berlin Jun 2009

watchmen productions focuses on production services, international line production and creative management.

The company is known in Germany and abroad for its creative understanding, efficiency and a professional, open-minded approach to every project.

watchmen productions has international line production experience in over 20 countries and enjoys an established international network of service partners. The company's executive producers are talented matchmakers, representing a selection of outstanding directors whom they link to production houses worldwide.

watchmen has shot for brands including Apple, BMW, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, Nike, O2, Samsung, Siemens and Volkswagen.

Based in the creative heart of Germany, Ambulance Film is a full service production company representing a range of both international and local directors.

Headed by Dirk Moritz and Boris Reichmuth, Ambulance Film focuses on producing TV commercials, branded content, web films and creative solutions for the advertising industry.

Ambulance also offers full service production. The company recently collaborated on SAS with director Martin Werner and Bacon Films, Copenhagen.

Ambulance Films' "can do" attitude, friendly approach and industry experience make it an ideal creative partner for all types of production.

Since 1999, Markenfilm Berlin has operated out of Kreuzberg, one of the most interesting and creative districts of Berlin.

Over the past 10 years, the company has produced numerous award-winning commercials, films and music videos, alongside a huge range of service jobs.

Check the website for more information.

The Anja Wiroth Agency represents highly talented professional photographers. The company's 'Local Heroes' are featured in this Showcase:

• Renowned people and celebrity photographer, Olaf Heine, shot for big brands including Base, Bitburger, the BMW catalogue, EMI, Hansemerkur Versicherungen, Hugo Boss, Mini and O2.
• Rising star Norman Konrad specialises in people and advertising photography. He was formerly assistant to Christian Schuller and Sebastian Hähnel. His creative, conceptual and precise way of working is highly professional and ensures clients achieve exactly the style they require.
• Ina Schoof's portfolio has had a recent influx of new personal material full of life and emotion.
• Marcus Albert lived in London and after years of assisting Mario Testino began his own career with his own unique style - catchy, edgy, and always close to real life.
• Murat Aslan started as a celebrity music photographer. His ability to capture stunning moments combined with his power in portrait photography provides the ideal basis for high quality advertising, such as his recent campaign for Deichmann shoes.
• Tan Kadam is an expert in hair and beauty photography. He has worked for clients including Coppertone, Danone, Freshlook, Fortepharma, Haircoif, Lancôme, L'Oréal and Vichy.
• Henrike Stahl is currently working on editorial and personal work between New York, Paris and Berlin.

Latest news from Periscope Creative:

• Guido Castagnoli has just returned from shooting a new global campaign for the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.
• Daniel Sommer recently completed the new season Oxbow catalogue, proving once again his skill at combining sport and fashion.
• Periscope Creative is proud to announce a new collaboration with photographers Timm Kölln and Eugen Haller. Berlin-based Kölln is renowned for a classic portrait and reportage style; Munich resident Haller for his skillful and fresh still life work.
• Mitch Jenkins has been busy creating poster work for Sky One's 'Lost' campaign, as well as advertising for Capri Sun and Sony Walkman.
• Lorenzo Agius recently worked with Fox on its new show 'The Listener', Channel 4 for 'Beverley Hills 90210', and Sony for 'Angels and Demons'.

Darius Ramazani was born in New Heaven in the USA and grew up between both Iran and Germany. He now lives and works in Berlin.

At the age of 18, he dropped out of high school to turn his passion for photography into a professional career. Initially focusing on music and album covers in particular, over the years he has extended his scope to advertising and fashion.

Today, his primary field of interest is people. Darius is renowned for his vibrant portraits and campaigns featuring the older generation.

He has photographed for numerous clients, including Nokia, Daimler Chrysler, Fortis Bank, IBM, The Financial Times, Meissen, Telekom and Universal Music on shoots as far afield as South Africa, Australia, Canada and America.

Christoph Musiol works as a fashion photographer and is based between Paris and Berlin.

His work is regularly published in national and international magazines and he produces campaigns and catalogues for a variety of fashion clients.

Recent magazine editorials: Glamour, GQ, Myself, Maxim, SZ-Magazin, Vsya Evropa.

Berlin-based photographer Markus Altmann recently returned from The United States with a selection of new work.

