GESAS - Key Persons
Amanda Blue has been directing and producing documentaries for the past 17 years and has been nominated for and won numerous awards both in the UK and Internationally.
Most recently she has been directing award-winning commercials and is currently moving into directing drama. Having grown up in Sydney with her Scottish parents, Amanda moved to London to complete a Masters Degree in Film.
She started her career in drama working for Oscar nominated feature film director, Mike Figgis and later collaborated with him on his documentary arts films. She then went on to direct her own work in both documentary and comedy.
Early in her career Amanda directed the multi award-winning documentary series for Channel 4, YOUNG BLACK FARMERS, about a group of inner city black teenagers going to live and work on a Devonshire farm, winning a Banff Award for Best Unscripted Series.
Following this, Amanda produced and directed the landmark series THE MUMMY DIARIES for Channel 4, shot over two years about dying Mum's and the process of preparing their children for the ultimate separation. Garnering huge critical acclaim the series was sold across the world. In 2008, Amanda was Bafta nominated as Best Director for her award-winning, PRESCOTT: THE CLASS SYSTEM AND ME, about the infamous British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, his inimitable wife Pauline and their journey through the British class system. Amanda then directed the seminal series THE BIG SCHOOL LOTTERY for the BBC about the state of British education and the experiences of children going from primary to secondary school, which garnered many award nominations. She then went on to direct TWINCREDIBLES another critically acclaimed film for the BBC about growing up mixed race in modern Britain, Tom Sutcliffe wrote in The Independent, "Blue's film, full of grace notes and emotion, was a lovely rebuke to the most familiar prejudices surrounding race, but it forced you to think about some cherished liberal prejudices too", the film was nominated for Best Documentary at Prix Europa Festival.
Her next film THE TOWN THAT CAUGHT TOURETTES pulled in huge ratings for Channel 4 and vast international sales. The Times had this to say about THE GREATEST SHOWS ON EARTH, Amanda's comedy/documentary series with her long-time collaborator the writer, comedian and actress Daisy Donovan…"As in all really memorable television something had happened that nobody could have predicted…"
Blue is now directing commercials in the UK; her first commercial went on to win the CIMTIG television advertisement of the year award. She has quickly gone on to direct a raft of critically acclaimed commercials, picking up a Bronze Lion at Cannes, Kinsale shark, Lia awards and New York Festival awards. Dave Reviews in the UK says this about Blue's commercials work, "Amanda marries beautiful photography with multi-layered story-telling and is able to deal with the complexities of modern life, revealing the human experience in surprising ways".
Two years ago Amanda wrote and directed the feature length drama documentary AFTER THE WAVE about the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand. An international co-production funded by Screen Australia, SBS, Film Victora, The Wellcome Trust and Discovery Europe it screened at festivals across the world, was nominated for several awards and went on to garner critical acclaim across the board, "haunting and beautiful", said the Sydney Morning Herald. Most recently Blue has written and directed the feature length drama documentary DEEP WATER for Screen Australia and SBS. It is already receiving critical accolades; "It's up there with the best crime documentaries of the recent past…. leaving audiences with a sense that justice still needs to be done…" The Telegraph, and lauded Australian film critic Margaret Pomeranz calling it "…. deeply unforgettably moving". It is soon to be released.
Amanda is now moving into directing drama and is developing several projects.
After a degree in architecture, Camille Bovier Lapierre finished SupInfoCom, a School of graphics and special effects, from which he graduated with honors. This opened doors for him at leading French special effects studios, such as Duboi, buff and Mac Guff Ligne. In 2003, he directed his first music video "Alexis Hk, C'que t'es belle," which was screened at many international festivals and marked the beginning of his
career as a director. Mixing live action with digital effects, Lapierre's films are strongly influenced by graphic design. Lapierre uses 2D or 3D digital tools to alter or enhance reality. At the same time he invests in fiction with the completion of his first medium length film, Mice (A Cat) & Men which was released in 2011.
Daniel Michaelis is a film and advertisement director/director of photography born 1986, based in Germany. He is specialized in directing automotive films.
His career started by uploading his first video on YouTube in 2009 which became a viral. With the start of his first commercial films for Nissan and Porsche he founded the automotive lifestyle brand and production company FORMAT67 which later became his base for passionate automotive films.
As a cinematographer he bears some similarities with a Japanese supercar, in that no-one can really explain how the electrics work. But if you just put your trust in him, he produces amazing results. Despite taking a rather classical approach to cinematography, he keeps coming up with innovative ideas and impressive imagery acknowledged by car enthusiasts and by the automotive industry around the world.
