Dream Teams: Shootingmonkeys Went From Teen Friends to Bonding in the Trenches

“A cocky little guy with a good sense of humour” and “a cool guy with a bad style” were Jan Vogel and Sebastian Funke’s first impressions of one another. Or at least they think – it was too far back to remember.

The duo who make up the filmmaking collective Shootingmonkeys were just teens when they met through Sebastian’s older brother. But it wasn’t until 2010, when both of them had already been directing independently for a while, that they began doing so together.

Above: Match Masters 'Don't Try This At Home: Wish'

Their first collaboration as directors was a documentary project that sounds like it comes with stories. “It was a very challenging project as we were shooting on a Native American reservation in the US,” Sebastian remembers. “If you are in the trenches together, your bond becomes stronger.” Through the experience, they realised that they were better together, Sebastian bringing his editing and storytelling skills, and Jan his skills as a DoP and intuitive approach. The transition into becoming a team was organic.

As Shootingmonkeys, the pair have been unstoppable, continuing to work on documentaries – ‘Above Boy’ is a stand-out – and TV commercials. Zany ads for the game Match Masters crop up repeatedly in their showreel, cautionary tales complete with a larger-than-life anteater crashing through a window, an evil smart home device, and celeb cameos from the likes of Vinnie Jones and Robbie Williams. Working direct-to-client on these repeat jobs, Shootingmonkeys have relished the chance to help shape the creative process from the very beginning, forging rewarding and honest relationships with everyone involved.

​Above: Match Masters 'Don't Try This At Home: Alana'​

“We really enjoy working with the same production houses and crews,” notes Sebastian. True Motion Pictures – the production company that worked with Shootingmonkeys on Match Masters and reps them in Germany – is one of their most frequent collaborators. “A big shout out goes to True Motion Pictures from Berlin,” Sebastian continues. “It makes life so much easier when you know the people you work with, know where they come from, and build a partnership that you trust.”

The longevity of Jan and Sebastian’s friendship has certainly benefited their creative collaboration, especially when disagreements arise. “We all have egos and egos clash sometimes. But we have our ways to battle it out,” says Jan. “Since we’ve had a lot of time for our egos to struggle with one another, we’ve reached a point where our exchange is very honest, goal-oriented and fruitful.” Sebastian, perhaps, sees it differently: “If we have a disagreement I usually tell him: ‘If I agreed with you, we would both be wrong’. And no, I have no ego, obviously.”

​Above: Match Masters 'Don't Try This At Home: Anteater'​

Jokes aside, Shootingmonkeys have learnt not to be too serious about themselves, accepting that creativity is subjective and there is no right or wrong perspective. As Jan describes it, “There are no particular rules of engagement. We’ve kind of settled into a fluid team play that works well for us.”

Play is a key word – both filmmakers cite fun as the main benefit of having a creative partner in the industry. In Jan’s words, “It’s a lot more fun to travel and work with a good friend instead of being on your own. It’s also more fun to play creative ping pong.” Sebastian borrows his from Francis Ford Coppola: “I think it was Coppola who said that collaboration is the sex of creativity. And let’s be honest, filmmaking especially is a collaborative art form. So like Jan said, it’s simply more fun – better sex so to speak.”

​Above: Match Masters 'Don't Try This At Home: The Match'​

There’s a long list of international filmmakers who inspire the creative collaborations of Shootingmonkeys. Jan looks to Wong Kar-wai, the Coen brothers, Harmony Korine, David Lynch, Gus Van Sant, Denis Villeneuve, Jacques Audiard, and Alejandro González Iñárritu – “to mention just a few.” The Coen brothers come up again for Sebastian, as well as Traktor. Having studied under the prolific Abbas Kiarostami, he also cites a love for Iranian cinema. “But the world around me inspires me. Sometimes even Jan inspires me.”

And how has Jan inspired him? Sebastian says he’s taught him to trust his gut and avoid overthinking. From Sebastian, Jan’s learnt to stay calm in stressful moments, and not to let himself be rushed. Most importantly, perhaps, they’ve motivated one another never to settle creatively. To quote Jan: never be satisfied with your first idea and never settle for an ‘impossible’; keep pushing outside the box.

​Above: Match Masters 'Don't Try This At Home: The Autograph'​