His series on land speed racers is currently featured in RAMP magazine.

Starting July 10th, his art project 'Mojave: High Desert Crossings' will be exhibited at the Robert Morat Gallery in Hamburg.

Markus specialises in people, portraiture, car and landscape photography. His clients include Mercedes, E.on, Deutsche Bahn, Siemens and Volkswagen.

He is represented in Germany by kombinatrotweiss.

hiepler, brunier, consists of David Hiepler and Fritz Brunier, who both live in Berlin and have been working together as photographers since 1997.

Their clients include companies such as Siemens, Audi, bulthaup, Chrysler, Camel, The Post Bank and Swiss Reinsurance, as well as advertising agencies BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis, EuroRSCG, C&O, KNSK and Jung v. Matt. The pair also produce work for magazines including AD, Vogue, BMWMagazine, Die Zeit, Vanity Fair and Domus.

Their images have been awarded at Cannes Lions, the New York Festival, the One Show, ADC Germany and ADC New York, among many others.

Their main focus is photography on location, using natural landscapes and architectural photography as their preferred backdrop often in combination with people, cars, or sometimes washing machines! hiepler, brunier, also work in the studio pursuing classic interior photography or shooting people for advertising and editorial clients.

Free work from hiepler, brunier, can be found in exhibitions at places like the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel, the Zeche Zollverein in Essen, and the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn.

Since Erik Weiss turned to music and portrait photography seven years ago, he has welcomed in front of his lens some of the most renowned and talented musicians of the last few decades.

His work involves regular collaborations with record companies including Warner Bros., Island and Universal, as well as magazines such as Rolling Stone, Musikexpress and Stern.

He recently shot for The Killers and completed portraits of Oasis, The Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Green Day.

He also shows great interest in the next generation of talented artists. Florence and the Machine, Lissie Trully and Little Boots are amongst some of his new shots from recent weeks.

Ben Wolf moved from Hamburg to Berlin in 2001. He specialises in people, celebrity, music and landscape photography.

Ben has been a DoP for music videos since 1997. He is currently working on a large retrospective of his free work.

Ben is also currently looking for a new agent for Germany and Europe.

Clients: Playboy, Stern, Universal Music, EMI Music, Four Music, Warner Music, 105 Music.

Jackie Hardt previously worked in front of the camera before she successfully switched sides. She specialises in faces: portraits and beauty shots are her main field, as well as fashion. Her recent work has featured in Elle, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and other magazines.

She also recently shot the German Oxfam campaign with Heike Makatsch, Franka Potente and Oliver Korittke.

Since 1998, bigshrimp has been working with sustained success between Hamburg and Berlin for national and international photographers, agencies and industrial clients.

Aside from pure production management for campaigns and complex catalogue shoots, bigshrimp offers customers complete production services from one centralised source, including production, art buying, casting and location scouting. In addition, the company recently opened three new rental studios for professionals working in Berlin. bigshrimp stands for efficient handling, streamlined organisation and high quality production.

Recent assignments included work for Kemper Trautmann, Gingco (Audi), DDB Munich (Ernstings Family), Jung von Matt Elbe (Bosch), and Gramm Dusseldorf.

Recent photography collaborations: Ivo von Renner (Vaillant), Manu Agah (Lightcycle), Rene Neumann (RWE), Tim Thiel (Seat Wave), Frank Barthold, Ralph Richter, Volker Wenzlawski, Kai-Uwe Gundlach, Hilo Sichender (Bosch), Olaf Heine, Patrizio di Renzo, Gerhard Linnekogel.

Berlin-based Claas Cropp Creative Productions is a full service production company with vast experience in all areas of still photo production, location scouting and casting. The company works both nationally and internationally on all kinds of photographic shoots, from fashion to cars and from editorial productions to worldwide campaigns. Recent productions include:

• Adidas women's range '09, Julian Broad and Ben Ingham, Frankfurt.
• Bäumler S/S '09 campaign, Ellen von Unwerth, Berlin.
• Samsung campaign with Michael Ballack, London, and Garnier campaign with Iris Berben, Berlin, both Karel Kühne.
• CDU election campaign with Angela Merkel, Bild campaign and Caritas campaign with street-casted homeless people, all three Mathias Bothor.
• Adidas swimwear and Panasonic campaigns, both Detlef Schneider.
• Bank Austria campaign, Joerg Reichardt, Berlin and Vienna.
• Mexx 'Black' fragrance live video castings in London and Paris.

