dam office, Schmerberg ran into Kamen in late ’97 in London. "We found out he was an agent and I was a director," says Schmerberg. "We met the next day to look at each other’s work, and on that same day I signed with @radical.media."
That kind of decisionmaking on the fly has been typical of Schmerberg’s career. When the director left his native Stuttgart, Germany, to spend several years traveling, he packed a camera. "After one day of doing photos, I said, ‘I’m a photographer.’ I knew it. People thought I was crazy, but I meant it. I didn’t go to school or assist another photographer. I really did it on my own. I wanted to shoot pictures, not learn how to shoot pictures."
That led to a career shooting print ads. Then in ’94, Schmerberg had an opportunity to direct a commercial. That bug bit, and led to a successful career as a director of German commercials and music videos. Schmerberg continues to shoot stills for personal enjoyment, and does second-unit photography on film projects. "I like to work with DPs, but I always like to shoot a little bit with the second camera," he says.
In ’95, Schmerberg formed Trigger Happy Productions, Stuttgart, with partner/executive producer Sigrid Maier-Schöenung. Two years later, the company moved to Berlin. "Berlin is the best town to be in," he says. "It’s an incredible place at the moment. Everything is possible. It has unbelievable creativity, with nightlife, parties, filmmaking, art."
Schmerberg, who recently directed MasterCard’s "Spirit Of Youth," for McCann-Erickson, New York, says that lately, boards having been coming in from the U.S. and Europe, though he still isn’t called for many dialogue-driven spots. "Most dialogue in spots is stupid," he says. "As a foreigner working in the American or English market, if it comes to dialogue or local humor, the agencies prefer to take their home market people. … I always try to look for the creative’s idea, [and] what best fits my own personal interests in life," he says. "It makes no difference where the board comes from. In the end, you read a piece of paper and what you read is the reality of what is done on this project so far, and that’s what makes me pick it up or let it fall."
Schmerberg’s most recent project is the client-direct "The Beach," which he filmed in Rio de Janeiro for The Travel Channel. "All they wanted me to do was to get a strong impact of remembrance and feelings of people who connect with the beach," says Schmerberg. "We lived on the beach for a week and shot the daily lives of the people."
When he’s not helming spots and videos, Schmerberg directs and produces feature documentaries. In ’97, through Trigger Happy, Schmerberg made Hommage à Noir, a dialogue-free, visual and musical tribute to the people of contemporary Africa. He is currently working on Poem, an experimental film based on German poetry that is being produced jointly by Trigger Happy and @radical.media. "I always want to do other things than advertisements and music videos to refresh my mind," he says. "It’s what a lot of directors do. Not every hour I spend in my life is to make money."c