In 2013 he worked in the USA for a documentary called "GOLDRUSH RALLY - IT'S WHAT WE DO" which had its premier during SEMA at the legendary Brenden Theatres in Las Vegas.
In 2014 Daniel's expertise was provided to produce an automotive related TV show in Germany. After that success he aligned his focus again towards the automotive industry and created the latest highlight film for AUDI and Mercedes.
In 2018 he won the "BEST COMMERCIAL AWARD" at the International Motor Film Awards for Mercedes-AMG "Incomparable".
Bevor Gesa in 2011 gesas.management gegründet hat, war sie 17 Jahre lang bei führenden Werbeagenturen und Filmproduktionen wie McCann-Erickson, Jung von Matt, Tempomedia oder Markenfilm beschäftigt und hat dort als Artbuyer, Talent und Directors' Scout und als Head of Sales gearbeitet. Viele der freundschaftlichen und langjährigen Kontakte und Beziehungen zu Agenturen, Filmproduktionen und anderen Filmschaffenden entstanden bereits in dieser Zeit und machen heute Gesas Netzwerk aus.
Im Laufe der Zeit und durch gemeinsame Projekte entwickelte sich auch eine erfolgreiche und beständige Zusammenarbeit mit Regisseuren, Filmproduktionen und Agenturen auf internationaler Ebene. Denn ausgezeichnete Arbeit, gemeinsame Interessen und Spaß am Erfolg verbinden.
Das Portfolio von gesas.management setzt sich neben der Repräsentanz von ausgewählten internationalen Filmproduktionen mit digitalem und klassischem Angebot heute vor allem zusammen aus der Vermittlung und dem Management von internationalen Regisseuren und Kameraleuten sowie in Ergänzung dazu auch aus der Suche und Förderung entsprechender Talente. Individuelle Regie-Beratung und unabhängiges Directors' Scouting für Agenturen und Filmproduktionen im nationalen Markt runden das Portfolio ab. Gesa Müller-Reinhardt lebt - nach einigen Jahren in den USA und in Hamburg - heute mit ihrer Familie in Düsseldorf.
Before founding gesas.management in 2011, Gesa worked for 17 years at leading advertising agencies and film production companies in the business such as McCann-Erickson, Jung von Matt, Tempomedia or Markenfilm as Art Buyer, Directors' Scout as well as Head of Sales. Many of her friendly and longstanding connections to agencies, film production companies and other filmmakers came about during this time, and today make up Gesa's network.
Bevor Petra 2015 als Partnerin bei gesas.management eingestiegen ist, hatte sie Gelegenheit, die (Werbe-)Film-Branche gründlich kennen zu lernen: Erste Berührungen mit dem Filmgeschäft ergaben sich in der Postproduktion bei ARRI TV. Danach schlug sie dann den klassischen Weg ein - von Produktionsassistentin über Aufnahmeleiterin hin zu Produktionsleiterin und Producerin bei renommierten Werbefilmproduktionen wie Hager Moss Film, Roman Kuhn, Hochkant oder REM sowie bei TV- und Kinofilmproduktionen. Mit der Geburt ihres Sohnes ist sie dann raus aus der Produktion und rein ins Directors' und Talent Scouting als Head of Dirctors' Department bei TwinFilm, wodurch ebenfalls viele freundschaftliche und langjährige Kontakte und Beziehungen zu weiteren Werbefilmproduktionen, Spielfilmproduzenten und anderen Filmschaffenden entstanden. Nachdem sich Petra und Gesa bei TwinFilm kennen und schätzen gelernt haben und wohl auch ein unschlagbares Team waren, werden sie das nun wieder werden… Petra lebt - ebenfalls nach einigen Jahren in den USA - heute mit ihrer Familie und Pferd im Süden von München.
Before Petra joined gesas.management as a partner in 2015, she had the opportunity to gain a thorough grounding in the (commercial) film industry.
Her initial experience of the film business came in the area of post-production at ARRI TV. Afterwards she followed the classic career path from production assistant to floor manager, production manager and producer at notable commercial film production companies such as Hager Moss Film, Roman Kuhn, Hochkant and REM as well as at TV and motion picture production companies. Following the birth of her son she left the production side of the business and got involved in directing and talent scouting as head of the directors' department at TwinFilm, which also led to the establishment of many friendly and long-standing contacts and relationships with further commercial film production companies, feature film producers and other film-makers. Petra and Gesa got to know and appreciate one another at TwinFilm where they formed an unbeatable team, and they are sure to do so once again … Having also spent a few years in the USA, Petra now lives south of Munich with her family and horse.