URTYPUS began as a very personal creative space shaped by my lifelong calling as a storyteller and independent filmmaker.

As the son of a master craftsman, I learned early on to understand creative work as a craft that grows through humility, patience and experience.

My professional journey started in the international field of lighting and media technology, co-founding LIGHTEC Jauernik & Hempel GbR, dedicated to the worldwide distribution of lighting and media systems for film, television and stage.

A decisive turning point followed in the early 1990s, when renowned cinematographer Michael Ballhaus personally reached out to me during the preparation of Outbreak.

From there, I followed a gradual and conscious path as a freelance film professional for German and international productions — first in the camera department, then in production, and finally as a director, developing and realising my own concepts and scripts.

Between 2008 and 2024, a period of enforced slowing down became a time of deep grounding and reflection. Writing grew into an essential companion, sharpening my sense for narrative depth and purpose.

Today, URTYPUS stands for storytelling with meaning, responsibility and intention.