Summary: Gieske Studios has been in constant transformation since its founding three decades ago – from analog slide film through CGI and interactive applications to two independent spin-offs, Kampart and Luftschloss, both born from internal departments.
Gieske Studios has been in constant transformation since its founding three decades ago. Starting as a photo studio for advertising catalogs, it grew into a media house that brings photography, videography, CGI, and interactive applications under one roof. What interests me most about this story isn't any single technology shift, but the pattern behind it.
From slide film to digital transformation
The move from analog to digital photography was the first major turning point. Gieske Studios was among the first studios in Germany to make that shift instead of waiting it out. That willingness to try new tools early was the start of a journey that still isn't finished today.
From product image to communication tool
Social media and the shift in consumer behavior that came with it brought the second upheaval: photography and moving image stopped being pure product depiction and became tools for interaction and communication. That's how a dedicated concept and campaign department emerged at Gieske Studios, alongside a film and a CGI department – both have grown steadily ever since.
Two spin-offs as the result
That growth eventually outgrew the frame of a single department. The concept and campaign work became Kampart in 2022, an independent communications agency for brand development and high-end campaigns. The CGI department became Luftschloss in 2024, an agency for interactive AI, CGI, and real-time projects. Both companies carry forward the Gieske Studios handwriting, but operate under their own name and with their own focus – because some ideas only fully unfold once they no longer have to be part of something bigger.
Conclusion
Thirty years of Gieske Studios show me one thing above all: change isn't an event, it's a permanent state. Look early enough, and you don't have to choose between continuity and a fresh start – both can coexist, if you're willing to let a department grow into its own company. More on the work of Gieske Studios is at gieskestudios.com.