David Roth is a video artist, scenographer and architect. He founded prjktr. [projektor_berlin] together with Florian Machner after his diploma in architecture and graduated in 2014 with a Master of Arts degree in Stage Design_Scenic Space.
With what expectation did you start our studies in 2012?
Did you already have your current profession in mind when you started?
People in space – that’s what interests me and what brought me from architecture to scenography! And from there, by the way, to visual staging with video animation. I think it’s important to understand that a degree is not a professional training, but rather the exploration and research of content, methods and processes. If you study architecture, you don’t necessarily become an architect, but a scenographer, for example. If you study scenography, you don’t necessarily become a scenographer, but – let’s say – a video artist.
What particularly influenced you during your studies for your later work?
In classical school pedagogy, the realization is slowly maturing that the learning effect is minimal in frontal teaching. During your studies, therefore, you have to design, research and develop as much as possible on your own. Have a say in teaching topics and content. As an extension of the teaching program, for example, we founded the “Intergraph” lecture series. This allowed us to try out different spatial formats in an experimental way over several semesters, invite new artists, and get to know potential lecturers.
You founded the agency “prjktr.” after graduation, what do you do exactly?
We are the directors of the space. The space is our stage. We ignite its scenic performance with light and projection. Our work is artistic installations in space – for example, room-sized video projections, interactive media stations and exhibits with video. We realize these visual productions for exhibitions, theaters and stages, brand space and trade fairs, events and functions.
What do your fields of work look like? With which partners, at which locations do you work?
Idea sketches, key visuals, concept texts, storyboards, raw animations, editing and post-production, technical planning, programming of media technology, mapping, production of mock-ups are just a selection of our fields of work.
Of course, project planning, time and cost management, contract management, etc. are also part of our work. Almost every project is always created in collaboration with musicians or sound artists, filmmakers, graphic designers, programmers, interior designers and freelancers.
What do you like most about your job?
We develop and realize from the first idea to the installation in the space. Each task is different, but always hyper-disciplinary, neo-creative, multivisual and super-contemporary. It always remains exciting.
What tips would you give to someone who wants to start their own office?
It’s simple:
- do!
- carry on!
- continue anyway!
- enjoy.
What comes out of it, you can also see on: prjktr.net