited a version with three cuts, she decided on this one shot and who can blame her?



The song is Kaya's very unique way of saying good-bye to a loved one, combining the tragic with the comic and doing so with charme and heart.