new dimension

in sound

Stephan Konken, born in 1965 in Wilhelmshaven, leads the studio founded in 1988 with filmmaker Rüdiger Neumann, specializing in sound design and mixing for cinema and TV productions. In 1982, Stephan Konken met filmmaker and film professor Rüdiger Neumann, gaining access to the world of film. From that point on, he began working on paid film sound projects. In 1984, the first film premiered at the Berlinale. From 1985 to 1989, Konken studied "Visual Communication" at the University of Fine Arts. During this period, he set up a precursor to the current studio, where various sound editing and small-scale mixing projects were carried out. In 1988, the "KONKEN STUDIOS" was established in new premises in the western part of Hamburg. The studio quickly became a hub for national and international productions. In 1992, Stephan Konken and Rüdiger Neumann pioneered the design of sound control rooms. A cinema-grade space was created to ensure precise sound evaluation, leading to the construction of a large mixing stage that remains the foundation for high-quality sound work today. This setup allowed for accurate control over the eventual cinematic sound during the sound design process. Other studios followed suit years later by offering similarly large control rooms. In the same year, the "Dolby Digital" sound format emerged and was promptly integrated into the studio. In the following years, numerous films were processed in the studio, earning recognition both in Germany and internationally. In 1998, another part of the building was converted into a mixing stage, the voice-over studio was modernized, and a dedicated Foley studio was added. Traditional analog editing rooms were replaced with digital "Avid" and "ProTools" workstations. In 1999, the large studio was equipped with a digital mixing console (DFC by AMS), making KONKEN STUDIOS the first in Germany to offer "Dolby Digital EX" sound format. This was first used in the production of "Käpt’n Blaubär," making it the second production in Europe and the first in Germany to utilize this groundbreaking format. In addition to film productions, the studio also handled TV shows, commercials, documentaries, and DVD projects. This led to the establishment of another studio optimized for these areas. In 2001, the studio had its first collaboration with Sergei Bodrov, an Oscar-nominated Russian filmmaker. Since then, KONKEN STUDIOS has regularly worked on Bodrov's films, solidifying its reputation for excellent sound editing in a collaborative, creative environment internationally. Over the years, films from a wide range of countries have been processed at the studio, including Sweden, Portugal, Korea, Serbia, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Peru, Russia, Austria, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ethiopia, and more. In 2007, the studio worked on the sound design for "Mongol," a project comparable in scale to Hollywood productions. The process involved over 300 individual soundtracks, a year of work, countless premixes, and collaborations with exceptional talents. This effort earned KONKEN STUDIOS the "NIKA AWARD" and "GOLDEN EAGLE AWARD" for Best Sound Design in Moscow in 2008. International productions value the studio for its high-quality sound design, the team's extensive experience, creative dedication, and decades of expertise in solving the unique challenges of the film industry. For the film "Upperdog," Stephan Konken received a nomination for "Best Sound Design 2010" at the AMANDA AWARDS, Norway’s most prestigious film festival. In 2012, the short film "Raju," which received its sound design at KONKEN STUDIOS, was nominated for an Oscar for "Best International Short Film." The studio’s jewel – the large mixing stage – is unparalleled globally. The studio's success lies not only in its technical equipment but also in the meticulous acoustic design. The planning and construction, led by Rüdiger Neumann and Stephan Konken in collaboration with "THX," ensured exceptional sound quality through precise choices in wall distances, soundproofing materials, and achieving short reverberation times. To this day, the KONKEN STUDIOS team, typically consisting of 5 to 6 members with additional specialists brought in as needed, has collaborated with many prominent figures in the film industry, such as:

Karl Baumgartner

Armin Müller - Stahl

Detlef Buck

Sergei Bodrov, Ray Lovejoy, Jürgen Vogel, Hans-Christoph Blumenberg, Till Schweiger, Walter Moers, Frank Otto, Franka Potente, Fatih Akin, Tim Mälzer, Peter Lohmeyer, Jana Pallaske, Martina Gedeck, Kim-Ki-Duk, George Sluizer, John Hurt, Peter Kern, Christoph Schlingensief, Werner Schroeter, Axel Prahl, Lars Jessen, Heinz Emigholz, Sara Johnson, Peter Boyle, Otto Waalkes, Moritz Bleibtreu, Sky Du Mont, Achim von Borries, Julia Jensch, Bettina Oberli, Bohdan Sláma, Philip Davis, Matthias Glasner, Thomas Kufus, Apard Bondy, Ulrich Thomsen, Zach Staenberg, Max Zähle, Charlotte Rampling, Oliver Berben, Annette Frier, Christian Ulmen, Stephan Schad, Peter Jordan, Ulrich Köhler, Gabriel Byrne, Dieter Pfaff, Jürgen Kriwitz, Peter Dalle, etc.