The Work That Made Me: Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri graduated at the Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg as a creative producer. Since then he’s worked as an executive producer in the commercials and film industry.
After running one of the top 10 German production companies as MD and working for several international production companies, he joined Stillking Films as the international EP, producing commercials on all continents.
In 2013 Michael moved to Spain as EP and head of production at Palma Pictures in Mallorca. Two years later he relocated to Barcelona to set up the mainland office.
In 2018 he founded Nouri Films with Antonella Perillo - an independent film production and full service company based in Barcelona, operating across Spain and Portugal.
The music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Pink Floyd - The Wall
In 1980 just after the release of Pink Floyd’s Album ‘The Wall’ I went to boarding school which was a big change for me. The lyrics and the video influenced me and made me a teenager who was pushing boundaries and didn’t accept so easily limitations and old structures.
The ads and music video that made me want to get into the industry…
Classic Tango adverts from the ‘90s
This was fun. I really enjoyed the Tango adverts from the beginning of the ‘90s. This was a period in my life when I started as a trainee in a production company and got influenced by media and adverts mainly from the UK. One of my first jobs as a production trainee was a shoot in Pinewood for an ice cream ad and from then on I was fully committed to learn about commercials and filmmaking.
George Michael - Killer/Papa Was A Rolling Stone
I was always into music and liked a lot of music videos. Marcus Nispel’s promo was a great visualization of both worlds, music and advertising, and inspired me to learn more about post production.
The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Film: Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia … what to say, I really liked that movie, watched it more than 20 times and still watch it from time to time. It was close to my reality at the beginning of the ‘80s when we grew up with mods, punks, teds and others. There was always something going on and weekends were big fun.
Album: The Clash - White Riot
The Clash is a red line in my life since the beginning of the ‘80s and always gives me energy and pushes me not to give up. Really glad that I saw them live in 1984 and some years later got a chance to meet Joe Strummer.
Book: ‘Siddhartha’ by Hermann Hesse
It’s all about the journey…
Game: Pac-man
My favourite Atari game since the ‘80s and still fun to play.
My first professional projects… after graduation from film school in 1997
STUDIO 54
Trailer
Agency: Jung von Matt
Client: Kinowelt AG
Director: Zoran Bihac
Production Company: Radical Images
While still finishing graduation at Film Academy Baden-Württemberg as creative producer, I got the opportunity to produce this trailer for ‘Studio 54’, a movie, with my student colleague and director Zoran Bihac. Big fun to shoot three trailers in one day at a nightclub in Barcelona and stay at the venue for the wrap party.
SMART
TVC launch of the car
Agency: Weber Hodel Schmid
Client: MCC
Director: Thomas Job
Production Company: Radical Images
After graduation at Film Academy I pitched and scored with music video director Thomas Job the launch films for the Smart Car. A European campaign by creative agency Weber Hodel Schmid in Zurich for a car no one had seen before.
The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like that…
… not many and those I did, paid the bills.
The creative project that changed my career…
Production service on a 10-day shoot in Chile with director Stylewar and Stink for Audi in 2006. This was the beginning of my production service career.
The work that I’m proudest of…
WIX – Superbowl
Director: Louis Leterrier
My first “Big Game” ad for the Super Bowl 2017 which was produced in such a short time before Christmas with an amazing crew in Barcelona.
Mercedes E Class
Director: Anthony Mandler
A great project to work with director Anthony Mandler and a big challenge to shoot all driving scenes at an airport out of Madrid to match with other scenes in the city.
Mini Countryman
Director: Marc Bethke
A very personal film as the approach to shoot at the Basque coast made this film special to me. Locations are amazing, the budget was challenging and the weather was luckily perfect. A great outcome for a small film and good production value directed by Marc Bethke.
I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Pennzoil
Director: Ozan Birön
The driving shots at night in Barcelona with speed up to 140km/h and drifting around Plaza Colon was barely legal…
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
… is always the last one.
