Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg Campus Magazin 23/24

think it wasn’t Shetland. The lighthouse was one such
find. Suddenly I was convinced that Wagner must live
in it. In the story, Wagner was basically punitively transferred
and sent to a remote part of the world to do field
research. I thought the lighthouse was an perfect symbol
for someone who is practically trapped in such a lonely
place. Luckily, the idea also resonated with Frank Doelger,
so we pursued it.
What exactly does the collaboration between
classic production design and the VFX supervisor
look like?
did, we at least discussed the possibilities. I was able to
learn a lot in the process. When I graduated from the Filmakademie,
I felt sufficiently well trained and was able
to contribute my experience. That is an important factor
in being able to discuss with other trades.
You also said in the interview mentioned above
that although the director has the final say, you
fight for your own vision until then. Has it ever
happened that you didn’t recognize this vision
in the finished film and you were totally disappointed?
I try to connect with the VFX department very early on.
The VFX supervisor Jan Stoltz was one of the first people
I worked with on THE SWARM. For me, that’s very important
when I’m designing a world. Because first of all
it doesn’t matter whether I create it through buildings or
through a location that I adapt or whether it is realized
on the computer. These are simply different possibilities
that I have at hand. And of course, I have my preferred
variant. I prefer to realize everything in front of the camera
and only try to use VFX where it is really necessary.
But such worlds very often need set extensions, mostly
as compositing or matte painting, to complete them. Not
to mention a creature like the Yrr, which we developed
organically but then implemented with VFX. It was important
for me to discuss with Jan early on whether it
would all work for him. I always looked at the locations
with a view to what might have to be added or changed
in digital post-production and then coordinated my ideas
with Jan in a timely manner. How far can we intervene
in the landscape? Can we use the trees all the way
to the beach? Is the addition still 2D, “2.5D” or do we
already need a 3D element? Can we add water or will
that be too expensive? We were always in a very good
exchange and also worked closely together in post-production.
Did you benefit from the fact that there is an interdisciplinary
workshop on digital set extensions
at FABW?
I had very good access to it early on. On the one hand,
because I originally come from photography and I was
already involved with the possibilities of compositing at
that time. On the other hand, because at FABW, Animation
with an own institute is a separate and important
discipline. Regardless of the special workshops, animation
is always a topic here. And in most of the projects I
In the end, everyone brings in their own ideas, and at a
certain point you find a common vision. But I have definitely
experienced some disappointments. Film is an artistic
process that involves many people. That’s the beauty
of the craft, but it often leads to a result that doesn’t
quite match one’s own vision. How far this deviates, you
usually only see after the editing. You have to let go at
a certain moment. In production design, this process already
begins during the shoot. Sometimes a project then
develops in a different direction due to various factors.
Especially when working with the actors, a whole new
component comes into play. There are always situations
in which you think to yourself: we had discussed this
differently or had already illustrated it with concept
drawings and storyboards. What happened to the common
idea? I actually fight for a long time for the vision
I have in my head. I also see that as my task: to bring in
a design attitude and to make sure that it is consistently
carried out. That a stringent look is created that is not
constantly broken up. The DoP also makes sure that the
visual language and the lighting concept are carried out
consistently. Sometimes elements that were very important
to you get cut out in the editing process. That’s the
little pain you feel now and then, it happens to all the
trades. But I have never experienced that this common
vision has completely turned around - or I have suppressed
such memories.
In the course of THE SWARM, have you become
increasingly involved with topics such as environmental
protection, climate change or sustainability?
These topics have been with me for a very long time and
are always in focus, not only in my professional life. At
THE SWARM, the topic of green production was a binding
requirement for the first time. This is not always
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