Production Paradise

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Showcase Germany brought to you by Production Paradise. We present the latest news from the best creative talents in the visual media industry, and as always more information can be found in our directory.

Check out our featured events for June:

• Man Ray 'Unconcerned But Not Indifferent' at Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, from June 13th.
• Ralph Mecke at Camerawork, Berlin, from June 14th.
• LUMIX Festival for young photojournalism, Hannover, June 18th-22nd.
• Upcoming photography auctions: Van Ham, Cologne, June 14th, and Schneider-Henn, Munich, June 17th-18th.

Our cover photo was shot by Monica Menez represented by Marion Enste-Jaspers servicepool.

muc photography/photo agents: AGENTUR NEUBAUER & SPRINGER

Latest news from Agentur Neubauer & Springer:

• Andi Frank shot sports fashion for Sportpresse, and is currently working on a campaign for Odlo on location in Germany, Austria and Spain.
• Rasmus Kaessman shot the national water polo team for Men's Health, Stuttgart football player Bastuerk for Nike, and a fashion shoot for Peek&Cloppenburg. He is currently working on a production for Stern Magazine in Mallorca.
• Donja Pitsch completed a production in an old warehouse in Paris for Madame Figaro, with renowned French artist Jean Dujardin.
• Michael Munique shot a fashion editorial in Munich with model Tine Fremmen.
• Wolf Dieter Böttcher won the ADC 2008 for his series 'Watch It', published by Stern Magazine.
• Bernd Opitz shot a print campaign for Nivea with agency Draft FCB. AD: Nadia Hatzy. He also shot key visuals for the new AOK campaign in Cape Town, with agency Serviceplan. AD: Saskia Roßnagel.
• Markus Pritzi shot an editorial for Le Monde.
  

ham photography/photo agents: UPFRONT

Latest news from the Upfront agency:

• This Showcase features three images from the award-winning campaign 'Konzerthaus Dortmund' shot by Marchel Schaar. The production by Jung von Matt won in a range of categories at this year's ADC awards, and also took gold at the Plakat & Media Grand Prix 2008.

• Hamburg photographer Markus Dominitzki recently arrived to strengthen the Upfront team. His clients include Schweppes, Saeco, Kswiss, Tchibo and Tom Tailor. He is currently arranging his new studio and is looking forward to producing a variety of upcoming jobs.

More work from the Upfront photographers is available on the agency's website.

ham photography/photo agents: MARION ECKHARDT

Marion Eckhardt Photographers proudly presents two new photographers:

• Bruce Soyez-Bernard is a French photographer based between New York and Paris. His focus is on fashion, beauty and hair. Clients include Skoda, Tropicana, Madame Figaro, Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan.
• Wolfgang Pohn is an Austrian photographer who lives in Vienna. His focus is on fashion, beauty and nude work. Clients include Silhouette, Palmers, Nespresso, Häagen Dazs, Universal Music, Vogue, Maxima and In Shape.

Latest jobs from the agency's photographers include:

• Olaf Tiedje shot the four-seasons campaign for Schwäbisch Hall.
• Sven Görlich shot the European Football Championships print campaign for Coca Cola, the new Ramazotti print campaign in Buenos Aires for DDB Düsseldorf, and took pictures of a Becks Beer TV commercial in Australia for McCann.
• Valéry Kloubert completed projects for bone marrow charity DKMS: new pictures for the website and images for a cookery book. He also completed editorial work for Glamour and Lufthansa Magazine.
• Christoph A. Gramann recently returned from Kamtchatka (Russia), where he was shooting snow pictures.
  

muc photography/photographers: MATTHIAS TUNGER

Munich-based photographer Matthias Tunger recently shot for BMW Mini, Siemens, Fürstenberg, Münchener Hypothekenbank, Homann, Generali and Trumpf.

Most of his work has been produced in Germany, but his agent in Brisbane also offers great projects and shooting conditions in Southeast Asia and Australia.

For further information visit his website.

muc photography/photographers: SABINE DUERICHEN

New images form photographer Sabine Duerichen:

• "the magazine", produced in February, 2008, in Miami, Florida.
• PJE and PJE Reload: the new autumn/winter collection for 2008.
• Free editorial work in B&W, shot in Mallorca.

Current campaigns include:

• HIPP pasta campaign.
• The Copyright Group: bright, colourful, moving images to compliment the summer season.

