Glass becomes very British
Marcello Schnyder is recruiting new talent in London for his film production company, Glass
Marcello Schnyder is recruiting new talent in London for his film production company GlassBy Andreas Panzeri The Zurich-based advertising film production company Glass has adopted new structures: Marcello Schnyder wants to work with a permanent roster of young talent from London in the future. Glass has also signed exclusive contracts for Switzerland with the international
cinematographers Steve Downer and Daniel Pearl.
For over ten years, Marcello Schnyder has spent at least three months a year in London for the post-production of his advertising films. During this time, he has made many contacts with new and young specialists from the film industry, which Schnyder now wants to use for a personnel reorientation of his Zurich-based Glass Film.
"Until now, we have mainly worked with our own people. In future, I want to build up a base of freelance directors with a few young talents from London that we can represent in Switzerland," explains Schnyder.
The Zurich-London connection with filmmaker Emma and her team has taken on its first concrete form. Emma, born in London to Swiss parents, sought contact with Glass to work in Switzerland. With her fast-paced film language and unconventional stories, which are often set against a realistic background, the young director immediately won over the Zurich production company with her showreel. With a budget of just CHF 25,000, Emma subsequently produced her first commercial for Adelboden. The story arouses curiosity with underwater shots of a playful couple. Within 15 seconds, it is revealed that this couple is frolicking in a bathtub for cows. In the background, the vacation resort of Adelboden beckons with its Alpine wellness.
The other new people at Glass are specialists who have so far mainly worked in post-production in the British metropolis and now want to apply their sound technical knowledge as directors. "Such people are much better suited to today's spot productions than filmmakers who come from a more narrative film background," Schnyder is convinced. Such disguised or even successful feature film directors often shoot far too many and wrong shots, which are either not needed at all or can only be processed with difficulty in the increasingly tricky electronic post-production.
Schnyder binds top cameramen to Glass
As a representative of a new generation of directors in the commercial sector, Glass wants to work with Stephen Hiam, for example. "Hiam's many years as a compositor at Red Post now allow him to shoot specifically for post-production," says Schnyder. Nevertheless, he is keen to realize as much as possible in the camera in order to achieve a harmonious image, "even though practically everything can be done digitally today".
Steve Downer is a man of the camera. In his micro-world, most of his actors are only a few millimetres in size. "He uses special lenses to perfectly capture everything from water droplets to insects," says Schnyder, who operates in a similar micro-world with his Coop commercials. In future, Downer will work exclusively for Glass in Switzerland, as will Daniel Pearl. The star cameraman from Los Angeles won the first MTV Cinematography Award in 1984 with The Police's "Every Breath You Take". Since then, he has shot over 900 music videos and commercials.
In addition to the Swiss Luzius Sprüngli, Simon Cracknell and the duo Trifecta will bring a breath of fresh air to the business at Badenerstrasse 109 in Zurich. Behind Trifecta are graphic designers Dan Williams and Glyn Tebbutt, who have already realized various animated music videos and TV trailers in London.
The hard core of Glass is now only formed by Cello Schnyder as director and Gabi Benz as producer.
Manifesto comes to Zurich
cinematographers Steve Downer and Daniel Pearl.
For over ten years, Marcello Schnyder has spent at least three months a year in London for the post-production of his advertising films. During this time, he has made many contacts with new and young specialists from the film industry, which Schnyder now wants to use for a personnel reorientation of his Zurich-based Glass Film.
"Until now, we have mainly worked with our own people. In future, I want to build up a base of freelance directors with a few young talents from London that we can represent in Switzerland," explains Schnyder.
The Zurich-London connection with filmmaker Emma and her team has taken on its first concrete form. Emma, born in London to Swiss parents, sought contact with Glass to work in Switzerland. With her fast-paced film language and unconventional stories, which are often set against a realistic background, the young director immediately won over the Zurich production company with her showreel. With a budget of just CHF 25,000, Emma subsequently produced her first commercial for Adelboden. The story arouses curiosity with underwater shots of a playful couple. Within 15 seconds, it is revealed that this couple is frolicking in a bathtub for cows. In the background, the vacation resort of Adelboden beckons with its Alpine wellness.
The other new people at Glass are specialists who have so far mainly worked in post-production in the British metropolis and now want to apply their sound technical knowledge as directors. "Such people are much better suited to today's spot productions than filmmakers who come from a more narrative film background," Schnyder is convinced. Such disguised or even successful feature film directors often shoot far too many and wrong shots, which are either not needed at all or can only be processed with difficulty in the increasingly tricky electronic post-production.
Schnyder binds top cameramen to Glass
As a representative of a new generation of directors in the commercial sector, Glass wants to work with Stephen Hiam, for example. "Hiam's many years as a compositor at Red Post now allow him to shoot specifically for post-production," says Schnyder. Nevertheless, he is keen to realize as much as possible in the camera in order to achieve a harmonious image, "even though practically everything can be done digitally today".
Steve Downer is a man of the camera. In his micro-world, most of his actors are only a few millimetres in size. "He uses special lenses to perfectly capture everything from water droplets to insects," says Schnyder, who operates in a similar micro-world with his Coop commercials. In future, Downer will work exclusively for Glass in Switzerland, as will Daniel Pearl. The star cameraman from Los Angeles won the first MTV Cinematography Award in 1984 with The Police's "Every Breath You Take". Since then, he has shot over 900 music videos and commercials.
In addition to the Swiss Luzius Sprüngli, Simon Cracknell and the duo Trifecta will bring a breath of fresh air to the business at Badenerstrasse 109 in Zurich. Behind Trifecta are graphic designers Dan Williams and Glyn Tebbutt, who have already realized various animated music videos and TV trailers in London.
The hard core of Glass is now only formed by Cello Schnyder as director and Gabi Benz as producer.
Manifesto comes to Zurich
Different goals require different companies. Founding member Reto Salimbeni left Glass Film at the end of last year. Together with former propaganda and tsunami producer Mark Andrews, he founded the advertising film production company Manifesto Films in London in April.
His first work was a commercial with Japanese star footballer Nakata for the World Cup in Japan and Korea. Reto Salimbeni, whose second feature film "Was ist bloss mit meinen Männern los?" was shown on Pro7 in May with excellent ratings, is currently working on another feature film project for the German producer Bernd Eichinger (Constantin). In addition to his offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver, Salimbeni also plans to open a Manifesto branch in Zurich this fall for the commercial film sector (pan).