Other clients include: Louis Vuitton, Brioni, Nike, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Disney Parks, Men's Vogue, Elle Italy, GQ.

Photographers: Annie Leibovitz, Mondino, Daniel Jackson, Esther Haase, Joachim Baldauf, Luis Sanchis, Ralph Mecke, Uwe Düttmann, Wim Wenders.

recom is a high quality post production and CGI studio. With offices in Stuttgart, Berlin and London, the company creates new image concepts and innovative artwork for international clients, photographers and magazines.

recom Post offers creative retouching services at the highest level. Versed retouchers support the creative process from counselling prior to a shoot, on-location services and post production, through to the creation of sophisticated new image styles. Customised artwork for all categories is created by highly specialised operators in close collaboration with photographers and art directors.

recom CGI facilitates the realisation of creative concepts with an approved and effective CGI workflow. With process-integrated retouching, recom attains a photo-realistic image quality that can no longer be distinguished from an authentic photograph. The resulting possibilities for creativity, especially within the field of transportation, are appreciated by agencies and photographers worldwide.

Based in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin since 2000, PX1 is a high-end post production and retouching company incorporating 13 post production and CGI operators and four final artwork specialists. The company has a strong focus on personal consulting.

Clients include photographers, advertising agencies, magazines, industrial and creative businesses. PX1 covers fashion, beauty, still life, reportage, food and transportation assignments.

For photographers, PX1 offers a consistent approach and a personal contact partner. The company sees post production operators as the modern equivalent of the photographer's favourite lab technician in former times.

PX1 is part of the PX Group, with offices in Berlin, Hamburg (PX2) and Munich (PX5) offering similar services.

Twentyfour Seven is a post production artwork studio based in Berlin that offers high-end digital image processing and micro-typography, along with a comprehensive range of services for all types of creative media.

The company is highly devoted to perfecting the ideas of international photographers, agencies and brands. A dedicated team of practiced retouchers and detail-oriented typographers throws its heart and soul into every project.

Working in close cooperation with customers, the company creates unique visual worlds and gives top-notch photography the perfect final finish.

Client references: Adidas, Daimler Chrysler, Die Zeit, Lufthansa Technik, Michalsky, Sony, T-Mobile, Y-3, Coca-Cola, Ferrero.

2 Agenten illustrators agency was established in November, 2006, by Andrea Wendt and Jörn Schwarz. Based in Berlin, the company represents a fine collection of international illustrators who work for advertising, editorial and animation clients.

Recent clients: O2, Häagen-Dazs, BMW, Tui, Bitburger, Deutsche Bahn, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, AD Magazine, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Manager Magazine and Rowohlt Verlage.

In November, 2008, Andrea Wendt and Jörn Schwarz opened the 2 Agenten  illustration gallery where they hold regular exhibitions of the illustrators they represent.

Basics was founded in 1995 as one of the first agencies in Berlin for styling, hair and make-up.

Basics represents a growing number of hair and make-up artists and stylists, operating on a national and international basis.

Establishing and promoting new talent is high on the company's list of priorities, while client-focused service is one of the its strongest points - a fact reflected in a constantly growing clientele.

Indeed Model Management was launched in Berlin in 2004 as a boutique-style agency. It has since grown into a highly respected and renowned model agency within Germany and abroad. Indeed Model Management represents female and male models as well as actors and talents.

Latest news from Indeed Model Management:

• Sebastian Bornitsky was booked for Viewpoint UK, J'n'C and Fantastic Men Magazine editorials. He is also featured in the Starbeit and Chris Holzinger look-books.
• Odile is part of the JuliaandBen and Katja Daugaard look-books.
• Alex Milo shot for the upcoming Baeumler campaign along with an editorial for Swiss magazine, Silver.
• Annemarie shot an amazing music video for Global DJ's as well as a beautiful editorial for Groove Magazine.
• Henrik Grunert is the face of the new Italian label Officina36.
• Bella and Ute S. made it onto the cover of Zeit Studienfuehrer.
• Actor Wolfgang Grossmann plays the 'Dicktator' in the new AIDS social advertising commercial, broadcast on national stations as a cross-media charity project supported by Indeed Model Management.

