“My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat - or in film’s case ‘run on’ - manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing.”
PASSION FOR STARS
An assignment for filming several gentlemen-like classic cars by a club allowed me to achieve a tiny alpine masterpiece, containing German mountain landscapes and local auto engineering – Presenting the Mercedes-Benz Pagode automobile-club. Take a seat and get in touch with the life style of the ‘70s, old-school motor design and luxury.
Keeping the motorcade on the right track at the right time without walkie-talkies became quiet a challenge, since the common mobile network was not always available in the hills.
I stayed in contact with my co-producer Linus Seemann in the leader’s car, so we could keep control of the overall speed of the entire motorcade – Which was especially essential for our main drone shot.
THE SKY IS NO LIMIT
1 | BEING AN IKARUS PILOT:
When GoPro published its very handy cameras with new equipment like suction pads, pilots started to film their flights whenever they could, both from the inside and from the outside. As a result of this possibility, a great quantity of footage found its way back down to earth – And with that, new adrenaline-fueled movies with great potential. This montage is a summary of almost 100 flights, recorded over one year in the South of Germany, mostly in Bavaria. So climb aboard, fasten your seatbelt, and enjoy the view.
Special thanks to the aeroclub Ikarus, which made this project possible by providing pilots, planes and footage!
Hours of footage reduced to four minutes
2 | WINTER FROM ABOVE:
One year after the first project with planes, the aeroclub Ikarus was able to collect enough material again for a new short montage. This time, it was all about showing the good Bavarian weather in deep winter. Thanks to many friends who wanted to participate, it was possible to show more aircraft in individual shots. We went one step further, communicating together while recording.
Since this was my first time giving in-flight instructions to other pilots, many uncommon shots were made possible, using GoPro’s cameras only. So lean back, and let us show you how Munich looks like from above.
A part of this day’s film and fly crew
EYE FLYING HIGH
A new era of aerial shots has begun, when DJI launched its very modern drones to the public. After just a few years, their drone prices and sizes dropped far enough to become also attractive for private costumers. This was the time when I gave it a shot myself by finally buying my first very own drone:
The Mavic Air.
This film is a composition of my first aerial footage, when flying skills were not yet established, and when the fear of crashing the drone (and therefore loosing 1,000 $ worth of equipment) was omnipresent. Luckily, this uncertainty has passed quickly after a few months of flying.
A biker joining some shots
Legal demands
With a top speed of 43 mp/h (70 km/h) and a max altitude of up to 16,400 feet (5,000 m), this flying eye was only limited by the strength of its radio signal – And by no-fly zones. Hospitals and police stations with helipads, crowded areas, private properties and nature reserves added millions of restricted airspaces globally, which now have to be researched before every single flight. Ignoring such zones without proper permission may lead to costly fines, or even jail time.
FROM FATHER TO SON
During a visit at a private film academy, I got the chance to produce a short documentary film with the help of a few very passionate classmates: The Piacere Nuovo is a little but lovely Italian restaurant in Munich, Bavaria, which welcomes you for every desire you have. It doesn't matter if you're only seeking a cup of coffee, or if you’re looking out for a very delicious dinner and some fine wine with romantic ambiance – Here you will find your personal Little Italy.
It was also a pleasure shooting a few photos for the restaurant’s social media page and homepage in addition.
You will find a few examples by clicking on the buttons below.
