I’m Dennis, a Freelance Cinematographer based in Hamburg
… or Director of Photography, DoP, DP… whatever.
Cameraman is fine too. What I do remains the same. I light sets and compose frames to evoke emotions.
Raised in Hamburg
Like many others, I came into contact with the matter of film and photography, as a small child playing with a home video camera. In my case, it wasn’t the classic VHS camcorder, but an old industrial surveillance camera. No sound, no color, no viewfinder. My father showed me how to hook it up to a VCR. A chair, topped with a few books, served as a tripod. After a few experiments, I wanted to tell a story, so we figured out how to make do with what we had. Edit the film in camera and use handwritten title cards for vital information needed on-screen. Pure vaudeville.
But the real learning began as a teenager: using my father’s Pentax SLR and my grandfather’s Leica IIIf to capture some street scenes and portraits. After developing the first 35mm film roll in the school’s darkroom, I realized that I had some work to do when it comes to achieving correct exposure. But I was hooked.
Work experience
After school I made my way through some internships. Learning from artists, actors, directors, producers, editors. Starting with the basics as an inexperienced stage manager in an English theater in Hamburg, I moved on to learn sound, camera, and independent production in documentary film, then focussing on post-production by being an assistant editor for television and feature films.
Afterwards my first real employment: Junior editor / compositor at a commercial film production.
So began my two-pronged approach to filmmaking. Shooting indie projects and image films, whenever I had the chance. Volunteering as a runner on the big sets to watch and learn from the pros. Studying software, such as Avid Media Composer, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro (7), to be more flexible and know what I could achieve with the footage I’m shooting.
Taking flight
Soon came time to cut the ties—for now. I declared myself a freelancer and went out to see the world.
The world, then, was called Toronto, Ontario. Still feels like a second home. I learned a lot about cinematography and filmmaking while my base was the Hollywood of the north. There I strengthened my independence and I also started to shape my voice and aesthetics during that time.
But Hamburg came calling with some opportunities in indie projects, early web series, short films, and the like.
Feature films
… and narrative fiction are where I feel at home. To find the right visual language—a tone & rhythm that make the story feel like it couldn’t exist any other way. Sometimes it’s a wide, deliberate shot. Sometimes it’s just a face caught in the right light, stirring a feeling you don’t quite understand.
Those details, quirky & offbeat shots, mundane moments that suddenly become so much more, are among the many things I love about movies. It’s what I love about story-telling.
Community & the craft
… the other love is for the craft of filmmaking and the community of cast & crew who constantly make the magic happen.
While always exploring new ways to shoot and pushing the boundaries of the current technology—I love to dive deep into the history of film and dig out lighting techniques, workflows, or little tricks, that inspire me and keep the creation process fun and interesting.
Despite the need to sometimes disappear and deep-dive—none of it would either be possible or enjoyable, without the people on and off set. When you have a camera, a mic, and an inspired team, you can make a motion picture. And being on set with these people have been some of the best times.
Hamburg
… is where I live, but fortunately the profession has taken me beyond the city. A small, intimate character drama or something sprawling and ambitious—my goal is always the same: to create images that linger, the kind that stir something different in the audience, long after the credits have slipped away.
As for the title
… Cinematographer, DoP, DP—don’t make me choose. I’ll be out there shooting nameless if I have to.