Sabine's upcoming productions will be produced in Barcelona, Switzerland and Miami, so be sure to check them out.

muc photography/photographers: STEFAN SCHUETZ

Munich-based photographer Stefan Schütz presents the new Reebok campaign, shot on location in Cape Town.

The idea for the shoot centred around young people who find their training space amidst modern city architecture.

Produced by Mo Production Cape Town.

col photography/photographers: ERIK CHMIL

In this Showcase, photographer Erik Chmil presents a selection of his latest work:

• A current project for US Agency RPA (Rubin Postaer & Associates, Santa Monica, CA) for client Acura.
  

• Erik presents his exhibition 'From Becoming to Being' at the Photan photo-art gallery in Leipzig, in which he shows images taken from the development of the new BMW factory. Erik uses his camera to document the early beginnings of the building through its star achitect Zaha Hadid. The opening night of the exhibition will be held on 13th June at 19:30h.

ham photography/photographers: ALEX MAINZ

After finishing school and completing additional training in advertising, photo studios and theatre, talented young photographer Alex Mainz began his photographic career with a classic apprenticeship.

Between 2002 and 2006 he went on to assist a variety of international photographers specialising in fashion, people and transportation, and travelled extensively to shoot on location around the world.

Alex started as a freelance photographer in spring 2007, securing different clients in fashion and advertising including Esprit and Gerry Weber. He currently lives in Hamburg.

dus photography/photographers: AXEL KRANZ

Based in Düsseldorf and Berlin, Axel Kranz recently shot this featured story in Paris.

More of the 'Love Paris' story along with many other new photographs can be found on Axel's updated homepage.

dus photography/photographers: STUDIO CHRISTOPH SAGEL

Still life photographer Christoph Sagel lives and works between Hamburg and Düsseldorf, where his studios are located. Before starting his career in photography he studied architecture.

His client list includes international brands and agencies including Burger King, BMW, Braun, Coca-Cola, Diesel, Fuji, JOOP!, Nintendo, Philip Morris, Swarovski, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Siemens, T-Mobile, BBDO, EURO RSCG, Grey Worldwide, Jung von Matt, Ogilvy & Mather, Rapp Collins, Saatchi & Saatchi, and SelectNY.

dus photography/photographers: THOMAS SCHUEPPING

Thomas Schuepping recently shot for:

• The new Annette Görtz campaign.
• An editorial shoot for new bathing fashion.
• Campaigns for Avanti, Donna Carolina and Konstantin Starke.
  
• CD covers for Helene Fischer and Sandra Brune.
  

He is currently working on B&W editorials for two US magazines.

Over the coming weeks Thomas will be very busy, with various assignments including a fashion campaign for Barbara Schwarzer, a campaign for Gellner, a fashion shoot for Peek and Cloppenburg, and beauty shots for Palmers.

muc photography/post production: BLINK IMAGING

"blink - the experienced team for ambitious photographers".

Creativity is in safe hands with blink's digital support. The company deals with pictures from exposure to print, and clients can choose from a range of customisable services: digital capture through to post-production and ready-for-press high resolution data output. With years of experience in the digital sector, blink offers precise data logistics to ensure optimal reliability.

Current productions include:

• Gloss magazine - Capture service and postproduction for the cover and editorial feature, with Norbert Bäres.
• Capture service and retouching for Bunte editorial with model Eva Padberg, with Hamburg photographer Philipp Rathmer.
• Full service for Munich photographger Niko Schmid-Burgk on a beauty shoot with top hair stylist Wendy Iles in Paris: Capture service, postproduction and retouching.
• C&A Rodeo POS campaign, with photographer Norbert Bäres in Paris. Definitely the wettest shooting of the year! The capture service team packed the high sensitive equipment, waterproofed and supported the entire digital shoot. The whole postproduction process was also developed by blink.
  

ham photography/post production: ELEKTRONISCHESCHOENHEIT

elektronische schoenheit is a German postproduction company that specialises in skin, hair and fashion retouching.

The company has created unique looks for several hair and fashion campaigns, along with catalogues, advertorials and editorial features.

Clients include Schwarzkopf, Wella, L'Oréal, Gardeur, Escada, Fielmann, Cinque, St.Emile, Jettejoop, Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar.

The company works alongside photographers including Olaf Heine, Esther Haase, GABO, Günther Kathrein, Joachim Baldauf, Straulino and Armin Morbach, as well as agencies such as Publicis, Springer & Jacoby, Jung von Matt and McCann Erickson.

ham photography/equipment rent: PROLIGHTRENT

prolightrent, Hamburg's young rental outlet for professional photographic equipment and cameras, is located in the exciting Phoenixhof in Altona.

prolightrent provides well-maintained professional equipment, including flash, HMI, Tungsten and cameras for all photo productions.

