Half-Year Round Up 2013

I've been too busy to notice how time flew by...

In November I shot a clip for a new song of my friend Kaya. It actually depicts the way from my Berlin home to the area around Rheinsberg, where I grew up in the countryside outside of Berlin, so it features a lot of places I have known since I can remember.



In February I edited two research-heavy image film loops for Radio Fritz (rbb). One to be used around the 20th anniversary of the station and one to be used as sideshow entertainment at Fritz presentations.



Researching the material involved a couple of night sessions alone in the TV archive of rbb in Potsdam and going through the VJ archives at Fritz itself. The quality of resolution of the footage varied quite a lot, but I think the Fritz spirit comes across.



In April Stefan Fähler directed a promo clip at Con Men for Berlin event series Gegen as part of their "Gegen Innocence" party. I only provided location, set up and VHS transfer but his work turned out so nice, also thanks to the flowers provided by Mark Colle and the performance of Claudia Kent from the Crime Video "This Party Blows", that I feel it cannot get enough exposure.



Speaking of Crime. The show featuring the visuals mentioned below has travelled on a tour around Europe and have even made it to NYC. Here's a little one shot take of them performing "Other Kids Lives" at Berlin's Südblock that I shot some months ago, that you might like if you like them. Which you should, because they are great.



Last, but certainly not least I have been doing something for the first time. Doing presentations at a conference, the radiofestival "Vmeste - Radio" in Moscow talking about my work as a morning host and reporter at Radio Fritz.

© Pawel Kartaev

I really have to thank Natalia Vlasova and Ekaterina Solomina from the foundation for independent radio broadcasting (FNR) for the invitation to this event at the end of May. Those were really some great days in the russian capital with a lot of new friends and many interesting points of view on the profession we share. 

Mumford & Sons! Ellie Goulding! Nude girls! National TV! Q Magazine! Wow, September....

It all started with the first official music video for the new electronic outfit of Sissters' Mika Risiko called Crime. Together with Mika and Stefan Fähler, we filmed with 5 beautiful undressed girls, being bored and gorgeous. The clip had it's premiere in the shorts section of the 2012 Porn Film Festival Berlin starting October 24, 2012.



Only a few days later I, together with Stefan Fähler and Michael Bauer, had the honor of producing the generic TV interview for the sophomore album "Babel" of Mumford & Sons at the Michelberger Hotel in Berlin. Marcus and Winston were absolutely darling, laughing, telling stories and behaving as if we all (including the team) had been buddies for years. It's always so nice, when musicians are this accessible and we want to congratulate them on what looks likely to be one of those 1 Mio. + worldwide sales debuts, that have become so rare in this day and age.

Right after the shoot with Mumford & Sons we went over to Volkspark Friedrichshain to shoot a clip for up-and-coming band Pickers. They take part in the nationwide battle of the bands "Bundesvision Song Contest" created by TV host and Eurovision alumni Stefan Raab. This clip serves as their introduction on the show, has been broadcast nationwide on the popular show "TV Total" and is being used for promotion leading up to and during the event on September 28, 2012. The guys played their new single acoustic and gave us an insight into their motivation to make music.

Last, but most certainly not least, on September 24 I shot a very intimate gig of UK songbird Ellie Goulding shortly before the release of her new album "Halcyon" at Radio Fritz in Potsdam. It's interesting how she translates the electronic album versions into very soulful live renditions that do not make you miss the sometimes heavily processed and cut-up vocals. Rather they make you realize, what an amazing voice she has underneath all that production.



Update: the above clip of Ellie Goulding unplugged has been re-blogged in USA, UK, Sweden, Poland and Lithuania and made the Daily Hot List at Q Magazine!

August recap, belated I know 2012

What is it about August? It happened again. Weird.

This time I've been shooting a short piece on Berlin music duo Anne Haight. This bit was produced as an introductory film to their performance at the New Music Award 2012, given out anually to the most promising newcomer with nominations coming from all of the young public radio stations of Germany, including Fritz, whom they were nominated by.



They showed up with a range of weird instruments including a kalimba and a sansula as is the custom when they play a stage. They played a 15 minute set. They didn't win but should have. Whatever, I'm quite sure they'll find a growing devoted audience in no time, since they're not only talented, but also very charming and fun to be around.

The clip has been used for promotion leading up to the event, was shown at the intial award ceremony at Admiralspalast Berlin on September 9 and was subsequently broadcast on nationwide digital TV channel EinsFestival (ARD) and regional TV station MDR as part of their coverage of the show.

One look at the past, one look to the future

One look at the past: At the very end of his successful tour, Marsimoto gave his fans a special treat on April 14, playing to a hundred of them at Fritz' studios. Everybody was supposed to wear green, which colorblind me failed at, of course.

For those not in the know, Marsimoto is the alter ego of German rap star Marteria. And whereas last August Marteria pondered on the eternal question, if the beat or the rhyme was there first, Marsi comes clean on all things green. 

I could describe how great that intimate gig was, but the little piece I shot should be able to get that across by itself. 

One look to the future: In a month that seems to be filled with people I shot before, I worked with the guys from Essenz on the teaser to their new album "Mundus Numen". It's quite a simple little bit and more about a sonic preview than flashy images, but because of that well worth checking out.

Ed Sheeran live at Fritz

Oops. It's about time I post this...

On December 7, 2011 this nice young fella walked into the Fritz studios. He looked like he just came out of bed, he didn't mind being interviewed in the bathroom and he was calm and nice with his fans. Ed's a complete pro, having played hundreds of concerts in the last 3 years. And that's it.

If you're into this music, he already has a huge back catalogue of currently 11 EPs and a sweet debut album titled "+".

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....

Robyn "Call Your Girlfriend"

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

Enjoy!

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

Zoot Woman "Just A Friend Of Mine" (live on Radio Fritz)

On October 1, 2009 Johnny Blake from Zoot Woman visited the Radio Fritz studios to do some acoustic versions of old and new songs.

I have always wondered what he looks like when he smiles. So after a few tender, yet unsuccessful attemps of trying to make him laugh, I asked him, what a serious dude like him laughs about. And thinking about his favourite TV show did the trick in the end.

Lily Allen "The Fear" (live on Radio Fritz)

On January 16, 2009 Lily showed up at Radio Fritz in Potsdam. It was only 10 a.m. and she looked a bit under the weather, still she was really sweet and upbeat. I remember, she favoured the audio recording our engineer Kevin did over previous sessions including one at the BBC.

Maybe she was just being nice. Maybe she was even flirting with Kevin? I think she was, since during an audio test she whispered "I like Kevin from Radio Fritz" into the mic.

The photos were shot by Marco Sassenhagen and Stephan Fuchs.

Check out the stuff my colleagues do over at "Fritz TV", there's some nice short films. It might increase the fun if you understand some German. If not, just go straight to their music section.