salt & pictures

What salt & pictures does

salt & pictures GmbH is a commercial film production company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, founded in 2016 and operating with a core team of eight. The company produces high-quality moving image content — television commercials, corporate and employer branding films, product films, branded content, social media spots, and short documentaries — for both creative agencies (including CASTENOW, mStudio, McCann Germany, BUTTER. GmbH, and FootballCo) and direct brand clients across automotive, government, retail, fashion, beauty, food, industrial, and sports sectors.

The technical stack spans traditional and modern production techniques: underwater filming using specialized camera housings, LED studio virtual production, BOLT programmable camera robots and Scorpio crane cinematography, 16mm film, macro photography, and freehand camerawork. Post-production capabilities include CGI compositing (delivered via partner Outside the Club), VFX, 3D motion tracking, color grading, and sound design (delivered via partner Crossfade-Lab). Notable international and large-scale projects include the Bundeswehr multi-channel TVC, Vaillant's largest campaign 'The Sign,' the Invictus Games 2023 teaser featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and McDonald's Germany e-sports employer branding. Production locations span Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Guatemala.

The business model is project-based professional services with custom negotiated pricing per brief; there is no recurring or subscription revenue. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-agency and direct-to-brand engagement, supported by Vimeo showreels, Instagram, LinkedIn, the company website portfolio, and cultural artifacts such as the PICTURES zine and team offsite content. The company is privately held with no external institutional investment, co-managed by Managing Partners Wilhelm Schulz and Lennart Neumann.

Name

salt & pictures

Legal name

salt & pictures GmbH

Website

https://saltandpictures.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

salt & pictures is a Düsseldorf-based commercial film production company founded in 2016, producing TV commercials, corporate films, branded content, and documentaries for creative agencies and direct brand clients across European markets with a core team of eight.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle) (MPAAAMAI)

Keywords

• Commercial film production
• Corporate video production
• Branded content production
• Television commercial production
• Documentary filmmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commercial Film Production: Project-based production of commercials, TV spots, branded content, and corporate films for agencies and brand clients. Revenue is earned per project, with pricing based on concept complexity, production scale, crew size, locations, equipment, post-production requirements, and delivery formats. No recurring or subscription revenue model.
2. Corporate and Employer Branding Films: Production of employer branding films, image films, and documentaries for corporate clients. These projects typically involve longer production cycles and may include testimonial and brand storytelling elements.
3. Documentary Production: Production of short documentaries (e.g., Coffee for Life, Carrara marble artist documentary), including passion projects. Documentary revenue may be supplemented by grants, festival screenings, or distribution, though specific economics are not disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

salt & pictures is a commercial film production company based in Düsseldorf that crafts high-quality moving image content for agencies and brand clients. Their services span television commercials, corporate and employer branding films, product films, branded content, and documentaries, delivered with an emphasis on emotionally driven storytelling and technically versatile production methods including virtual production, underwater filming, and large-scale set builds.

