Norman Schenk

Since 2014 I have deliberately shifted my focus from my own acting work to the next generation of filmmakers: I am the founder and managing director of YouVista UG and the initiator of the Jugendfilmcamp Arendsee, which has since become a multi‑award‑winning flagship project. During this time I have accepted fewer traditional acting engagements – but I have been constantly working with film and acting.

At the Jugendfilmcamp I guide hundreds of young people each year through the entire production process in practice: from the first idea, script development and rehearsals, to acting in front of the camera, visual style and directing, all the way to the premiere on the big screen. Over the years, with more than 6,000 participants from 30 countries, more than 600 short films have been produced, supported by a large team of professional tutors from film, theatre and television. My own experience as an actor flows directly into scene work, character development and precise work on set.

In parallel, I am taking the next step with YouVista and creating a larger home for the growing Jugendfilmcamp: the Filmplace Arendsee on more than 60,000 square metres – with studios, a cinema, workshop spaces, gastronomy and accommodation. It is becoming a place where media education, film production and gentle tourism come together, and where film can be experienced across generations.

This apparent “gap” in my traditional acting résumé is in fact a very intensive phase of practice: I have been responsible for production processes, leading teams, coaching young actors and building a real film and education hub – with very close involvement in the craft both in front of and behind the camera.