About Us

In 2022, two opposites decided to join forces: Tobi and Jan founded DUAD Studios—not in spite of their differences, but because of them.

They had met as a director-cinematographer duo at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg. Tobias was always charging ahead: a vision in his head, a pitch deck in his hand, already halfway to the next client meeting. Public image, sales, creative risks—whenever there was a risk or an opportunity on the horizon, Tobias was already right in the thick of it. Jan, on the other hand, managed spreadsheets with clockwork precision, organized workflows, and made sure that creative flights of fancy didn’t end in crash landings.

Yin and Yang, then. Though to be honest, you have to say: without Jan, there’s no Yang. Tobias is the Yang—always pushing forward. Jan brings the balance. Or as they put it themselves: “Yang needs Jan.”

The idea to start their own company didn’t come about overnight. Tobias had to convince Jan—and that was a project in itself. After six successful productions, Jan remarked matter-of-factly, “Why would a cameraman start a production company?” Tobias replied, in essence, “Why not?” And between those two statements lay the company’s founding.

Since then, they have divided production tasks on a project-by-project basis. Both are creative, both know their craft, and both are capable of leading—just in different ways. Tobias develops concepts and experiments with new formats. Jan assesses feasibility and optimizes processes. Tobias sells the vision; Jan makes sure it becomes a reality.

And that is precisely the secret to their success: Different personalities are not an obstacle, but a source of strength. When one steps on the gas, the other hits the brakes at just the right moment. When one has doubts, the other provides motivation. When Tobias kicks the door in, Jan calls the locksmith. Duad Studios is therefore not a compromise between two opposites, but the result of the tension between them. Creativity requires courage—and structure. Vision requires a stage—and a foundation. Or to put it another way: The greatest balance often arises where two extremes decide to dance together.