Product overview

salt & pictures is a commercial film production company based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Their core offering is the production of high-quality moving image content, encompassing commercials, corporate movies, product films, branded content, and documentaries. They work with agencies and direct clients across various industries, producing content ranging from TV commercials and social media ads to employer branding films and documentary portraits. The company also offers behind-the-scenes content as part of their production services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Film Production Production of high-quality television commercials and advertising content for agencies and direct brand clients. The work spans TV spots, branded entertainment, and campaign films, executed end-to-end from concept through post-production including color grading, VFX, and sound design.
• Corporate and Employer Branding Films Corporate video content including employer branding films, internal communications, image films, and company storytelling productions. Designed for enterprise clients (e.g., REWE, Fressnapf, McDonald's Germany, Heckmann Bau) seeking to communicate culture, recruitment messaging, and brand identity through long-form video.
• Product Films Product showcase videos and commercial productions highlighting specific products or services. Used by brands such as DALLMER, IONITY, and Landgard to present physical products, infrastructure, or product portfolios through cinematic techniques including macro photography and dynamic camera movement.
• Branded Content Brand-aligned entertainment content and branded storytelling for marketing campaigns. Created for fashion, lifestyle, and consumer brands (e.g., Kapten & Son, Snipes x New Balance, La Roche-Posay) seeking visually striking editorial-style content that combines brand messaging with creative narrative.
• Documentary Production Short and feature-length documentary productions, including brand documentaries, social impact storytelling, and passion projects. Examples include the fair-trade coffee documentary 'Coffee for Life' (Guatemala) and the Carrara marble artist documentary, often screened at festivals or special events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced Vaillant's biggest TV campaign to date ('The Sign'), demonstrating large-scale production capability.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• CASTENOWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASTENOW is a Düsseldorf-based creative agency that has collaborated with salt & pictures on multiple high-profile projects including the Bundeswehr multi-channel TVC campaign ('Weil du es kannst.'), the REWE employer branding film, the Invictus Games 2023 teaser (featuring Prince Harry and Meghan), and the Bundeswehr 'Führungskräfte' single-shot cinema spot. The partnership appears to be an ongoing, repeat collaboration spanning both commercial and cause-related content.
• mStudio (eBay/mStudio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnermStudio is a creative production agency that partnered with salt & pictures on the IONITY Social Ads project (creating short social media creatives within one shooting day) and the eBay 'Trödeltrupp' TVC campaign. mStudio acts as both agency and production collaborator.
• BUTTER. GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUTTER. GmbH is a Düsseldorf-based creative agency that partnered with salt & pictures on the Vaillant 'The Sign' campaign — described as the biggest campaign in Vaillant's history. The collaboration encompassed creative development and full TVC production.
• Outside the ClubsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOutside the Club provided CGI and compositing services for the Bundeswehr 'Führungskräfte' single-shot cinema spot. The BOLT camera robot's identical movements across multiple scenes were seamlessly combined using CGI work by Outside the Club.
• Crossfade-LabsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCrossfade-Lab provided sound design and mixing services for salt & pictures Reel III, the company's showreel compilation.
• Tim KoslowskiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector Tim Koslowski has collaborated with salt & pictures on multiple occasions, including the Landgard '1000 Gute Gründe' calendar campaign and Art-Invest Real Estate 'making of' documentaries filmed across European cities (London, Florence, Stockholm).
• McCann GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcCann Germany is a global advertising agency that partnered with salt & pictures on the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Urea 10% influencer campaign, working with DOP Jens Wirtzfeld and featuring influencers Riccardo Simonetti, Veronica Ferres, Lilly Krug, and Ana Johnson.
• geBONGt (Cologne)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnergeBONGt is a Cologne-based creative agency that partnered with salt & pictures on the COEUR DE LION Jewellery 'Hotel stories' photo and video campaign at The Fontenay hotel in Hamburg.
• FootballCosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootballCo is a sports content and agency entity that partnered with salt & pictures on the Bayer 04 Leverkusen x Trive campaign featuring athletes Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, and Odilon Kossounou.
• El Flamingo FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Flamingo Films is a film production company referenced in the context of a team bike tour offsite with salt & pictures in the Eifel region, indicating an informal creative network relationship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stink Studios: Global creative production company producing commercials, branded content, and digital films for agencies and brands. Operates a comparable project-based commercial production model with multiple international offices, serving a similar tier-1 client base.
• Somesuch & Co: London-based boutique commercial production company producing advertising films, branded content, and music videos for global agencies and brands. Directly comparable creative boutique model with strong agency partnerships and premium brand portfolio.
• Tempomedia Filmproduktion GmbH: Hamburg-based commercial film production company producing TV commercials, branded content, and corporate films for agencies and brands across Germany. Comparable in service mix and agency-led GTM to salt & pictures, operating at a slightly larger scale.
• Embassy of Dreams Filmproduktion: German film production company producing commercials, image films, and branded content for agencies and brand clients. Similar boutique-style creative production operating in the same agency-driven German market.
• Tony Petersen Film: German commercial film production house producing advertising films, image films, and branded content for agencies and direct clients. Highly comparable in service offering (commercials, corporate, branded content) and project-based delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Radical Media: Large global production company producing commercials, documentaries, and branded content at scale. Same fundamental offering (commercial film production for agencies and brands) but operates a much broader portfolio and significantly larger production capacity than salt & pictures.
• Anonymous Content: Major US-based production company with a commercials division producing high-end advertising films alongside feature films and television. Overlaps with salt & pictures in commercial production for tier-1 brands but at significantly greater scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/saltandpictures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salt-pictures-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/saltandpictures.de
• Facebookfacebook.com/saltandpictures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about salt & pictures