IN HIS CHAIR

Julien von Schultzendorff, colourist at nhb studios in Germany, shares nuances of his young journey in filmmaking

Julien has been with nhb for five years and is well-established in the colour grading scene in Germany. At present, most of his work is in high-end commercials, for clients like Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, Rimowa, Lufthansa and more. His long-term goal is to work on feature films.

In his free time, Julien often goes to the woods, soaking in nature. He enjoys skydiving, playing the guitar and the piano, and likes to travel. He also does Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting, although recently he had to take some time off due to an injury.

Can you tell us more about growing up in and around the film scene? Any highlights? Did you always want to be involved in the colour side?

Julien: My father, Wendigo von Schultzendorffis a cinematographer, and I often visited him on set. I was used to being surrounded by cameras and film equipment, and hanging out with the crew. My highlight, though, was when I met Woody Allen.

Growing up, it was clear to me that I would become a cinematographer as well. But then, around the age of 18, I discovered colour grading. It hit me right away – I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Did you learn a lot about the craft from your father as a DoP and your mother as a photographer?

Julien: I think the biggest gift I got from them - is the awareness of the beauty of pictures and visual appeal. And of course, I got to learn the technical side of making a film. That helps a lot when you are sitting at the control panel in a grading suite. By showing me movies, photography, and the old and new masters of painting – such as Caravaggio, Goya, Vermeer, Munch and Hockney – my father also introduced me early to the world of light, colour and shadow dramaturgy.

How did you get the opportunity to train with colourist, Phil Schmidt, at Screencraft?