Director's Works
Tobias Dolphin (*1997) is a emerging director based in Stuttgart, Germany. He is drawn to stories that balance realism with absurdity — where humor, tension, and emotion collide.
Before studying at Merz Akademie Stuttgart, Tobias spent two years traveling through India, South America, and Australia, documenting his journeys along the way. These early experiences shaped his storytelling approach: visually grounded, yet playful and human at its core.
Although Merz Akademie offers broad artistic freedom, Tobias carved his own path by specializing in commercial directing — a direction he pursued independently through self-produced and self-financed projects. His work reflects a passion for cinematic storytelling within the constraints of limited resources.
His most recent project, “Epiphany” — a self-produced spec ad for Fujifilm — turns familiar crime-scene tropes into a darkly comic twist. Shot with a small, dedicated crew, the film embodies his belief that creativity thrives on limitation.
With only two spec ads to date, Tobias is a new director — but one who’s already defined by persistence, curiosity, and a clear sense of tone and style.
“Epiphany” is a self-produced and independently financed spec ad I created for Fujifilm — based on an idea I’d been developing for quite a while. After a longer and more emotional project ("Unbridled"), I wanted to challenge myself with something shorter and sharper: a dark comedy built entirely around one idea and one location.
The film plays with classic crime-scene clichés — a familiar setup we all recognize from thrillers and “Tatort”-style dramas — only to twist those expectations into something absurd and funny. For me, the main challenge was to make that twist feel natural and earned: to build a believable scene and then pull the rug just at the right moment.
Finding the right location took a long time, but we finally shot over one and a half days in Bad Waldsee, Germany. It was my second spec ad and my second time working with Christian Neuberger as DoP — a collaboration that has grown into a great creative partnership. Our crew was small, about seven people, mostly friends from university, which made the shoot feel intimate and full of trust.
I’m incredibly happy with the cast; their performances captured exactly the subtle tone I wanted between realism and parody. And the music by Hannes Bieber elevated the entire film — he really nailed the atmosphere I was hoping for.
“Epiphany” marks my first venture into comedy — a genre I’ve come to love for its precision and playfulness. It might just be the direction I keep following.
