Post #143748 by freddiefreelance on Mon, Feb 28, 2005 1:11 PM

From his IMDb.com Page:

Born in the port town of Hamburg but conceived in between America and Germany on a freighter from his grandfather´s Hamburg-Chicago Line, Sven choose to live in California when he turned 25. After studying Photo and Optics in Berlin and working as camera assistant for NDR network he enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1980, and switched to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles the next year. From there he started working on music videos as a gaffer and began shooting himself in 1987 with Tom Waits's Blow Wind Blow´ video. More music clips with Billy Joel, The Cramps, Alice In Chains and others followed, as well as commercials for Toyota, McDonalds, Kellogs and Anacin. In the 90s Sven began D.P.-ing independent feature films, like Mistress´ with Robert De Niro, and in the last five years he has photographed over 15 Cable TV movies in Germany, Prague and Brittany. He considers himself a visual stylist at home in any genre, looking for a fresh language.

From his Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers Page:

After his study in Berlin he became a c.asst working for NDR-tv. Went to the USA [California] when he turned 25. After finishing the AFI, he started working on music videos as a gaffer and began ph himself in 1987 with the Tom Waits' video 'Blow Wind Blow'. Ph music videos with a: Billy Joel, The Cramps, Alice In Chains, a.o. Ph commercials for Toyota, McDonalds, Kellogg's, a.o. Wrote the book 'The Book of Tiki' [2000], an example of 'urban archaeology' and a thorough exploration and explanation of the nearly-defunct American pop 'Tiki' cult or style inspired by aspects of Polynesian culture.

When are they going to give this man a special award for his genius in lighting & photographing Tiki mugs? Or pay him to make the definitive Poly-Pop/Urban Archeology documentary?

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2005-02-28 13:44 ]