Director/cinematographer Lutz Hattenhauer has joined Grand Large, marking his first representation in the U.S. Hattenhauer has also just wrapped his first Grand Large project–for Porsche out of Chicago agency Cramer-Krasselt.
The signing of Hattenhauer is the latest move for Grand Large, which last month signed director Katie Bell and in January added director Favourite Colour: Black.
According to Steve Horton, founder and executive producer at Grand Large, who attended the Porsche shoot in Barcelona, “Lutz is great at communicating his creative ideas and getting everyone on board. His constant collaboration sets up a really positive environment.”
Hattenhauer got his start in Germany as a stills photographer who migrated to the camera department, eventually working as a DP on films, documentaries and commercials. Explaining his move into directing, he shared, “Some people are totally happy spending their days on airplanes, going from job to job. But that’s not me. The time a DP can spend on a job to contribute his or her visual talent and ideas has become shorter and shorter. So I switched.”
In addition to Porsche, Hattenhauer has directed for BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz. He also is a sports enthusiast and has directed spots for Casio G-Shock and Adidas that demonstrate his ease at working in high altitudes and under extreme conditions.
“I am still operating the camera on half of my shoots,” said Hattenhauer. “But I enjoy being the director, and am very happy when someone surprises me with ideas as to framing or an angle that I didn’t have in mind already.”
Hattenhauer joins a Grand Large roster that also includes award-winning female directors Julie Taymor, Gaysorn Thavat, Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Tracey Rowe, as well as Bell and fashion/beauty newcomer Elle, in addition to Tom Kan, Tran Anh Hung, and Favourite Colour: Black.
