Constantin Hartenstein
German videomaker
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biography—>
Interview:10 questions
1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background
I was born in Herzberg in 1982, then went to school, graduated and moved to Berlin for studying. I enrolled at the University of the Arts and then graduated again in 2009. Currently I am doing my masters in Fine Arts at the HBK Braunschweig with Professor Candice Breitz.
2. When, how and why started you filming?
I made my first video in 2005. Some friends from Hamburg made a very funny song called “Liebe, Sex und Psycho†and I decided to make a music video for them. Then I was a set runner at a film shooting in Berlin and became more and more curious about film-making.
3. What kind of subjects have your films?
I think you cannot say that there is a general topic for my works, but I find myself dealing with some issues over and over again like: Pop, the medium, the artist´s role in society, the society´s role in the artist´s life, body movements…
4. How do you develop your films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
I am following an idea I had beforehand and then mostly I am “pregnant†with it for some time until the time is right to do it.
5. How do you approach such complicated matter like Shoah represents?
I would follow through a concept that I made and do a lot of research and reading before I would actually start with the project.
6. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.. What about digital technology?
I am editing with Final Cut in my studio and when I film myself, I am using equipment from educational institutions like my university or borrow stuff from friends.
7. How do you finance your films?
All by myself.
8. Do you work individually as a video artist/film maker or do you work in a team?
I work individually and also in a team with my performance group “3United†and together with the composer Nikolai Zinke. Also there are people helping me with Sound Design or Data Compression, that depends on the individual project.
if you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you prefer?
I like both equally.
9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your film/video making?
Mostly things that surround me or have direct influence on me, the close outside world I would say. This could be a book, a movie, a picture I find on the street or a conversation with my parents.
10. What are your future plans or dreams as a film/video maker?
Keep going like I am doing now.
Can works of yours viewed online besides on VideoChannel/SFC? Where?