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BLACK SUMMER
ARTISTS
We empower filmmakers to focus on what they love by providing guidance, mentoring, and coaching to define their goals, align their strategies, and take control of their finances.
A small glimpse of reality.
Let's cover what we all know by now.
- The film industry has historically been exclusive and elitist, with a select few controlling access to opportunities and resources.
- Gatekeeping perpetuates a cycle of inequality, where only those with the right connections or financial backing are able to succeed.
- The traditional system of the film industry prioritises profit over creativity, resulting in formulaic and uninspired content.
- Talent and hard work are not enough to break into the industry, and many promising creatives are left without opportunities.
Have you ever had an a-ha moment?
We had this moment during a lunch meeting, when we shared our personal experiences of working in the film industry. Despite the common challenges and ups and downs, we all shared the same vision of building a community and working with dedication, heart, and mind to help our clients, business partners, and newcomers to achieve amazing things and make a positive impact.
From that moment on everything felt so obvious and through this: BLACK SUMMER ARTISTS was born as a collective effort to create change and make a difference in our industry.
From that moment on everything felt so obvious and through this: BLACK SUMMER ARTISTS was born as a collective effort to create change and make a difference in our industry.
What we believe in
We believe in leading the change, rather than following it.
At Black Summer Artists, we're on a mission to break down barriers and provide a platform for emerging talent in the film industry.
At Black Summer Artists, we're on a mission to break down barriers and provide a platform for emerging talent in the film industry.
Meet Esther
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The day we were sitting together at lunch, was one of my most vulnerable moments ever.
After more than 20 years of working as a more or less (he said, she said :-) leading talent agent x manager in the entertainment and film industry,
I had only two thoughts in my mind:
1. Leaving this industry forever
2. Changing old patterns x mindsets and start from the beginning
In this industry, people like me grew up with phrases like „To fail is not an option!”, „No excuses, just results!”, “The sky is the limit!”. Well, what can I say… The world has changed radically since the late 90’s. That was the time when we threw money after problems and film projects. These days are definitely over now. We're dominated by the client and money. To find your own creative voice became challenging.
Truth be told, the management system has never changed. The rules remained since the golden 80’s and 90’s. How comes that managers or talent agents still tell their clients (talents) that they just need to be creative, and they’ll do the rest? The rest means, amongst other things, to deal with money decisions, contracts which the client has to comply with etc.
That's simply bullshit. Was and always will be.
The talents need to understand that their career has to be controlled by themselves with the support of their agent x manager. They need to understand that there won't be any creativity and strength to fight for their vision if they have no financial freedom, or not even the option to say no to a project, which will not lead them to their dream to entertain the audience! „Whatever happens after the art is complete are marketing conditions. They have little to do with the work itself„ (Rick Rubin)
An honest talent agent x manager will treat his talent equally and vice versa. It's about human and work ethics, the talent and the room to share what excites them. The film industry is still one of the most attractive business sectors in this world, but how is it possible, that so many young people are still telling me they are clueless how to enter our business? They ask me if all their efforts will be paid off.
Having no access to what you love and what drove you through your childhood is completely wrong. How comes that people my age, people with experience and knowledge, get overheard and sorted out by the system?
All these questions need an answer from people like us. Our industry created an environment, of burned out or mentally and financially unhealthy filmmakers, which is not attractive anymore. You don't need to be broke to be a good filmmaker. You should not suffer to make a movie. You should not work 24/7 to have a safe place in this industry.
In my opinion (again a quote of Rick Rubin) "Something less perfect may seem more human, more real ultimately, more desirable."
We're here and we start from the beginning. We re-start with our knowledge and experience on various levels. We're not here to write your scripts, to shoot your films or to pay your rent. We're here to build a more human, satisfying and sustainable environment with the access to learn constantly from each other. Sounds big – well it´s not.
After more than 20 years of working as a more or less (he said, she said :-) leading talent agent x manager in the entertainment and film industry,
I had only two thoughts in my mind:
1. Leaving this industry forever
2. Changing old patterns x mindsets and start from the beginning
In this industry, people like me grew up with phrases like „To fail is not an option!”, „No excuses, just results!”, “The sky is the limit!”. Well, what can I say… The world has changed radically since the late 90’s. That was the time when we threw money after problems and film projects. These days are definitely over now. We're dominated by the client and money. To find your own creative voice became challenging.
Truth be told, the management system has never changed. The rules remained since the golden 80’s and 90’s. How comes that managers or talent agents still tell their clients (talents) that they just need to be creative, and they’ll do the rest? The rest means, amongst other things, to deal with money decisions, contracts which the client has to comply with etc.
That's simply bullshit. Was and always will be.
The talents need to understand that their career has to be controlled by themselves with the support of their agent x manager. They need to understand that there won't be any creativity and strength to fight for their vision if they have no financial freedom, or not even the option to say no to a project, which will not lead them to their dream to entertain the audience! „Whatever happens after the art is complete are marketing conditions. They have little to do with the work itself„ (Rick Rubin)
An honest talent agent x manager will treat his talent equally and vice versa. It's about human and work ethics, the talent and the room to share what excites them. The film industry is still one of the most attractive business sectors in this world, but how is it possible, that so many young people are still telling me they are clueless how to enter our business? They ask me if all their efforts will be paid off.
