For his latest project with the BMW M4, shot in Cape Town, MARC TRAUTMANN showcases his modern take on the M Coupe series for GoSee. Now, we present the film to you. The car combines perfect aesthetics with the typical M-sport performance, enhanced by cutting-edge motorsport technologies. Alongside the car, model Mitchell Akat adds an intense attitude to the scene, bringing even more energy to the visuals. The model is currently featured in the Balmain x The Lion King 2024 campaign. The creative direction for the fashion approach was led by Chrisna De Bruyn, Creative Director, Stylist, and Founder of Africaisnow Magazine. She chose fashion by Rick Owens for this project. The production was handled by Executive Producer Daniel Siegler.
MARC TRAUTMANN is an internationally renowned automotive photographer, known for his unique vehicle portrayals blended with elements of fashion and lifestyle. With his artistic vision, he has earned a prominent place in the automotive photography world, bringing the aesthetics and design of cars to life in innovative ways. His photographic style he describes as “something composed, graphic.” It is more about design than direct emotion. “I tend to take a step back to create a more graphic setting. People are always part of a larger picture.”
Early inspirations came from fashion magazines, and as a young photographer, he worked as an assistant to Annie Leibovitz. Today, he draws much of his inspiration from films—not so much for their critical acclaim, but for their stylistic choices and visual compositions. “Even if the storyline is weak, but the images are strong, for me, that’s a good film.” This led him to explore moving images, and in recent years, Trautmann has worked on several commercials and videos where he also acted as cinematographer.
Another creative tool in Trautmann’s photographic arsenal is CGI. With this, he can create visual worlds that would be difficult to achieve in reality. “With CGI, you can bring together things in an image that would be hard to merge in real life.” For him, photography has evolved beyond just capturing a good shot. “The photographer becomes the director, the filmmaker.”
CREDITS
Production @littlebigglobal
Drone and DP @bigbird_cinematography @jonno_searle @nicole__henning
Executive producer @dpsiegler
Styling: @chrisnadebruyn @ulricaknutsdotter
Make up: @makaira_mua
Model: @mitchellakat
Postproduction stills: @felix.schoeppner
GoSee : marctrautmann.com