Ernestine Hipper

INTUITION/IMAGINATION

How does intuition present itself to you – in form of a suspicious impression, a spontaneous visualisation or whatever - maybe in dreams?

For me intuition is something that has developed after many years in a form of feeling in my “stomach”. It is hard to say, I just feel when I am on the right path of a movie subject.

Will any ideas be written down immediately and archived?

I have a photographic memory, that’s why I make mood boards after each recce (location scouting) of decoration pieces to puzzle the feeling I want to achieve in a set.

?: How do you come up with good or extraordinary ideas?

Books, a lot of research on the internet, etc., and the ideas come up spontaneously.

?: Do you feel that new creative ideas come as a whole or do you get like a little seed of inspiration that evolves into something else and has to be realized by endless trials and errors in form of constant developments up until the final result?

Yes - a little seed of inspiration that evolves into something else and has to be realized by endless trials and errors in form of constant developments up until the final result.

What if there is a deadline, but no intuition? Does the first fuel the latter maybe?

There are always deadlines – and always intuition. It has never happened to me to not come up with an idea or better solution.

INSPIRATION

What inspires you and how do you stimulate this special form of imaginativeness?

Quite surroundings, nature, sitting on the oceans…. reading books.

?: How do you filter between ideas worthwhile pursuing and bad ones that you just let go of?

Hmmm. As there is always the limit of the budget – I have the challenge of trying to achieve the best for the set. That limits things automatically towards doable tasks within.

Do you revisit old ideas or check what colleagues/competitors are up to at times?

I am in contact with some to discuss projects, issues and targets to achieve. Sometimes I use an old idea, but it all depends on the subject of the present movie.

CREATIVITY

Which time/place/environment suits your creative work process the best (tranquillity or pressure) and which path do you take from theory/idea to creation?

I am a very organized person, so I need a clean and organized surrounding, I try to have flowers on my desk, I try to keep things structured to not get lost in chaos. This is my base to start being creative.

Comfort is very important – good books, good music, good office chair.

I function very well under pressure, because I learned how to manage it.

What is better in the realization process: speed and force creativity i.e. grasp the magic of the moment, or a slow, ripening process for implementation/elaboration?

I need time, the more time they give me – the better the results are.

?: Do you have any specific strategies you use when you are feeling stuck creatively?

I swim.

How important are self-doubt and criticism (by others) during such a process i.e. is it better to be creative on your own, only trust your own instincts, or in a team? 

I love to work in a team. Being a leader is hard enough – if you have a good team behind you, you can only succeed. Movie making is always a team effort.

Should a creative always remain true to him-/herself including taking risks & going against the flow or must one, for reasons of (commercial) survival, make concessions to the demands of the market, the wishes of clients and the audience’s expectations?

Of course…. the Director has his vision, the Production Designer has his vision, the studio, the actors…. I have my own vision…. It is truly sometimes not easy to work against my own visions, but this is the job – to be the instrument to help to bring the project on screen.

?: How is innovation still possible if one has established a distinctive style and, just in case, is it good to be ahead of one’s time even one hazards not being understood?

I cannot establish my own style, because each movie has its own story to be told. It is either period or modern, trashy or slick… etc.

When does the time come to end the creative process, to be content and set the final result free - or is it work-in-progress with an endless possibility of improvement?

We have the deadline to the shooting day. Things have to be finished with in the given budget.

?: In case of failure or - worse - a creativity crisis how do you get out of such a hole?

Failure is not possible. And – luckily has not happened to me.

SUCCESS

?: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.“ Do you agree with Winston Churchill’s quote?

Yes – exactly. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts' – Believe In Yourself and Never Give In.

Should/can one resist the temptation to recycle a ‘formula’ one’s successful with?

I cannot… because I have to deliver. There is no formula for me.

?: Is it desirable to create the ultimate/timeless work, but doesn’t “top of the ladder” bring up the question of “what’s next?” i.e. isn’t such a personal peak “the end”?

Top of the ladder? What does that mean? Holding a trophy does not automatically put you on top of the ladder. But I am looking forward if things change, as the film life in Germany is quite dull and narrow minded. We will see.

MY FAVORITE WORK:

Proud of?….. having been able to travel the world with this profession and being able to have met so many incredible crafts, arts and wonderful people. That is my motivation and joy with my job. I am proud of being a part on ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. I felt that a lot of good people make a really good movie. And we did.