Our Spotlight Awards 2020 are open for entries now and we invite you to get to know some of the judges. Ronnie Patt, Creative Director at Jung von Matt, will be judging the People & Lifestyle photography submissions this year.

Production Paradise: What made you accept our invitation to become a judge on the Spotlight Awards panel?

Ronnie Patt: I was very pleased! If you are always busy with advertising all day long, it is a nice variety to evaluate other work as well. Especially if it’s photography!

Production Paradise: You have an impressive trajectory in some of the most important agencies in Germany – was there a decision early on your career to follow this path?

Ronnie Patt: Definitely. It was clear to me from the start that it didn‘t matter what agency name was on the building. The most important thing for me was to learn from the best creative people in Germany and to work for the most exciting clients. That’s probably why I ended up in these agencies.

Production Paradise: You now work in the Sports Division of Jung von Matt, what trends have you seen in recent years in Sport and Lifestyle advertising that you think will continue in the future?

Ronnie Patt: In general, I don’t believe that trends will continue or remain. That‘s why trends are called trends, they have to be reinvented and defined again and again. But okay, there is one trend that will last. And that is that you can no longer sell consumers every crap with boring advertising. Today, everyone has the opportunity to click away advertising. And the users are doing it radically. That‘s why we must always entertain or inform with relevant content for the respective target groups in the future. And that is good!

Production Paradise: What has been your favorite campaign to work on, and why?

Ronnie Patt: I currently love the work we have implemented for our customer Schöffel. Schöffel sells winter sports clothing. And we have created a catalogue. Okay, that sounds super boring and old school at first. But when you get the chance to make a beautiful designed winter sports catalogue, presented without any snow at all and actually only serving to draw attention to climate change, that‘s a bold statement from a courageous customer. But in general I really loved working on all projects. I promise!

Production Paradise: What sort of images would you like to see in the competition?

Ronnie Patt: I would be very happy if we could see new, unseen, creative stagings of images. Pictures where you think: f**k, this is brilliant and new!

Production Paradise: What do you think are the main qualities (personal & professional) to look for in a photographer?

Ronnie Patt: Of course professionalism, perfect craftsmanship, and empathy. The chemistry between photographer, client, and agency must be right for the best results to be achieved. And the willingness to go the f… extra mile. 😉

Production Paradise: How important are online platforms for finding new talent? What platforms do you use to scout new photographers?

Ronnie Patt: Here at Jung von Matt, we work closely with the in-house art buying department, who always suggests new and great photographers. That‘s why I‘m rather less involved in the search for photographers. Of course, there are some projects where I‘m looking for a photographer myself. But I also have a large network that always gives me good tips.

Production Paradise: In what ways do you think Production Paradise Spotlight Awards could benefit photographers?

Ronnie Patt: This is certainly a good springboard for future jobs. Not only for young photographers but also for old hands in the business. When you win awards, people talk about you, it’s that simple. But it’s not easy to win awards 😉 That’s why I can only encourage everyone to take part in such cool competitions like the Spotlight Awards.

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