Heads of the week: Cross-media on the move
The long-established film production company Wirz & Fraefel Productions has merged with Techo, a specialist in corporate films and new media. Ernst, Stefan, and Levente now operate under the name WirzFraefelPaal.
With its quality standards in terms of photography and look, Wirz & Fraefel set standards early on in Swiss commercial production. In two decades, the company has won four Cannes Lions and countless other awards. In addition, five of the eight best spots that were awarded at the ADC special judging "40 Years of TV Advertising" were created at Wirz & Fraefel. "When you work with Ernst Wirz as a director, the atmosphere on the set is very pleasant. Ernst is one of the great experts who no longer has to prove himself all the time. This calmness allows for a lot of creativity," says Markus Ruf, who has been working with Wirz & Fraefel for years.
Matthias Freuler from Wirz Werbung also shows great respect for the doyen of Swiss advertising film. Together with Ernst Wirz, he shot countless commercials for Die Mobiliar, which won him a Golden Lion in Cannes. Finally, a whole series of spots for Migros, which Wirz & Fraefel produced for Publicis over many years, has become a cult. But even after the most beautiful happy ending, the audience is still waiting for a new film. For this reason, Ernst Wirz and Stefan Fraefel decided to let their experience from over two decades of film fade into a new chapter.
"We have always been characterized by a pioneering spirit and curiosity. Now, even in the age of new media, we want to be open to all coming developments together with our customers," explains Stefan Fraefel. In order to be able to guarantee full service in all areas of the moving image in the future, Wirz & Fraefel has expanded and has now joined forces with Levente Paal from Techo to form a new company. This continues the growth strategy at the tradition-rich studio on Zurich's Forchstrasse, following the integration of GLASS Films with Cello Schnyder at the end of 2008.
"The fact that cross-media advertising is becoming increasingly important and that online advertising continues to grow significantly is a fact that no one disputes today," explains Fraefel. Younger target groups, in particular, can hardly be addressed any more through the exclusive use of classic channels. What is needed is an innovative mix, i.e. exciting ideas and forms of advertising that work across all media. "For optimum impact, classic advertising should always be combined with interactive media," says Levente Paal. And Fraefel adds: "In this highly specialized multimedia environment, agencies depend on competent contacts." For the respective target group to experience a message as optimally as possible today, it must be precisely matched to the reproduction medium or even specially designed and produced for it.
The full width
With its combined experience, WirzFraefelPaal can now offer an even broader range of cross-media services. The company produces content for mobile devices, DVD, the Internet and for digital TV and cinema. WFP also advises agencies on the development of interactive applications and conceives media designs and interfaces. As early as 2001, for example, a self-updating CD-ROM was developed for PET Recycling that integrated current data from the Internet. In 2003, the team shot Internet commercials for Swisscom Fixnet in South Africa, which were so successful that they were subsequently also used as TV spots. In 2007, Internet portraits in extreme image formats followed for Ikea Business and, at the end of 2008, the first alternate reality game in Switzerland for Die Mobiliar.
Behind WirzFraefelPaal are the two Executive Producers Stefan Fraefel and Levente Paal as well as 18 employees from various departments. In addition, an illustrious network of international specialists has been built up over the years. The company also maintains a close partnership with screenwriter Benito Müller and concept designer Daniel Boschung. The partner for branding and CI projects is the Zurich agency Scholtysik Niederberger Kraft, which was jointly responsible for the development of the brand strategy and the appearance of Freitag, among other things.
With Cello Schnyder, Tobias Weber, Pierre Monnard and of course Ernst Wirz, WirzFraefelPaal exclusively offers four experienced directors who have learned their craft from scratch and cover a broad creative corporate and spot spectrum. In addition, WirzFraefelPaal regularly works with international directors such as Stephen Hiam (England), ¬Sebastian Alfie (Argentina), Julien Eudes (France) as well as Jenny Allmendinger (Germany).
The newly merged production company is thus positioned to continue to shape the way Swiss advertising and image films are made in the future - on both classic and cross-media channels.
Andreas Panzeri
Stefan Fraefel
worked for various film productions after his training as a video technician and editor. He was one of the first video editors in the country - first on Betacam, then on Switzerland's first Avid editing suite. At the age of 23, he founded Spectra Films, where he served as producer, director and editor. In 1986, the foundation of Techo-Films followed. In 1988, together with Ernst Wirz, he built up Wirz & Fraefel Productions. Together, the two won virtually all the major awards in the international commercial film industry. Fraefel is president of the tennis section of the Racing Club Zurich and also in the soccer and golf sections of the
RSC active.
