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Tino Schaedler's impact as a virtual set designer is the result of years of experience in architecture and visual effects. His work includes well-known films such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "V for Vendetta." Behance caught up with Schaedler to discuss creative collaborations, transforming ideas into action, as well as the mission behind his creative work. Tino Schaedler's ideas do not always stem from the conventional brainstorming session. As he explains it, "I need space and time to think, sometimes in bizarre situations and places...the bathtub for hours...or while I am preparing food I get good ideas. My source of inspiration can be anything. I try to digest as much as possible...music, film, art, fashion. But also abstract subjects more removed from art, such as philosophy and documentaries. I consume to build up a library in my brain."
"The idea, though, is only the seed; unless I take action, it stays in the realm of the ephemeral. Taking this action can sometimes trigger fears, but I learned to just throw myself into it. As soon as you take the first step, things fall into place..."
Shaedler's background in architecture has helped him become more disciplined. "Once on it, I am very focused. My architectural training (helps) keep me going. I learned to develop a concept from beginning to end. With some projects I need to discipline myself...others (develop) naturally."
Film productions are huge logistic dinosaurs that aren't possible without collaboration.
Constant collaboration has kept Schaedler's ideas fresh and versatile. He learned to garner the greatest benefits from collaboration in the film industry. "The experience working (there) made me a true team player. Film productions are huge logistic dinosaurs that aren't possible without collaboration. I love to bounce back ideas with fellow artists and profit from this endless source of talent...other perspectives help me to loosen up."
The convergence of different ideas applies to many of Shaedler's projects. "I am currently developing a video game in collaboration with friends I met through working on films: concept artist Dermot Power and Peter Popken and scriptwriter Florian Iwersen. All four of us have different talents that complement each other extremely well. True collaboration is almost like a swarm: it is more than the sum of its single parts. Another collaboration I am part of is NAU: a loose interdisciplinary network with friends I met during my time at (architect) Daniel Libeskind's office. We are all based in different cities and do our own things. But if a project comes up we collaborate using email and instant messaging sending sketches back and forth discussing design issues via Skype."
I need to be extremely flexible, able to move to a different country spontaneously if a film comes along.
Schaedler recognizes the costs and benefits of uncertainty, common across the creative industries. "I need to be extremely flexible, able to move to a different country spontaneously if a film comes along. In the past four years I have lived and worked in four countries. This can be sometimes draining. On the other hand it is a great wake up call saying: time to be active again...time to move. As much as it gets me out of my comfort zone, it pushes me in a positive way and makes me enjoy and appreciate what I do!"
Across his work, Schaedler strives for a balance between youthful imagination and adult practicality. As he explains it, "I recently held a talk at the University of Fine Arts in Berlin and opened it showing a scene from 'The Goonies'. There is something magic about that film for me. It reminds me how important it is to dream. As a child, we have purity and innocence that makes us extremely creative and passionate. Imagination is boundless and dreams seem to have no limit. You have trust in yourself and others. You basically express your truest essence as a person and in the end that is what creativity is about. So most of my (work) is to revive that child-like passion. Rationality can always come in later. A well-balanced combination of rationality and playfulness is what I am going for."
"It is a big journey, a process in constant flux that always offers new challenges and gives my life meaning. Money has never been a driving factor for things. If you are passionate and talented everything else eventually falls into place."
"The idea, though, is only the seed; unless I take action, it stays in the realm of the ephemeral. Taking this action can sometimes trigger fears, but I learned to just throw myself into it. As soon as you take the first step, things fall into place..."
Shaedler's background in architecture has helped him become more disciplined. "Once on it, I am very focused. My architectural training (helps) keep me going. I learned to develop a concept from beginning to end. With some projects I need to discipline myself...others (develop) naturally."
Film productions are huge logistic dinosaurs that aren't possible without collaboration.
Constant collaboration has kept Schaedler's ideas fresh and versatile. He learned to garner the greatest benefits from collaboration in the film industry. "The experience working (there) made me a true team player. Film productions are huge logistic dinosaurs that aren't possible without collaboration. I love to bounce back ideas with fellow artists and profit from this endless source of talent...other perspectives help me to loosen up."
The convergence of different ideas applies to many of Shaedler's projects. "I am currently developing a video game in collaboration with friends I met through working on films: concept artist Dermot Power and Peter Popken and scriptwriter Florian Iwersen. All four of us have different talents that complement each other extremely well. True collaboration is almost like a swarm: it is more than the sum of its single parts. Another collaboration I am part of is NAU: a loose interdisciplinary network with friends I met during my time at (architect) Daniel Libeskind's office. We are all based in different cities and do our own things. But if a project comes up we collaborate using email and instant messaging sending sketches back and forth discussing design issues via Skype."
I need to be extremely flexible, able to move to a different country spontaneously if a film comes along.
Schaedler recognizes the costs and benefits of uncertainty, common across the creative industries. "I need to be extremely flexible, able to move to a different country spontaneously if a film comes along. In the past four years I have lived and worked in four countries. This can be sometimes draining. On the other hand it is a great wake up call saying: time to be active again...time to move. As much as it gets me out of my comfort zone, it pushes me in a positive way and makes me enjoy and appreciate what I do!"
Across his work, Schaedler strives for a balance between youthful imagination and adult practicality. As he explains it, "I recently held a talk at the University of Fine Arts in Berlin and opened it showing a scene from 'The Goonies'. There is something magic about that film for me. It reminds me how important it is to dream. As a child, we have purity and innocence that makes us extremely creative and passionate. Imagination is boundless and dreams seem to have no limit. You have trust in yourself and others. You basically express your truest essence as a person and in the end that is what creativity is about. So most of my (work) is to revive that child-like passion. Rationality can always come in later. A well-balanced combination of rationality and playfulness is what I am going for."
"It is a big journey, a process in constant flux that always offers new challenges and gives my life meaning. Money has never been a driving factor for things. If you are passionate and talented everything else eventually falls into place."
