// TALENT FOR TALENT – BERLIN

Talent for Talent is the new film format by Mercedes Benz. We created a fashion film with the Designer Hien Le for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Berlin.

“Fashion flicks are far more than dressed-up films – by now, they have become a veritable genre of their own. In their cross-disciplinary encounter, newcomers Hien Le and Sandra Birkner prove just that with an audiovisual treat to flank the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin

From simple “clicks” to cinematic choreographies: Over the last few years, fashion films have revolutionised the industry with their artistic take on flowing fabrics, yet there is far more to these extravagant short clips (usually one to ten minutes in length) than mere mundane advertising. Shattering aesthetic conventions left, right and centre, they delight in exploring innovative techniques, mirror effects and cool sound design to make fashion cinematography one of this decade’s hottest experimental playgrounds between art and commerce for directors – and their sartorial subjects.

In a field where trad photography used to set the (static) scene, more and more snappers emerge from the shadows to explore the movie functions of their tools of the trade. Among them: 27-year-old trained photographer and director Sandra Birkner, who began her slow switch to fashion films more or less three years ago. Why the change? According to Sandra, fashion needs movement to breathe, to come into its own like the designs on a catwalk. At the same time, she aims to transcend the mere presentation of apparel; her clips set out to visualise the designer’s signature style far beyond the average runway appearance through the film’s narrative, sound and overall dramaturgy. Flanking the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2012, Birkner explores the realm of 32-year-old designer Hien Le’s beautifully understated sleek designs to capture his creative cosmos on film.

The premise and protagonist: Le’s current Spring/Summer 2012 collection, inspired by the 1960s/70s workwear of his Laotian parents and grandparents. “A lot of people kept saying that my style derived from my Asian heritage. For some reason, I always found this surprising as I, myself, feel more rooted in German or Scandinavian design. At the same time, it made me curious, so I started to do some research and began to incorporate those elements into my own signature style”, Hien Le explains. Feted as the new face of stylish Berlin minimalism at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Le is no fan of flashy looks or pompous statements. Instead, his fashion captivates with purist lines and high quality materials.

“Hien’s take on fashion requires an equally strong, clear-cut framework”, according to Sandra Birkner. Designed to let the collection speak for itself, her filmic version of his visions emphasises subtle accents instead. “I thought it was important to find a location that wouldn’t compete for the viewers’ attention, but one that would reflect the collection’s colour scheme.” Her final choice, Berlin’s International Congress Centre (ICC), is not only a prime example of futuristic late 1970s architecture, but also picks up on Le’s geometric compositions, giving his collection exactly the room to move and breathe that it requires: in flowing strides and without any needless extras.”

text by Nicole Urbschaft / mb!

TALENT FOR TALENT BERLIN MAKING OF

// CITY JOURNEY

// TEAM

Model
Sarah Cohen

Hair & Make Up
Odette Beja

// team

model
michael schwarze

fashion
melanie faulhaber

// SKINSCAPES FASHION FILM

// CONCEPT

Skinscapes is a fashion film presenting the A/W 2012 Collection, which is a diploma thesis by German fashion designer Melanie Faulhaber of the Düsseldorf University’s Design Department, Germany.
It was important to director Sandra Birkner to transfer the idea of the designer into the video. The concept of the film is, to abduct you in an unreal intangible world of presentation, sub coolness and arrogance. But the outside appearance is deceiving. Clothing is fashion, society and presentation and in a simple way to dress. Without clothing we are assailable. In nudity we cannot cover our uncertainty. If two people are presenting themselves and do not have the courage and uncertainty to overcome their minds are lost.Maybe the only way to come together is in a physical way. The middle part is about imagination and a wish we all have. We want proximity and love.
We also want to get out of our cover of clothing and be loved for our worth.

The 360-degree shot is the climax of the film. It shows that the presentation area offers security and that it gives them a safe feeling to stay in the world they know.
The location of this film is the new building of the Arp Museum Rolandseck, Germany, designed by the US American architect Richard Meyer. The film was realised as a low budget project and the crew worked for free. Getting the approval for the location was a great benefit. Therefore we were able to transmit all our ideas the way we wanted to. We worked 5 month on the fashion film starting in September 2010 until February 2011.
The film has been presented in the design departement fashion show at Tonhalle, Düsseldorf in Germany.

