Asude: Hi Clemens, thank you for giving us the opportunity to have a chat with you! We, as edelkrone team, are a fan of your work. That’s why, we’d like to get to know you much better. So, could you give us a brief background about yourself and more importantly, how did you get started with videography?
Clemens: I was born and raised in a beautiful little city in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck / Austria on August 10,1984. As a child our grandpa showed us some super-8 family films from time to time. It was always very magical... handling the film strip, the sound of the old rattling projector and the vintage pictures have always been very fascinating for me. Later on, my dad shot some holiday movies with a 90’s VHS camera. This was the time where we kids started skateboarding and sometimes we borrowed my dad’s camera to capture our cool tricks, flips, slides and much more fails! Then, in 2006, I experimented with a mini dv camera and made one of my first short films. It was a short stop-motion film which I made to impress a girl. I think this was really the time when I started to fell in love with filmmaking. In 2008, I started my studies and saved my money to buy the legendary Canon 5D Mark II. For me (and I think many other people as well) this camera was a game-changer and the real start of my videography “career”. I’ve studied Arts & Design at the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg with a focus on film and motion graphics. Since 2011, I work as a director and visual artist. I specialized in macro photography, miniatures and title design. I always try to have a good balance between free projects and commercial projects.
A: You’re right, Canon 5D Mark II remained a top choice for quite a lot of time. Also, speaking of free and commercial projects, what was the video project you earned your first money?
C: This was back in 2009 during my studies, where I did get contacted by Radium Audio, a London based music and sound design company, to do some motion graphics for a behind the scene video. It was a big honor for me to work with such a well-known professional studio and I was really proud at that time to earn my first own money in this kind of industry. Short after finishing my studies in Arts and Design back in 2011, I was given the chance to make the main titles for the BBC film “The Borrowers”. It was very exciting and the start of my self-employment.
A: Your work is obviously very unique and companies are right to discover it so quickly. Up to day, you have so many different project such as Helfende Hand 2017, Macro Kingdom Trilogy, Kinsetsu, Herbst and all of them are unique in their own ways. Could you describe your unique videography style for us and our readers?
C: It’s hard to describe the style I follow, because I work in different fields; it’s mostly a combination of many disciplines (life action, photography, stop-motion, motion graphics, animation, typography, etc.). I’m always trying to have a very calm, smooth camera movement. I work very experimental, mostly macro and try to be very detailed. Music and sound design is very important for me (50% picture, 50% sound).
A: Despite being smooth, your projects are very detailed, thus need quite a lot attention and we think that’s what makes them so unique & fascinating! “Making of Helfende Hand” is one of the most beautiful examples that proves how much effort your projects require. So, there’s a huge preparation behind all these beautiful scenes! Could you tell us about these preparations you make before you begin filming?
C: That varies from project to project. Sometimes pre-production is the key to everything, sometimes I just start experimenting without any sort of concept. On bigger projects, you sure need a nailed down concept with a detailed storyboard etc. but sometimes the spontaneity and creativity are lost when you just stick to that. I’m always a fan of some open space in the concept to see what happens during the whole process.
A: These make very good points. So, what’s the equipment you generally bring to a set to film these incredible projects?
C: That could be quite a lot, but I can tell you which gear I always have with me in my camera backpack: Canon 5D Mark III (with magic lantern raw hack), Canon 24-105mm, Canon 100mm macro, Sigma 50mm macro, 14mm lens, Sony RX100IV, edelkrone SliderONE, Motion Kit and FlexTILT Head, Zoom H2 recorder, Zacuto Z-finder, and a tripod.
A: So, do you prefer buying or renting your filmmaking equipment?
C: Both, but I prefer buying if it’s profitable in long term and I if can afford it :)
A: The Bonanza Festival is your latest project! Even the teaser looks very mesmerizing. And, you made it very clear that all illustrations have been animated and projected with a beamer. And, there’s also the project “Gravity”, we wonder what software do you use for post-production?
C: Adobe Premiere, After Effects & all sort of plugins, Photoshop, Illustrator, Mocha and sometimes a little bit of Cinema4D.
A: It’s not impossible to guess the answer but have you ever received an award before?
C: Yes I did a few, but the ones I’m most proud of are two ‘excellence in title design’ Nominations at the SXSW Film festival in Austin/Texas. 2011: Herbst main titles, 2016: Measuring Evil
A: Having become someone who deserves such admiration, what is the best piece of advice you could give to other filmmakers?
C: Enable auto save and backup each files twice.
The best things in life aren't things.
A: Excellent advice! :) And, what do you think about the future of filmmaking with the technology is advancing so fast?
C: I have mixed feelings about that... Sure, we live in very exciting times regarding the technology and the capabilities of the cameras - more pixels, higher frame rates, better lowlight sensibility, more dynamic range etc. but in my opinion it’s advancing too fast. Each months or even weeks, new cameras are revealed and the market is getting overwhelmed with new gear. I may be old school, but I’m not a big fan of VR. I think we lag behind the fast advancing technology, not only regarding cameras and gear, but in general.
A: So, last but not least, could you tell us your biggest ambition for the future?
C: Try to live healthier.