Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Welcome to my podcast featuring Tim Sessler, a German-born, New York-based cinematographer and visual storyteller extraordinaire! 🎥
#timsessler #filmmaking #dop
0:00 – Opening Music
1:00 – Tim's Childhood in Heidelberg, Germany
1:42 – First Steps Toward Film School
2:32 – Discovering a Passion for Cinematography
3:56 – Moving to the U.S. and Choosing Between Love and Film School
4:55 – Starting Fresh in America with a Canon 7D
6:03 – Early Struggles and Finding Mentors
6:57 – Skipping AC/Gaffer Roles and Jumping into DP Work
8:06 – Shooting Out of Pure Creative Need
9:00 – DIY Glidecam and Experimental Filmmaking in Baltimore
10:04 – Subway Short Film and Getting a Vimeo Staff Pick
11:01 – Importance of Vimeo in Building a Career
12:04 – Developing Unique Shots Like the Drone Vertigo Effect
13:02 – Why Passion Projects Are Crucial for Growth
14:05 – Visual Influences and Lack of Early Exposure to TV
15:04 – German vs. Austrian vs. Scandinavian Cinema
16:46 – Influential Films and Directors (e.g., Workingman's Death)
17:51 – Recent Film Favorites (e.g., Triangle of Sadness, Another Round)
18:50 – Sneak Peek Cinema Nights in a Small German Town
20:17 – Full Circle Moment: Working with a Director He Once Watched
20:59 – Learning Through Experimentation, Not Film School
22:01 – First Look at the Movi and Heavy Lift Drone Building
23:27 – Building Drone Lights for Practical Cinematography
24:06 – From 5D Mark III to Venice 2 – The Camera Evolution
25:00 – Scrappy Beginnings with Magic Lantern and Facebook
26:03 – Falling in Love with the Sony Venice on a Netflix Film
27:12 – Why the Rialto System Opens Creative Possibilities
28:04 – Venice 2 on Blockbuster Productions (Gran Turismo, Top Gun)
29:05 – Owning vs. Renting: The Trade-Off of Living Outside NYC
30:25 – Customizing Gear for Speed and Familiarity on Set
31:15 – Monitor Trust and Maintaining Exposure in Fast Shoots
32:02 – Behind the Scenes: Mercedes Commercial and Night Shoots
40:02 – The Importance of Early Projects and the Porsche Reel
40:42 – Breaking Down the Pennzoil Viper Commercial
41:11 – Shooting on the Alexa Mini & Learning New Equipment
42:03 – Previs Process and Pacing for Action
43:03 – Multi-Car Strategy and Camera Mounting
44:08 – Collaborating with a Professional Driver
45:19 – Lens Choices and Long-Lens Experimentation
46:08 – Learning About Shaker Boxes and Camera Shake
47:05 – Shooting Without Undercranking for Realism
48:03 – Using Phantom for Super Slow Motion Shots
49:02 – Helicopter, Drone, and Post-Production Traffic Removal
50:17 – Why Projects Like This Aren’t Common Anymore
51:40 – Short-Form Content vs. High-Quality Commercials
53:15 – Passion Projects and Real Locations
54:00 – The Shift Toward More Car Work
55:01 – Studio Shoots vs. Real Driving Shots
56:04 – How Pennzoil Led to NAS Energy Projects
56:50 – Human Horsepower Spot: Real Stunts and Car Flips
58:13 – The Risks and Thrill of One-Take Practical Stunts
59:01 – The Value of Realism in Practical Effects
1:00:34 – Viper Stunt: Jumping the Curb with a Camera Near Miss
1:02:09 – The Magic of Lucky Accidents and Natural Movement
1:02:44 – NAS Energy Vegas Spot and Motion Control
1:03:49 – Using Phantom Flex and Cobra Arm for Special Effects
1:04:33 – Wrapping Effects and Multi-Car Compositing
1:05:00 – POV Shots and Adding Easter Eggs
1:06:08 – Creating Transitions with High-Speed Movement
1:06:48 – Coming Up with Shot Ideas on Set
1:07:54 – Time Management, Light Conditions, and Compromises
1:08:53 – Creative Control and Avoiding Bad Footage
1:09:32 – Clients Controlling the Final Edit
1:10:00 – Setting the look on set helps maintain visual consistency throughout the project.
1:10:34 – Directors often lose control in post, especially during color grading.
1:11:05 – Ozan's unique editing style often brings him back into projects even if not hired to edit.
1:11:52 – Making regular cars look fast relies on expert drivers, clever shooting, and technique.
1:13:03 – Controlled camera shake is now embraced to add realism and energy.
1:14:10 – Stability should be motivated by story, not defaulted to.
1:15:10 – FPV drones bring immersive energy to off-road commercials.
1:15:48 – Off-road shoots are logistically harder due to terrain and crew limitations.
1:17:02 – Finding dynamic parallel paths is the biggest creative challenge off-road.
1:19:02 – Commercials provide financial balance, but narrative is the emotional driver.
1:21:01 – Feature films require huge time commitments, making balance difficult with family.
1:21:46 – The goal is one feature a year and filling the rest with commercials.
1:24:50 – High-profile work often comes from sharing passion projects online.
1:26:13 – Put your work online—even if it doesn’t go viral, the right person might see it.
1:27:06 – Use what you have: friends, time, and creativity can outweigh big budgets.
1:28:32 – Experiment boldly; failure is part of creating something original.
