How Two German Filmmmakers Conquered Los Angeles
Not only for businesses, but also for filmmakers the cultural differences between the USA and Germany can stand for opportunities. Whether you’re an American doing business in Germany, or a German artist creating your work in the US - the other culture might inspire you to see beyond what you know.
Open Doors to New Creativity
Anna-Maria Hora and her husband Markus Adrian are up-and-coming German filmmakers who learned first-hand that a scholarship at a Los Angeles’ cultural institution can open doors to new creativity. During their time as artists-in-residence at the Villa Aurora, the couple shot their latest film, a documentary about ex-gangsters turning artists. Day after day, Hora and Adrian took to the not so harmless streets of Watts and interviewed young creatives who used to be gang members. “After the Violence” will be shown in Los Angeles and in Germany when it’s done.
Beyond the Typical Hollywood Folks
In an interview, the two Germans admitted that if it hadn’t been for their scholarship at the Villa Aurora, they would have missed out on a career-determining opportunity. It was not only the fact that they had the chance to shoot in the streets of LA. It was, moreover, the experience of meeting American people beyond the typical Hollywood folks and learning about a completely different side of California living - a side that’s marked by struggle, danger, and the fight for survival. And yet, there’s room for creative freedom and beautiful art on the other side.
My hope is that Hora and Adrian’s experience is an inspiration for other German artists who’d like to test the waters in Los Angeles and vice versa. That’s why I interviewed the German filmmakers during their stay in LA. The entire 3-series interview with Anna-Maria Hora and Markus Adrian is available in German on YouTube. You will find an English transcript of a part of the interview below. Enjoy and be inspired!
Hora and Adrian Filming in Watts
“People on the street meet you with an open heart”
Interview with Hora and Adrian
Nina Grenningloh: When you’re going back to Germany after a three-month stay in LA, what do you take back with you from your experience?
Adrian: Our time in LA was like a second life. We could forget everything German for three months. We were only speaking English, meeting people who had stories to tell. We learned a lot about this society. We gained an insight into the Hollywood glamour world, but we also saw the other side of this city, which is much bigger. The poor districts, the poverty, and the life struggle that people who’re living there are trying to cope with. In three months LA, as much happened as in six months Berlin. We did it all: parties, dinners, filming, night shoots in Watts, encounters with the police… It was so much to take in that we will probably need a good amount of time to process everything.
Hora: People in LA are much more open. Maybe it’s the weather, I don’t know, but people on the street meet you with an open heart. If I went into the grocery store in LA, not being in my best mood, out of the blue shoppers would start singing and dancing to the music that was playing over the speakers. I was at first irritated. Then, I went to the register, and the cashier made me a nice compliment on my earrings. Her flattering remark immediately put me in a better mood…
Adrian: Now, just imagine a cashier at a German supermarket would pay you such a compliment. You would probably be very confused. What’s very common in Los Angeles, would be perceived as a strange act in Germany. In Germany, you would probably be annoyed and think: Why is she talking to me?
Yet, this kind of small talk that’s part of daily life in the US is actually really good. Coming from Germany, I have forgotten how to converse like that. In LA, people seem to be aware of the fact that that’s part of who they are as humans. They need to talk. So they meet as strangers and start talking about anything that comes to mind.
Hora: Life here is characterized by this kind of openness and friendliness. It’s not superficialness. They rather use this kind of talk to check out their similarities. And if there are none, that’s not a big deal. Then it’s just “Have a nice day!” But you will never feel bad.
Adrian: And that’s what it’s all about. The good feeling that I have shapes the quality of my lifetime. In result, I spend more time in LA with a great feeling than in Germany. And that’s a great plus for my life as a whole, as well as for the moment. I can walk down these steps, find out that I have brain cancer and die soon. But I know I’ve had a lot of happy moments, whereas in Germany, I sit around and fret about something.
Hora: I’m sure we will take this home with us, this prejudice that Americans are superficial. We did not experience that at all. And we will spread the word in Germany.
NG: Do you have any plans to come back to the US to shoot?
Adrian: Certainly. We will no doubt come back and film again in the US if the opportunity presents itself. They have great professionals and a fantastic film industry in the US.
Hora: Concretely, we have a documentary in preproduction in New York. On the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, we are planning to shoot a documentary about this photographer who took pictures and filmed the catastrophe in Manhattan in 2001. We will start filming this year, and the film will be ready in time for the anniversary.
Want Better Communication? What We Can Learn from Olympic Athletes
If you’ve been watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver like me, you may have been impressed at the level of performance and the triumphs of these top athletes. And no matter what nation, every single Olympic athlete seems to have that same dedication and that mental strength that makes them reach for the gold medal. I believe that we can learn from the Olympians and apply these strengths to become a better communicator. No matter what language you speak, what country you’re from and what communications goal you want to achieve - the following Olympic qualities can help all of us to go for gold in our lives.
Determination
Not only aim Olympic athletes higher than others (Remember: No dreams are too big!) but they are absolutely determined to achieve their goal. Apply determination to your communications strategy and you will find yourself more focused and more thorough in your approach. If you’re planning on delivering an inspiring speech that will affect people’s way of seeing your brand or services, add a portion of Olympic determination to your speech writing recipe - and you’ll finish boldly. Determination can change your mindset from “just getting things done somehow” to creating powerful content that will surpass your own and other people’s expectations.