The company can supply equipment any place, any time.

prolightrent supports young photographers and assistants with fair rates for tests, technical advice and knowledge.

The monthly assistant meeting is an opportunity for young professionals to get information, share experiences and news, or just meet nice people while enjoying a drink.

ham photography/equipment rent: 711 RENT

711rent's new homepage is now online. The site features a brand new layout and includes an online calculator, user-friendly newsletter tool, directions to its shop locations and lots of additional information about equipment.

711rent has also improved its car fleet with a modular storage system, enabling clients to combine tables for digital operators or make-up artists with clothes racks and shelving for the safe transportation of equipment, styling materials and props.

711 can also supply mobile Internet access via a wireless-Lan router. Combined with a UMTS card, clients can plug-in and surf from anywhere in the world.

As an alternative to its Sinar P3 large format digital system, 711rent has added a Cambo Wide DS with 24mm lens to its equipment range, fitting Hasselblad H-based digital backs like the Phase One P45+ or Hasselblad H3D39II.

ber photography/equipment rent: DELIGHT RENTAL SERVICES

Delight Rental Services "has changed the possibilities for Berlin as a shooting location" and provides the city with everything needed for professional productions.

Staff members at Delight Rental Services have all worked around the world as digital and lighting assistants. As a result, the team appreciates what shootings are all about and provides the necessary technical know-how along with the essential equipment.

The latest highlight for the company was the April opening party of Delight Studios.

The company is constantly expanding on its product range and recently added the new Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and Nikon D3 cameras. The brand-new Broncolor Mobile A2R kits will also soon be available from Delight Rental Services as an alternative for travelling photographers. Watch this space for more!

muc photography/post production: VINX-MEDIA

There were three stages to the presentation of BMW's new Bi-Turbo engine:

To begin with, the MAD Agency produced a 3D laboratory environment.

Secondly, the newest BMW model was virtually created and placed inside the 3D lab. The images produced went on to form the print media campaign.

Finally, the team at Vinx - together with the Ogilvy agency - produced a special edition campaign for the Internet, allowing audiences to view the Bi-Turbo engine in the best possible light.

muc photography/photo production: DPRODUCTION

DPRODUCTION, based in Munich, was founded in 2007 by Rena Motschmann to provide a full range of photo production services in the south of Germany and selected locations abroad.

Rena Motschmann believes in exclusive, individual and customisable services, covering the unique requirements and individual conveniences of her clients and projects. DPRODUCTION services include:

• Production management - overseeing projects from planning to accounting.
• Art Buying - recommending and booking the team required to complete a specific project.
• Production - multiple services can be booked individually or as a package: casting, model booking, location scouting, production management, travel booking, catering, car parking and drivers, assistants, set runners, equipment, permits and insurance.
  

Latest project: Location stock scouting, spring/summer 2008.
Upcoming: Production services for children's collection Cisono. Photographer: Simone Schneider. Location: Munich and Bavaria.

ham photography/photo production: MARION WALTER

Marion Walter handled art buying, casting and production for the latest Esprit campaign, spring/summer 2008.

The pictures were shot by Esther Haase, c/o Schierke Frankfurt, in Los Angeles. The production was supported by Ulrik Neumann, c/o Factory Artists in Los Angeles. Styling: Jelena Schneider and Mimi Hocke. Hair & Make-up: Gunnar Schlau.

Marion also conducted the art buying and production for the latest edition of Brandneu in Rio de Janeiro. Photographer: Hendrik Nennecke, c/o Schierke Photographers.

muc film/film production: PRODUCTION PLAN

Production Plan is a full-service production company based in Munich.

The team and their network partners provide professional location and production services worldwide. The company's portfolio covers every kind of advertising photography, including transportation, people, fashion, and more. A comprehensive list of clients includes the most demanding of international customers.

Latest highlights:

• Porsche - Photographer: Torsten Klinkow. Location: Germany.
• HDI-Gerling - Photographer: Anatol Kotte. Locations: Germany, Spain, and Sweden.
• Mercedes-Benz - Photographer: Conrad Piepenburg. Locations: Spain, France, and the USA.
• VW-Multivan - Photographer: Torsten Klinkow. Locations: Germany, Italy, and Portugal.
• Natuzzi - Photographer: Mathias Baumann. Location: Italy.
• VKB - Photographer: Tom Nagy. Location: Germany.

ham film/film production: MEDIATURNS

Mediaturns is a production and design studio covering film, 2/3D animation, Internet and graphic design. The company was founded in 2005 by Mark Phillip and Kristin Thielemann.