// CREDITS

Models
Caroline Bruchmann / Most Wanted Models Germany
Marcus Scheumann / Mega Models Germany

Fashion
Melanie Faulhaber
Producer / Director
Sandra Birkner

Director of Photography
Leif Thomas

1st Assistant Camera
Christiane Buchmann

Additional Photography
Max Wiemann

Gaffer
Max Tsui

Electrician
Simon Wandelt
Anniki Lee
Dominic Drolshagen

Producer Assistance
Jannike Stelling

Hair & Make Up
Lisa Binz

Editing
Leif Thomas
Sandra Birkner

Grading
Leif Thomas

Special Effects
Moritz Kleine-Büning
Max Daerr

Visual Effects
Philip Lumpp

Music
Mount Kimbie / Taps
Management Paul Rose Hotflush Recordings

Supported by
Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck
Shoot B&S
Design Department Düsseldorf
FH Dortmund
Management Paul Rose Hotflush Recordings - Mount Kimbie

// CREDITS

Model
Caro Bruchmann / Most Wanted Models

Fashion
Melanie Faulhaber

Producer / Director
Sandra Birkner

Director of Photography
Leif Thomas

1st Assistant Camera
Christiane Buchmann

Additional Photography
Max Wiemann

Gaffer
Max Tsui

Electrician
Simon Wandelt
Anniki Lee
Dominic Drolshagen

Producer Assistance
Jannike Stelling

Hair & Make Up
Lisa Binz

Editing
Sandra Birkner

Grading
Leif Thomas

Special Effects
Moritz Kleine-Büning
Max Daerr

Visual Effects
Philip Lumpp

Music
Bon Iver / Skinny Love

Supported by
Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck
Shoot B&S
Design Department Düsseldorf
FH Dortmund

// CREDITS

Model
Marcus Scheumann / Mega Models Germany

Fashion
Melanie Faulhaber

Producer / Director
Sandra Birkner

Director of Photography
Leif Thomas

1st Assistant Camera
Christiane Buchmann

Additional Photography
Max Wiemann

Gaffer
Max Tsui

Electrician
Simon Wandelt
Anniki Lee
Dominic Drolshagen

Producer Assistance
Jannike Stelling

Hair & Make Up
Lisa Binz

Editing
Sandra Birkner

Grading
Leif Thomas

Special Effects
Moritz Kleine-Büning
Max Daerr

Visual Effects
Philip Lumpp

Sounddesign
Lukas Schlaffke

Supported by
Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck
Shoot B&S
Design Department Düsseldorf
FH Dortmund

// AVALANCHE / REDUX FILM

// CREDITS

Installation by
Clemens Behr

Director / Producer
Sandra Birkner

Director of Photography
Martn Demmer

Editing
Edi Szekely

Model
Tanja Fassbender

Hair & Make Up
Lisa Binz

Music
Lorn / Bretagne

Supported by
Clemens Behr

[Show as slideshow]

Pictures by Philip Kistner

// SCHAURAUM 4

Vom 16. bis 18. Juli 2010 fand im Fachbereich Design der FH Dortmund Schauraum4 statt. Die Ausstellung zeigte rund 100 Arbeiten von unseren Absolventen, Fotoarbeiten, Plakate, Bücher, Installationen, interaktive Projekte, Erscheinungsbilder, Filme, Raumkonzepte und szenografische Inszenierungen ergänzten sich zu einer spannenden und ambitionierten Ausstellung.

// TRAILER

// TEAM

Sandra Birkner
Marvin Boiko
Jennifer Braun
Martin Demmer
Annika Feuss
Mailin Lemke
Martin Mascheski
Sebastian Müller
Jana Pechan
Jan Rocho
Vera Schäper
Caroline Seidel
Anna Wunderle

// team

model
paula

styling
melanie faulhaber

hair & make up
lisa binz

photographer assistant
annika feuss
jannike stelling

// ME LUSTING FASHION FILM

// CREDTIS

Model
Paula Zurynski

Producer / Director
Sandra Birkner

Assistant Director
Annika Feuss

Director of Photography
Max Wiemann
Amin Oussar

Second Camera
David Kilagoez

Lighting
Gil Ribeiro
Max Daerr

Lighting Assistant
Nadine Schwickart
Nikolai Ziener

Editing
Edi Szekely

Hair & Make Up
Lisa Binz

Set Design
Melanie Faulhaber
Sandra Birkner
Annika Feuss
Daniel Behn

// PETIT NOIR FASHION FILM

// CREDITS

Models
Hendrik Simon / Aquamarine Model Management
David Kilagoetz

Director / Producer
Sandra Birkner

Camera Departement
Leif Thomas
Max Wiemann

Lighting
Andreas Hillebrand
Gil Ribeiro

Editing and Grading
Edi Szekely

Styling
Riecke Jawando

Hair and Make Up
Lisa Binz

Set Photography
Jannike Stelling

Music
LCD Soundsystem – Losing my Edge
Management Keith Wood

Supported by
FH Dortmund
Management Keith Wood – LCD Soundsystem