Levente Paal
trained as a social pedagogue and went on to become a theater pedagogue. Soon after, the film virus took hold of him and he worked for several years as a director, editor and video technician. With the advent of the Internet, further training as a screen communicator followed. As managing director and partner of Techo AG, he produced countless films for corporate clients as well as TV and cinema spots. Today he is managing director of the newly merged company WirzFraefelPaal together with Stefan Fraefel. Levente is a board member of the Swiss Film Association and a striker for FC Wollishofen. He loves powerful engines on two and four wheels.
Matthias Freuler from Wirz Werbung also shows great respect for the doyen of Swiss advertising film. Together with Ernst Wirz, he shot countless commercials for Die Mobiliar, which won him a Golden Lion in Cannes. Finally, a whole series of spots for Migros, which Wirz & Fraefel produced for Publicis over many years, has become a cult. But even after the most beautiful happy ending, the audience is still waiting for a new film. For this reason, Ernst Wirz and Stefan Fraefel decided to let their experience from over two decades of film fade into a new chapter.
"We have always been characterized by a pioneering spirit and curiosity. Now, even in the age of new media, we want to be open to all coming developments together with our customers," explains Stefan Fraefel. In order to be able to guarantee full service in all areas of the moving image in the future, Wirz & Fraefel has expanded and has now joined forces with Levente Paal from Techo to form a new company. This continues the growth strategy at the tradition-rich studio on Zurich's Forchstrasse, following the integration of GLASS Films with Cello Schnyder at the end of 2008.
"The fact that cross-media advertising is becoming increasingly important and that online advertising continues to grow significantly is a fact that no one disputes today," explains Fraefel. Younger target groups, in particular, can hardly be addressed any more through the exclusive use of classic channels. What is needed is an innovative mix, i.e. exciting ideas and forms of advertising that work across all media. "For optimum impact, classic advertising should always be combined with interactive media," says Levente Paal. And Fraefel adds: "In this highly specialized multimedia environment, agencies depend on competent contacts." For the respective target group to experience a message as optimally as possible today, it must be precisely matched to the reproduction medium or even specially designed and produced for it.
The full width
With its combined experience, WirzFraefelPaal can now offer an even broader range of cross-media services. The company produces content for mobile devices, DVD, the Internet and for digital TV and cinema. WFP also advises agencies on the development of interactive applications and conceives media designs and interfaces. As early as 2001, for example, a self-updating CD-ROM was developed for PET Recycling that integrated current data from the Internet. In 2003, the team shot Internet commercials for Swisscom Fixnet in South Africa, which were so successful that they were subsequently also used as TV spots. In 2007, Internet portraits in extreme image formats followed for Ikea Business and, at the end of 2008, the first alternate reality game in Switzerland for Die Mobiliar.
Behind WirzFraefelPaal are the two Executive Producers Stefan Fraefel and Levente Paal as well as 18 employees from various departments. In addition, an illustrious network of international specialists has been built up over the years. The company also maintains a close partnership with screenwriter Benito Müller and concept designer Daniel Boschung. The partner for branding and CI projects is the Zurich agency Scholtysik Niederberger Kraft, which was jointly responsible for the development of the brand strategy and the appearance of Freitag, among other things.
With Cello Schnyder, Tobias Weber, Pierre Monnard and of course Ernst Wirz, WirzFraefelPaal exclusively offers four experienced directors who have learned their craft from scratch and cover a broad creative corporate and spot spectrum. In addition, WirzFraefelPaal regularly works with international directors such as Stephen Hiam (England), ¬Sebastian Alfie (Argentina), Julien Eudes (France) as well as Jenny Allmendinger (Germany).
The newly merged production company is thus positioned to continue to shape the way Swiss advertising and image films are made in the future - on both classic and cross-media channels.
Andreas Panzeri
Stefan Fraefel
worked for various film productions after his training as a video technician and editor. He was one of the first video editors in the country - first on Betacam, then on Switzerland's first Avid editing suite. At the age of 23, he founded Spectra Films, where he served as producer, director and editor. In 1986, the foundation of Techo-Films followed. In 1988, together with Ernst Wirz, he built up Wirz & Fraefel Productions. Together, the two won virtually all the major awards in the international commercial film industry. Fraefel is president of the tennis section of the Racing Club Zurich and also in the soccer and golf sections of the
RSC active.
Levente Paal
trained as a social pedagogue and went on to become a theater pedagogue. Soon after, the film virus took hold of him and he worked for several years as a director, editor and video technician. With the advent of the Internet, further training as a screen communicator followed. As managing director and partner of Techo AG, he produced countless films for corporate clients as well as TV and cinema spots. Today he is managing director of the newly merged company WirzFraefelPaal together with Stefan Fraefel. Levente is a board member of the Swiss Film Association and a striker for FC Wollishofen. He loves powerful engines on two and four wheels.
Furniture cigar.
Suva Melon.