Mark worked for 14 years as a fashion photographer before he started directing and producing commercials and film projects. Kristin finished her diploma at the University of Applied Sciences before succeeding as a multimedia designer.

Mediaturns collaborates with both clients and agencies to conceptualise and create unique campaigns that strengthen brand recognition. Over the past two years the company has worked for clients including Swarovski, Boss, L'Oréal, Mercedes-Benz, Gucci and Tommy Hilfiger.

dus film/film post production: GIESING TEAM

Established in Munich in 1988, and with an additional branch in Düsseldorf, the Giesing Team is a celebrated and highly-reputable audio production firm. The company specialises in the production of complete sound designs and mixing and mastering for television and cinema commercials, as well as audio books featuring some of Germany's top vocal talents.

Through its close collaboration with partner firms Trailerhouse and Mona Davis, the Giesing Team is one of Germany's main producers of cinema trailers and delivers stunning musical compositions and scores. The long list of its revered clients includes McDonald's, Columbia TriStar, Sony, Buena Vista, Constantin Film and Mercedes-Benz, among many others.

The Giesing Team has won numerous prestigious awards for its productions, both national and international, and is known for its friendly yet efficient workflow.

ham talent/artists & stylists: OPTIX

Based in Hamburg, the international artists at Optix have contributed to countless beauty shoots, commercials, advertising and fashion campaigns over the past 20 years.

• New stylist Jessica Klimach successfully began 2008 with covers for ADC MAX and Booklet. Jessica was appointed Fashion Editor for Squint Hommes and produced the feature 'Escape to Nowhere' in Copenhagen for the latest issue. She also regularly contributes to Squint.

• Paris-based stylist and fashion producer Connie Eisenmann recently worked for Iris von Arnim, Goldwell, Nivea, Quelle and Otto. Her latest fashion production for GALA expressed her interpretation of denim fashion through the decades, from the 1950s through to the present day.

• Newcomer Thuy Diep did hair and make-up for clients including Görtz, Cecil, Fürst Bismarck, feld, Best Life and Men's Health. Thuy's recently re-launched website demonstrates the range of her artistic talent.
  

muc talent/model agencies: CLEAR MODEL MANAGEMENT

Recent news from Clear Model Management:

• Well-known Hollywood actor Daniel Bernhardt ('Matrix Reloadad', 'Bloodsports', etc.) did some martial arts coaching with the girls from Germany's Next Topmodel 2008 . He is also an up-and-coming photographer and shot the latest Strellson campaign.

• Lubyanka is a new face with Clear Model Management.
  

• Alexander Mazza had the honour of interviewing famous fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfield for Burda Live in Offenburg with Patrizia Riekel, editor-in-chief of society magazine Bunte . Karl Lagerfield was launching his new book of photos 'The Metamorphosis Of An American', featuring top model Brad Kroenig.

• Viola Schröder shot the new Le Compte campaign autumn/winter 2008.

ham talent/model agencies: ELBMODELS

elbmodels was launched in early 2007 as the first agency in Hamburg to specialise in representing mature models in the film and photography industries. The agency concentrates on placing models with national and international advertising agencies and photographers.

Emphasising the active and healthy lifestyles of the range of generations represented by its talents, elbmodels has the perfect face for everyone: from 30 year-olds in the prime of life to fun-loving 80 year-olds still eager for new thrills.

elbmodels co-operates with selected agencies in Paris, Zurich, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, enabling the company to offer its services Europe-wide.

The agency's extensive portfolio is available online.

ham locations/rental studios photo: MOUNT RAY STUDIOS

"We provide for a perfect and joyous working day!" That's the philosophy at Mount Ray Studios in Hamburg.

Mount Ray presents four daylight studios in two separate locations in the areas of Ottensen and Altona. Each studio portrays a homely but stylish ambience, with a distinctly informal atmosphere. The two studios in the modern West End feature contemporary design, whilst the remaining two occupy the loft space of a charming old industrial building from the last century.

Both venues offer generous pantry, styling and make-up areas, as well as hair washbasins and a variety of set elements and props. Mount Ray also offers high technical specification equipment rental and professional set construction on demand.

Further details can be found on the company's webpage.