Playing to Survive: von Cramm vs Hitler

Animation production: NICE!

This feature documentary, narrated by Pierce Brosnan, tells the story of Gottfried von Cramm—a forgotten hero not only of tennis, but also of LGBT rights. I had the privilege of directing and art-directing the animated sequences that depict key moments from Gottfried’s life.

The style of animations was merging “old and new” - using 3D, but drewing inspiration from 1930s Art Deco posters—an aesthetic true to Gottfried’s era. Although AI filters could have been used for stylization, we intentionally chose to create everything by “hand” in Blender. Below you can see several making of videos showing our process and my acting references :)

Animation SEQUENCES Credits:

On this project, I was responsible for direction OF ANIMATED SEQUENCES, Co-Director of Animation: Darrin Fletcher · 3D Lead: Ondřej Skalník · Supporting Art Director: Adam Kanovský · 3D Supporting Artists: Šimon Lánský · Animators: Martina Svojíková, Jáchym Nádvorník · Compositor: Pavla Lásková · Project Managers: Lenka Reiterová, Julie Czieglerová

Documentary Credits:

Director: Annette Baumeister · Narration: Pierce Brosnan · Editor: Richard Krause · DOP: Johannes Straub · Music: Logan Nelson · Producers: Chet Thomas, Kate Holland, David Ulich, David Thayne, and others