Master of precision mechanics
Martin Fueter is celebrating his 40th year with Condor Communications.
Martin Fueter is celebrating his 40th year of service at Condor Communications and actually wanted to become a car mechanic. But in a family where all members of the descendants of Anne-Marie Blanc and Heinrich Fueter work in the media industry to this day, this was a difficult undertaking. The Zurich Schauspielhaus enticed the boy with his first appearance as Walterli in Schiller's "Tell". Later, the dream of a car was replaced by a role as Jöggi in the feature film "S Vreneli vom Eggisberg". Fortunately, however, the weather was bad for weeks during this production, so Martin was able to move away from acting and into an at least semi-technical profession. While the film crew waited for days for sunshine in the mountains, a young still photographer taught the then secondary school student how to develop photos. In the hotel bathroom, they spent hours "bathing" together. Back in the Condor building, Fueter immediately set up a proper laboratory. He had found his calling. The photographer became a cameraman - on a self-taught path. Eventually, his career led him to become an assistant, editor, director and finally producer. Today he can look back on his involvement in more than 3000 films.
His first professional works were reports that Martin Fueter shot at weekends while still at grammar school. For example, a gossip film about Jackie Kennedy skiing with her children. Here, the young reporter stole the show from all the other paparazzi in St. Moritz because he had mounted rear tips on his skis and still managed to ski better than the president's wife. "I learned that from Art Furrer," recalls Fueter - and you can imagine that he could go on telling anecdotes for hours.
His idea to set up a separate commercials department at Condor in 1965 became more than a footnote in film history. When television needed more and more commercials after the introduction of advertising, Martin Fueter "recognized the gap". For his father, this was "considered advertising". The patron preferred to look after the "scientific films" department as well as commissioned films, which were shown as supporting films in cinemas at the time. Because father Fueter regarded some advertisers as "uncultivated brushes", he did not want to interfere too much in his son's new business. "This allowed me to work very independently and it was wonderful," recalls Martin Fueter.
His brother Peter Christian had a harder time. PC, as he is known, first embarked on a career in theater and returned to his father's department at the urging of the family council - because he had to cut back after a heart attack. PC later massively expanded the TV production department. Together, the two brothers are still proud of the fact that they won an Oscar with Xavier Koller's "Journey of Hope" for Condor in 1991.
Among his numerous works for advertising, Martin Fueter's Unesco spot "Mädchen", for which he won a Lion in Cannes, stands out. He also fondly remembers the Sinalco commercial with the splashing glass. "As a car tech in disguise, I still love the technical dimensions of filming," he says.
He is also pleased with his achievements in setting up the Young Directors Award at the European Commercials Association, where he represents Switzerland. He was also inspired by his involvement as a member of the board of directors of Zurich's Neumarkt Theater. Nicolas Baerlocher from the presidential department of the city of Zurich and ex-Condor man had suggested him at the time because they had high hopes of his talent for "organizing money". Fueter gave himself ten years for the stage, "and it was worth it". As an advertiser, he says, you have to take a wide variety of ideas from
of culture "like a sponge".
Today, Fueter is most happy about his family. His son Michael is a sought-after director. The second-born Oliver was an editor at Radio 24 and now sits in front of the microphone at Radio DRS. Daughter Corinna was a special needs teacher for the disabled. After a burn-out, she too has now switched to the media business and works as a production assistant at "Lüthi & Blanc". Previously, she was the only one of the Fueter clan who didn't want to work in the media industry. "Now this bastion has also fallen," summarizes Fueter, who now wants to arrange his succession with solid backing. "From the
January 1, 2005, I'll only be working 50 percent," he promises. He plans to spend the rest of his time "cooking" in his vacation home in Burgundy.
Andreas Panzeri
His first professional works were reports that Martin Fueter shot at weekends while still at grammar school. For example, a gossip film about Jackie Kennedy skiing with her children. Here, the young reporter stole the show from all the other paparazzi in St. Moritz because he had mounted rear tips on his skis and still managed to ski better than the president's wife. "I learned that from Art Furrer," recalls Fueter - and you can imagine that he could go on telling anecdotes for hours.
His idea to set up a separate commercials department at Condor in 1965 became more than a footnote in film history. When television needed more and more commercials after the introduction of advertising, Martin Fueter "recognized the gap". For his father, this was "considered advertising". The patron preferred to look after the "scientific films" department as well as commissioned films, which were shown as supporting films in cinemas at the time. Because father Fueter regarded some advertisers as "uncultivated brushes", he did not want to interfere too much in his son's new business. "This allowed me to work very independently and it was wonderful," recalls Martin Fueter.
His brother Peter Christian had a harder time. PC, as he is known, first embarked on a career in theater and returned to his father's department at the urging of the family council - because he had to cut back after a heart attack. PC later massively expanded the TV production department. Together, the two brothers are still proud of the fact that they won an Oscar with Xavier Koller's "Journey of Hope" for Condor in 1991.
Among his numerous works for advertising, Martin Fueter's Unesco spot "Mädchen", for which he won a Lion in Cannes, stands out. He also fondly remembers the Sinalco commercial with the splashing glass. "As a car tech in disguise, I still love the technical dimensions of filming," he says.
He is also pleased with his achievements in setting up the Young Directors Award at the European Commercials Association, where he represents Switzerland. He was also inspired by his involvement as a member of the board of directors of Zurich's Neumarkt Theater. Nicolas Baerlocher from the presidential department of the city of Zurich and ex-Condor man had suggested him at the time because they had high hopes of his talent for "organizing money". Fueter gave himself ten years for the stage, "and it was worth it". As an advertiser, he says, you have to take a wide variety of ideas from
of culture "like a sponge".
Today, Fueter is most happy about his family. His son Michael is a sought-after director. The second-born Oliver was an editor at Radio 24 and now sits in front of the microphone at Radio DRS. Daughter Corinna was a special needs teacher for the disabled. After a burn-out, she too has now switched to the media business and works as a production assistant at "Lüthi & Blanc". Previously, she was the only one of the Fueter clan who didn't want to work in the media industry. "Now this bastion has also fallen," summarizes Fueter, who now wants to arrange his succession with solid backing. "From the
January 1, 2005, I'll only be working 50 percent," he promises. He plans to spend the rest of his time "cooking" in his vacation home in Burgundy.
Andreas Panzeri
