Awesome Germany

Joerg Daiber makes wonderful tilt-shifted films that make the real world look miniature. This time, he returned to the same location multiple times to capture the different seasons. His host, the luxurious and historic Schloss Elmau resort, sits in the middle of the Bavarian Alps in Germany and is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking vistas in Europe.

Mind The Map discusses the fake bus stops outside several senior homes in Germany. Supposedly, they have prevented patients with dementia from wandering off and getting lost should they happen to escape. It seems like a simple ruse, but the longer we think about it, the more we are met by a novel’s worth of metaphors and meanings.

Electric vehicle maker Tesla takes us on an updated tour of Gigafactory Berlin. The drone’s-eye view of the factory puts viewers as close as they’ll ever get to metal stamping presses, industrial robots, and other massive machines. Tesla expects the facility to crank out hundreds of thousands of its Model Y crossovers and millions of battery cells.

Felix from BerlinLapse captured this wild 360º hyperlapse video of the Fernsehturm, one of Europe’s tallest free-standing structures. To shoot the footage, he mapped out a walking route around the tower and snapped photos along the way. He then color-graded the photos in Lightroom and used After Effects to track the tower’s position, size, and rotation.

FPV drone pilot Tony Catapano aka Tonnoz takes us on a flight through the twisty and turny art installation known as Tiger and Turtle. Located in Duisburg, Germany, the interactive sculpture allows visitors to walk along its undulating staircase like a human rollercoaster. It’s especially awesome lit up at night.

Photographer Joerg Daiber takes us on a trip to Munich for an aerial, tilt-shifted view of the third-largest city in Germany. Along the way, you’ll see some of the city’s parks, beaches, waterways, cafés, and industry, along with a look at a miniaturized Oktoberfest celebration.

When companies mine the ground for precious minerals, what do they do with the materials they dug up and didn’t use? In the case of one kaolin mine in Bavaria, Germany, you turn the leftovers into a slope for sandboarders and skiers. Tom Scott takes us on a journey to the Monte Kaolino theme park.

Germany’s Miniatur Wunderland is home to the most amazing miniature scenery on the planet. This video lets viewers ride along every section of its model railway, offering a 360º view of the tiny world, including the insides of its tunnels. The mounting position of the camera makes the train partially disappear though.

German grocery and department store Netto Marken-Discount created this adorable commercial in which their human shoppers have been replaced with cats. As they push their miniature carts down the aisle, they skip the cat food and litter and go with treats like candy and soda pop… and definitely no cucumbers.

There’s little question that EVs reduce carbon emissions, but they’re not as convenient to fill up as gas-powered vehicles. Tom Scott headed to Germany to check out an power solution that sends electricity to trucks via overhead wires like a tram. A hybrid powertrain takes over when changing lanes or exiting highways.

There I Ruined It transform’s N.W.A.’s West Coast rap anthem into a West German polka anthem, trading blunts for beers, Los Angeles for lederhosen, AKs for accordions, and adding an unwanted oompah band sound to Straight Outta Compton.

Filmmaker Joerg Daiber has taken us to some exotic places through his Little Big World series. But during the pandemic he stayed closer to home, capturing amazing footage around Germany, including the snow-capped trees, medieval castles, and vintage railroads of the Erzgebirge, also known as the Ore Mountains.

German supermarket chain EDEKA enlisted musician Marc Rebillet to create a song about shopping for groceries in their stores. The result is this delightfully silly commercial spot. Naturally, the robe-wearing performer turned the fruit and veggies into musical instruments.

These special pencils from Germany’s Lyra are designed to help youngsters get a better grip, but we think anyone can benefit from their grooved exterior and anti-roll shape. They come in a variety of styles, including blue, metallic, or slimline with regular leads, as well as colored pencils.

While shooting selfie footage on the roofs of Hamburg, Germany, freerunner Jason Paul drops his phone. Being the athlete that he is, he does everything in his power to hunt down his lost phone. This playful parkour clip from Red Bull is filled with action, humor, and great camerawork.

MoMA posted this mutoscope footage of Wuppertal, Germany’s Schwebebahn, a suspension railway that opened way back in 1901. The train line has changed over the years, but still is in operation. The juxtaposition of the overhead rail cars and the horse-drawn carriages below is like something out of a Jules Verne story.