Tristan Schäfer

Hailing from the vibrant city of Johannesburg in South Africa, Tristan Schäfer has left his footprints across numerous continents, having spent significant time in Asia, North America, Africa and Europe.

His journey towards understanding diverse cultures and perspectives began in the meandering rivers of South Africa, where kayaking adventures as a youth unveiled a myriad of rich experiences. "It really opened my perspectives to so many different locations, people and cultures," recalls Tristan. "It gave me a unique viewpoint and appreciation of just how many different stories Africa has to offer." Through photography and filmmaking – hobbies he took up when he was only eight years old – Tristan was able to share these narratives with a wider audience.

"Whether it was running around the neighbourhood filming nature documentaries of the local wildlife with a little camcorder, or using the limitations of film to really hone my compositional skills; I loved to give people an emotion, a feeling that could take them into someone else's shoes," he says.

As time went on, Tristan developed Contentual, a content advisory and expertise agency that guides other creative teams in the content creation process. "Having this explorative approach really opens a diverse way of approaching projects," says Tristan. "Quite often, I use techniques from other styles and mediums to shift the way I shoot. For example, I can bring a documentary approach to a commercial project to add more authenticity."

Known for his explorative approach, Tristan has been sought after by global brands including Adidas, Netflix and Apple, and has worked with celebrities such as David Beckham and singer-songwriter Tems. "I have been fortunate to have worked with some amazing people over the years, but those collaborations would not have been possible without first building trust amongst my peers and clients that I could deliver at a high level," he says. "Most of the shoots came about from referrals or existing relationships that were built over years."

Tristan says one of the secrets to his success is to go into every shoot with the same level of professionalism, regardless of whether he's shooting for a high-profile brand or a small independent business. "My approach is always the same – it revolves around creating something that best represents what message the client is trying to get across," he explains. "There always needs to be a deep understanding of who they are trying to speak to, and what they are trying to say."

How did your time at AFDA and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts influence your creative philosophy and style?

"My university years really helped me to hone in on my approach and understand more about the tools I could use to express creatively. I studied at AFDA for three years and learned all my fundamentals. I was fortunate enough to win multiple awards during this time for the short films that I wrote and directed. In my fourth year, I got the opportunity to go to Chapman University's Dodge College in California on a brief exchange programme. This really opened my eyes to the global approach to filmmaking. It made me realise that the stories we have in Africa are as relevant and interesting as the Hollywood stories we watched on TV growing up. It also taught me self-belief and how to find stories in unlikely places."

How do you prepare for a shoot?

"I like to plan as much as possible to remove as many challenges as I can on the day. You can plan more for some projects than others, but at a minimum, I always try to see the location beforehand, to check where light will fall throughout the day. I also check the weather forecast for the shoot day. Aesthetically, I look at what colours, compositions and textures the location has to offer. If there are people involved, I try to meet them beforehand to build some rapport and get a sense of who they are – this goes for both documentary subjects and models. Lastly, I make a shot list and relevant visual references for priority shots: 'need to haves' and 'nice to haves'. That usually sets most shoots up for success."

What impact did winning so many accolades so early on in your career have?

"These achievements really propelled my career forward. It gave me personal confidence in my work and potential clients the confidence to trust that I could deliver, even at a young age. This allowed me to grow relatively quickly and expose myself to larger projects."

"I think with experience comes calmness. Shoots are still as stressful and intense as they were when I was younger, but having more 'creative tools' gives me the time to think and solve problems in a way that I wouldn't have been able to do earlier in my career. So, my advice to those looking to break into the industry is to just immerse yourself fully in what interests you, and explore and experiment. But while doing this, remember to get feedback – without it, you won't know what is working and what isn't."

Instagram: @tristschafer

LinkedIn: @tristanschafer