Having no access to what you love and what drove you through your childhood is completely wrong. How comes that people my age, people with experience and knowledge, get overheard and sorted out by the system?
All these questions need an answer from people like us. Our industry created an environment, of burned out or mentally and financially unhealthy filmmakers, which is not attractive anymore. You don't need to be broke to be a good filmmaker. You should not suffer to make a movie. You should not work 24/7 to have a safe place in this industry.
In my opinion (again a quote of Rick Rubin) "Something less perfect may seem more human, more real ultimately, more desirable."
We're here and we start from the beginning. We re-start with our knowledge and experience on various levels. We're not here to write your scripts, to shoot your films or to pay your rent. We're here to build a more human, satisfying and sustainable environment with the access to learn constantly from each other. Sounds big – well it´s not.
Meet Daniela
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After almost 3 years in the corporate world working for The Boston Consulting Group, one of the most prestigious consulting companies worldwide, I’ve decided it was time for a new challenge and a professional transformation.
After successfully finishing my studies at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg with a focus on script development and serial producing, I’ve started working as a project manager and producer on commercial and feature film projects, additionally focusing on budgeting as well as project and cost controlling.
Like many of us I had a very time consuming job and dedicated all my life to my profession. Although, I really loved it, I still felt something was missing – the aspiration to make an impact.
I was lucky enough to enjoy an outstanding work culture at BCG – starting “from shared ideas and beliefs that united us all, guiding how we treat one another and work together to change the world, to the BCG employee benefits that sustain and support. BCG always put a focus on employee wellbeing and sustainable working norms helping us employees feeling genuinely valued and being a part of something bigger.” (BCG) Guiding principles I’ve always tried to live by as a producer and something I always wanted to bring into this industry.
During my work as a producer I also gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs of my team and colleagues – especially the challenges film creatives like directors and DoPs are facing. Besides taxes, contracts or Statusfestellungsverfahren most of them felt overwhelmed by one seemingly so simple thing – “money”. Most of the time financial literacy is not taught on film schools and we are not used to talk about money, the significance of financial education or the importance of financial wellbeing. I soon realised what a difference I could make by sharing my knowledge on financial education and helping film creatives and women to become their own financial advisors, master their money mindset and sustainable increase their net worth so they can live the lives they want and focus on their creativity.
„We grow by growing others“, believing in unlocking their full potential by enabling our clients, newcomers and business partners far more than in creating dependency.
So I’ve decided to return to my consulting roots with a focus on financial education and on consulting companies from the creative and film industry.
In my job I always go beyond to help our clients solve complex problems and revolutionise how they do business. With a curious mind, fresh insight and powerful motivation to make a difference my goal is to capture their greatest
opportunities.
At Black Summer we are committed to driving change as a talent management and consulting agency — from the talented people we are representing to our transformational approach of talent management, consulting and coaching, aimed at benefiting all our clients and business partners alike, who share the same vision and values.
Our values are the DNA of our company, embedded in everything we do and central to what allows us to be who we are and to lead our agency with integrity.
After successfully finishing my studies at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg with a focus on script development and serial producing, I’ve started working as a project manager and producer on commercial and feature film projects, additionally focusing on budgeting as well as project and cost controlling.
Like many of us I had a very time consuming job and dedicated all my life to my profession. Although, I really loved it, I still felt something was missing – the aspiration to make an impact.
I was lucky enough to enjoy an outstanding work culture at BCG – starting “from shared ideas and beliefs that united us all, guiding how we treat one another and work together to change the world, to the BCG employee benefits that sustain and support. BCG always put a focus on employee wellbeing and sustainable working norms helping us employees feeling genuinely valued and being a part of something bigger.” (BCG) Guiding principles I’ve always tried to live by as a producer and something I always wanted to bring into this industry.
During my work as a producer I also gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs of my team and colleagues – especially the challenges film creatives like directors and DoPs are facing. Besides taxes, contracts or Statusfestellungsverfahren most of them felt overwhelmed by one seemingly so simple thing – “money”. Most of the time financial literacy is not taught on film schools and we are not used to talk about money, the significance of financial education or the importance of financial wellbeing. I soon realised what a difference I could make by sharing my knowledge on financial education and helping film creatives and women to become their own financial advisors, master their money mindset and sustainable increase their net worth so they can live the lives they want and focus on their creativity.
„We grow by growing others“, believing in unlocking their full potential by enabling our clients, newcomers and business partners far more than in creating dependency.
So I’ve decided to return to my consulting roots with a focus on financial education and on consulting companies from the creative and film industry.
In my job I always go beyond to help our clients solve complex problems and revolutionise how they do business. With a curious mind, fresh insight and powerful motivation to make a difference my goal is to capture their greatest
opportunities.