Persistence
Olympic athletes might get injured during training, or they might experience personal hardship like Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette whose mother died unexpectedly a few days before she competed in Vancouver - no matter what kind of hurdles these athletes have to face, they gather the strength to overcome them. Their “never give up” - attitude can help you cope with any communications crisis. Before you bury your head in the sand, think twice, learn from your mistakes or your bad luck and let it inspire you to come out even stronger. Joannie Rochette won the bronze medal despite her grief - if she can do it, so can you. All you need is a healthy portion of persistence.
Stand the Pressure
Let’s face it. It’s not easy to compete in any Olympic discipline while the whole world is watching. Athletes like American Alpine ski racers Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn know what it’s like to feel the pressure. The key is to find a way for you to remain calm so that you can focus on your performance and not think about the stress. American short track speedskater Apolo Ohno yawns before he starts a race in order to put himself in a zen-like state. What’s your technique to stand the pressure? If you don’t know yet, go and find out, and I’m sure your communcations performance will profit from it next time you have to stand the pressure.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
Olympic athletes talk a lot about how they prepare for a competition. All of them dedicate hours and hours every day and week after week to train for their chance of a lifetime. Preparation is also key to any exceptional communications initiative - if you follow the motto “overprepare, then go with the flow”, no unexpected situation can catch you off guard. Like the Olympic winter athletes who prepare for different weather conditions or a difficult slope, you should prepare for any communications obstacle that might cross your path - and when it comes, take it on powerfully and with confidence.
Never go without Support
Parents, friends, doctors, coaches - no Olympic athlete can do the job alone. Why should you? Olympic atheletes feed off of their support group and achieve peak performances due to the assistance and encouragement their receive. Whatever your communication needs, you don’t have to do it alone. Hire a professional copywriter if you can’t do it yourself, ask for help from a social media guru to tackle your online marketing project, fall back on your friend who happens to be an SEO expert - if you get your support group together, you can be more powerful than ever.
Wishing you your Olympic communications moment!
Interview with Austrian Designer Emil Gampe, Expert Winner of BRAVO TV’s “Launch My Line”
Just recently, I reported about 2 successful Austrians in Hollywood: actor Christoph Waltz and filmmaker Michael Haneke. Now, Hollywood honors another talented Austrian: On Feb 3rd 2010, BRAVO TV announced that fashion designer Emil Gampe and his show partner Kathy Rose are the Season One’s winners of “Launch My Line”. Together, Emil and Kathy collaborated on the successful fashion line titled ‘Native Rose’ which beat out nine other contestants marking them the first ever winners of ‘Launch My Line’.
Emil and Kathy created the winning look
BRAVO TV developed the new fashion reality show to follow up on the success of “Project Runway” hosted by German top model Heidi Klum. In “Launch My Line”, Emil Gampe was teamed up with jewelry designer Kathy Rose to guide her through the competition of ten teams towards the launch of her own fashion line. The celebrated designer twins, Dean and Dan Katen from DSQUARED2, a hip fashion brand based in Milan, are the hosts of the show. Together with other celebrity judges from the world of fashion like Stefani Greenfield and Lisa Kline they judged all the contestants’ creations deciding that Kathy and Emil had designed the winning look.
After his win, we interviewed Emil Gampe to learn more about his experience at “Launch My Line” and what his success means for his future as an Austrian fashion designer in the US.
Nina Grenningloh: Congratulations! You’re the (expert) winner of “Launch My Line”, the designer show on Bravo TV. What do you think was it about your team that convinced the judges to pick your design as the winner?
Emil Gampe: The idea of the show was to create a fashion line, not just individual looks. The judges decided that our collection was the most cohesive one, balanced in colors, fabric choice, and design. And they thought that the market would respond well to it.
NG: The show was hosted by designers Dean and Dan Katen from DSQUARED2. The judges’ panel was lead by Stefanie Greenfield - in how far did it motivate you to work around such high-profile industry people?
EG: It was great to work with judges that are so talented and respectable. All of them really knew what they were talking about. Their comments and constructive criticism were very valuable in the process of creating the line. And on a personal level: They are really nice people!
NG: You are already a very successful fashion designer running your own line EMIL couture. Why did you decide to participate in “Launch My Line” on Bravo?
EG: I wanted to use my exposure through the show to built out my couture label strongly into the red carpet direction. I would love to get people wearing EMIL at the Oscars and other major events. In addition, I am looking for an investor to launch my own first ready-to-wear collection.
NG: What was the most challenging design that you created on the show?
EG: The black jumpsuit was the most difficult for me to do. I am specialized in dresses and gowns and have not done pants in a while….But the hard work paid off. The jumpsuit won the episode and was sold out very quickly on Rue La La .
Emil Gampe photographed by Tom Zeleny
NG: You won the show. What comes next for Emil Gampe?
EG: I want to find more time for my own line and scale back on consulting work. This transition will require active partners and investors that I hope to acquire next.
NG: You’re originally from Austria where you started your career. You then moved to London to study fashion design and you worked at a couture design house in London before you moved to the US. Why did you move to the US to proceed with your own line? Why not stay in Europe?
EG: I first visited the US when I was in my teens and could already feel back then that this country fits the size of my dreams. In the US, I strongly experienced that everything is possible if I use my talents and work hard. Vienna and London were the stepping stones to realize my dreams of working in New York and Los Angeles.
NG: Thanks, Emil, for your time.
Emil wants to encourage people who are interested in his couture work for red carpet or are thinking to invest into his ready-to-wear line to contact him. Interested parties can get in touch with Emil through his website.
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