Providing professional presentation for professional models, Splendide's newly revised homepage has been online for several days now. The company's main concern was to improve the usability of its website. As a result, preview images have been enlarged and the names of models are now shown, making searching much easier. There is also an assistant who can help make requests efficiently at any time of the day, or night!

zlocationz provides location and production services for film and photo projects.

For Lars von Triers' latest film, 'Antichrist', the company was faced with the challenge of moving an entire set construction into a hidden forest. Building roads, chopping down trees, blocking an entire hilltop, ordering 100m cranes and helicopters, and getting bitten by countless mosquitoes and ticks was all part of the fun for the experienced crew.

Mer Du Nord produces a half-yearly photo shoot in the world's most trendy locations. zlocationz handled shooting for the 2008 winter catalogue in Berlin. The production lasted for 10 days, with the company acting as full service producer.

• Film & TV clients: 'Antichrist', Zentropa International - Dir: Lars von Trier. 'Mr. Nobody', Studio Babalsberg - Dir: Jaco von Dormael. 'The Life Of Others', Wiedemann & Berg - Dir: Florian von Donnersmarck. 'Stopping Power', Intermedia GmbH - Dir: Jan De Bont. 'Zane's World', The Food Network. 'Have Fork Will Travel', The Food Network. 'The Rivers Of Life: The Rhine', Green Bay Media.
• Commercial clients: T-Home, Toyota, Proactive, MBC Action, Reinert Wurst, 1&1, Heineken, DHL, Vattenfall, Nissan, Mexx.
• Photo clients: Merd Du Nord, GQ, BG Sportelli, Tuesiad, Matador, Gala, Condé Nast, Carpe Diem.

Professional lighting and camera rental company Delight Rental Services looks after international photo productions all over the world from its two branch offices in Berlin and Stuttgart.

The company sends equipment to locations worldwide. Alternatively, clients can collect direct from either office.

Delight Rental Services operates on a 24/7 support basis and also offers two large modern studio spaces, measuring 400 m² and 600 m² respectively, located in the centre of Berlin.

Visit the website for more information.

The Spreegraphen rental studios offer a 400 m² column-free, high-ceiling studio space, including a 10x10m, 5m high infinity cove with a corner. The studios are easily accessible by car.

Large entrances and a loading dock access allow for the transportation of equipment and freight directly to the set.

A modern workspace, fully equipped kitchen and a comfortable lounge area offer the perfect framework for a successful production.

Clients include: Universal Pictures, VW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Garnier, H&M, Nikon, Vanity Fair, Nintendo, Freenet and Marc Cain.

Although high quality design features and contemporary fittings play a pivotal role in the company's DNA, art'otel was not conceived on its fabric alone: at its very core is art itself. Each hotel displays a collection of original paintings, sculptures or photographs, designed or acquired specifically for each location.

Featured artists: Andy Warhol (art'otel berlin city centre west), Georg Baselitz (art'otel berlin mitte), Wolf Vostell (art'otel kudamm), A.R. Penck (art'otel dresden), Katja Sieverding (art'otel potsdam), A. Tessenow (art'otel leipzig), Donald Sultan (art'otel budapest), SEO (art'otel cologne, opening winter 2009). 

With an unassuming entrance and small lobby, the Mandala Hotel is designed to provide guests with a discreet relief from the area's hustle and bustle. Most rooms face the inner courtyard, with interiors that pare luxury down to its modern essence of serenity and subtle harmonies. No expense has been spared, however, with furnishings by Donghia and Chinese antiques handpicked by Lutz Hesse, who runs the hotel together with Christian Andresen.

157 studios and suites ranging from 40 to 200 m² create a modern, temporary home for aesthetes with a preference for sensible and stylish living. The Mandala Hotel unites the gourmet restaurant Facil, the stylish Qiu Lounge and the premium Ono Spa that enjoys a panoramic view over Berlin. Three meeting rooms on the 5th floor provide excellent conditions for events for up to 20 people.