At Black Summer we are committed to driving change as a talent management and consulting agency — from the talented people we are representing to our transformational approach of talent management, consulting and coaching, aimed at benefiting all our clients and business partners alike, who share the same vision and values.
Our values are the DNA of our company, embedded in everything we do and central to what allows us to be who we are and to lead our agency with integrity.
Meet Katharina
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Three weeks ago, I met a great director in Munich. He asked me what it’s like for me to work as an agent during these rather tough times for the industry. After all, I didn't and don’t know the good years.
He then told me what the 'good' years in the advertising industry were like, how many opportunities and how much money there was to promote new talents and young people.
It's true, this industry has lost a lot of its shine. My experience over the last four years has been about fighting, having a stance, and not giving up.With Black Summer Artists, we have, in my opinion, created an environment that allows people like me to be extremely well trained and to take over leadership at the right time. That’s the point where I am now, and I’m not leaving. I will do my utmost to give other people and talents a chance and to advise them.
I am here, I am staying, I adapt, I learn, and I change. Bringing four years as an agent with my training and the demeanor that the courage for creation is a muscle that I will move.
He then told me what the 'good' years in the advertising industry were like, how many opportunities and how much money there was to promote new talents and young people.
It's true, this industry has lost a lot of its shine. My experience over the last four years has been about fighting, having a stance, and not giving up.With Black Summer Artists, we have, in my opinion, created an environment that allows people like me to be extremely well trained and to take over leadership at the right time. That’s the point where I am now, and I’m not leaving. I will do my utmost to give other people and talents a chance and to advise them.
I am here, I am staying, I adapt, I learn, and I change. Bringing four years as an agent with my training and the demeanor that the courage for creation is a muscle that I will move.
Meet Jenny
I'm Jenny Nesselhauf.
What do I bring to the table at Black Summer Artists?
Well, I've been in this game for quite a while—24 years of experience to be exact—and now, I'm feeling the itch to shake things up a bit. I've got a real passion for movies, and yeah, I know, everyone says that, but trust me, mine runs deep.
If you're looking for the stereotypical agent in me, you won't find him. I'm not into playing the good guy-bad guy game. And I definitely don't subscribe to the whole "just be creative, I'll handle the rest" mentality. If that's what you're after, then I'm probably not your gal. I'm all about building something together, creating something meaningful.
So, why Black Summer Artists? Because I see an opportunity to pioneer a new era of management in Europe. I want to be part of that movement.
We're breaking new ground, setting new standards, and I want to be right there in the thick of it, making it happen.
We're all about forging new paths, opening up new avenues, and helping the film industry evolve. Over the years, I've seen far too much time wasted on endless meetings where no one listens to recommendations, and too much money squandered. We're here to change that. With our collective knowledge, we want to help filmmakers, agencies, and clients broaden their horizons.
We're standing on the precipice of profound change. AI is reshaping our world, and we're grappling with crises from climate change to humanitarian disasters. In this tumultuous landscape, storytelling is our beacon of hope.
At Black Summer Artists, we're not just in the business of entertainment; we're agents of change. By embracing diversity, authenticity, and collaboration, we can wield the power of storytelling to inspire action and shape a brighter future. It's time to roll up our sleeves and write the next chapter —one that's defined by resilience, empathy, and boundless creativity.
"We inspire and consult You inspire and create"
What do I bring to the table at Black Summer Artists?
Well, I've been in this game for quite a while—24 years of experience to be exact—and now, I'm feeling the itch to shake things up a bit. I've got a real passion for movies, and yeah, I know, everyone says that, but trust me, mine runs deep.
If you're looking for the stereotypical agent in me, you won't find him. I'm not into playing the good guy-bad guy game. And I definitely don't subscribe to the whole "just be creative, I'll handle the rest" mentality. If that's what you're after, then I'm probably not your gal. I'm all about building something together, creating something meaningful.
So, why Black Summer Artists? Because I see an opportunity to pioneer a new era of management in Europe. I want to be part of that movement.
We're breaking new ground, setting new standards, and I want to be right there in the thick of it, making it happen.
We're all about forging new paths, opening up new avenues, and helping the film industry evolve. Over the years, I've seen far too much time wasted on endless meetings where no one listens to recommendations, and too much money squandered. We're here to change that. With our collective knowledge, we want to help filmmakers, agencies, and clients broaden their horizons.
We're standing on the precipice of profound change. AI is reshaping our world, and we're grappling with crises from climate change to humanitarian disasters. In this tumultuous landscape, storytelling is our beacon of hope.
At Black Summer Artists, we're not just in the business of entertainment; we're agents of change. By embracing diversity, authenticity, and collaboration, we can wield the power of storytelling to inspire action and shape a brighter future. It's time to roll up our sleeves and write the next chapter —one that's defined by resilience, empathy, and boundless creativity.
"We inspire and consult You inspire and create"
Nobody wants “BIGGER THAN LIFE” anymore. People in the film industry want to have a life.