Welcome to my podcast featuring Tim Sessler, a German-born, New York-based cinematographer and visual storyteller extraordinaire! 🎥
#timsessler #filmmaking #dop
0:00 – Opening Music
1:00 – Tim's Childhood in Heidelberg, Germany
1:42 – First Steps Toward Film School
2:32 – Discovering a Passion for Cinematography
3:56 – Moving to the U.S. and Choosing Between Love and Film School
4:55 – Starting Fresh in America with a Canon 7D
6:03 – Early Struggles and Finding Mentors
6:57 – Skipping AC/Gaffer Roles and Jumping into DP Work
8:06 – Shooting Out of Pure Creative Need
9:00 – DIY Glidecam and Experimental Filmmaking in Baltimore
10:04 – Subway Short Film and Getting a Vimeo Staff Pick
11:01 – Importance of Vimeo in Building a Career
12:04 – Developing Unique Shots Like the Drone Vertigo Effect
13:02 – Why Passion Projects Are Crucial for Growth
14:05 – Visual Influences and Lack of Early Exposure to TV
15:04 – German vs. Austrian vs. Scandinavian Cinema
16:46 – Influential Films and Directors (e.g., Workingman's Death)
17:51 – Recent Film Favorites (e.g., Triangle of Sadness, Another Round)
18:50 – Sneak Peek Cinema Nights in a Small German Town
20:17 – Full Circle Moment: Working with a Director He Once Watched
20:59 – Learning Through Experimentation, Not Film School
22:01 – First Look at the Movi and Heavy Lift Drone Building
23:27 – Building Drone Lights for Practical Cinematography
24:06 – From 5D Mark III to Venice 2 – The Camera Evolution
25:00 – Scrappy Beginnings with Magic Lantern and Facebook
26:03 – Falling in Love with the Sony Venice on a Netflix Film
27:12 – Why the Rialto System Opens Creative Possibilities
28:04 – Venice 2 on Blockbuster Productions (Gran Turismo, Top Gun)
29:05 – Owning vs. Renting: The Trade-Off of Living Outside NYC
30:25 – Customizing Gear for Speed and Familiarity on Set
31:15 – Monitor Trust and Maintaining Exposure in Fast Shoots
32:02 – Behind the Scenes: Mercedes Commercial and Night Shoots
40:02 – The Importance of Early Projects and the Porsche Reel
40:42 – Breaking Down the Pennzoil Viper Commercial
41:11 – Shooting on the Alexa Mini & Learning New Equipment
42:03 – Previs Process and Pacing for Action
43:03 – Multi-Car Strategy and Camera Mounting
44:08 – Collaborating with a Professional Driver
45:19 – Lens Choices and Long-Lens Experimentation
46:08 – Learning About Shaker Boxes and Camera Shake
47:05 – Shooting Without Undercranking for Realism
48:03 – Using Phantom for Super Slow Motion Shots
49:02 – Helicopter, Drone, and Post-Production Traffic Removal
50:17 – Why Projects Like This Aren’t Common Anymore
51:40 – Short-Form Content vs. High-Quality Commercials
53:15 – Passion Projects and Real Locations
54:00 – The Shift Toward More Car Work
55:01 – Studio Shoots vs. Real Driving Shots
56:04 – How Pennzoil Led to NAS Energy Projects
56:50 – Human Horsepower Spot: Real Stunts and Car Flips
58:13 – The Risks and Thrill of One-Take Practical Stunts
59:01 – The Value of Realism in Practical Effects
1:00:34 – Viper Stunt: Jumping the Curb with a Camera Near Miss
1:02:09 – The Magic of Lucky Accidents and Natural Movement
1:02:44 – NAS Energy Vegas Spot and Motion Control
1:03:49 – Using Phantom Flex and Cobra Arm for Special Effects
1:04:33 – Wrapping Effects and Multi-Car Compositing
1:05:00 – POV Shots and Adding Easter Eggs
1:06:08 – Creating Transitions with High-Speed Movement
1:06:48 – Coming Up with Shot Ideas on Set
1:07:54 – Time Management, Light Conditions, and Compromises
1:08:53 – Creative Control and Avoiding Bad Footage
1:09:32 – Clients Controlling the Final Edit
1:10:00 – Setting the look on set helps maintain visual consistency throughout the project.
1:10:34 – Directors often lose control in post, especially during color grading.
1:11:05 – Ozan's unique editing style often brings him back into projects even if not hired to edit.
1:11:52 – Making regular cars look fast relies on expert drivers, clever shooting, and technique.
1:13:03 – Controlled camera shake is now embraced to add realism and energy.
1:14:10 – Stability should be motivated by story, not defaulted to.
1:15:10 – FPV drones bring immersive energy to off-road commercials.
1:15:48 – Off-road shoots are logistically harder due to terrain and crew limitations.
1:17:02 – Finding dynamic parallel paths is the biggest creative challenge off-road.
1:19:02 – Commercials provide financial balance, but narrative is the emotional driver.
1:21:01 – Feature films require huge time commitments, making balance difficult with family.
1:21:46 – The goal is one feature a year and filling the rest with commercials.
1:24:50 – High-profile work often comes from sharing passion projects online.
1:26:13 – Put your work online—even if it doesn’t go viral, the right person might see it.
1:27:06 – Use what you have: friends, time, and creativity can outweigh big budgets.
1:28:32 – Experiment boldly; failure is part of creating something original.
