behind the camera | René Kmet: filmmaker, creative, storyteller

My journey as a filmmaker began early: I have stalked people with cameras ever since my father gave me a VHS camcorder for Christmas in 2000, when I was six years old. At age 12 I shot my first “proper” short film. At 20, I wrote another screenplay and sent it to a major Austrian comedian and actor - he agreed to star in it! I then brought together a team of 50 people and directed and produced “12 Points”, a film specifically created for the Eurovision Song Contest final 2015 in Vienna. To date, it has reached well over a million viewers, both at screenings worldwide and online.

A few years later, I created the hidden-camera comedy format “Vienna Prank Tours”, whose clips went viral and became quite popular in Austria. Over time, I’ve implemented some other projects like music videos and the comedy documentary “The Conductor”, which received several awards.

To be honest, my enthusiasm for filmmaking came to a sudden halt when my father passed away in 2019. I spent the following years channeling my creative energy (as far as I had any at all) into other areas, and I’m only slowly finding my way back to filmmaking—mainly through my passion for storytelling and my work in other fields.

Filmmaking

Vienna Prank Tours (comedy entertainment)

Capturing the moment, making time stand still, perhaps even cheating death a little … While I am not a full-time photographer, I am very much a full-time lover of photography. Looking back at the images I’ve taken over the past few years (both on the job and on my own), one thing becomes clear: I love taking portraits, probably because I love people.

Photography

Hermann Maier, photographed by René Kmet

Backstage on a movie set, photographed by René Kmet

A snow-covered house at night with lights on inside, surrounded by trees and a snow-covered landscape.

Black and white photo of a young woman with short wavy hair holding a flower near her nose in front of bare branches.

A man gazing out of a window at night, with soft lighting highlighting his face and a dark background surrounding him.

A man with a beard and short hair, wearing a checkered shirt, sitting at a table in a cafe, focusing on a camera filming or photographing him. There are takeaway coffee cups on the table and a paper bag. The scene is in black and white.

A woman with blonde hair wearing a dark coat and boots standing in a park with leafless trees, captured in black and white.

Two young men walking outside in matching red and black uniforms, viewed from behind, near a large building with red trim and windows, and trucks parked nearby.

A woman with curly hair and sunglasses is celebrating at an outdoor event, raising her arm and smiling joyfully. She is surrounded by a crowd of people during daytime.

Two young women sitting on a wooden bench outdoors at night, surrounded by lush green foliage, with serious facial expressions.

Black and white photo of a man walking outdoors in a park or open area with trees and a city skyline in the background. The man appears to smile and is casually dressed.

A young woman with light brown, messy hair and blue eyes leaning her head and arm on a wooden ladder in a room with shelves filled with tools and miscellaneous items.

I produce (= conceive, write, organise, shoot, edit, mix, etc.) all kinds of moving images, such as corporate videos, event videos, wedding videos, advertising, social media clips, making of documentaries, etc.

And: I have edited so many TV segments, I’ve lost count :)

Videography & Other