#missingtype 2026

For the German Red Cross blood donation service (DRK) and its #missingtype 2026 campaign, I had the opportunity to work as cinematographer and colorist on one intense shoot day. The idea behind it is as simple as it is striking: the letters of the blood types A, B, AB and 0 go missing everywhere – a quiet reminder that blood donations are irreplaceable, with around 15,000 donations needed in Germany every day. This year, Jana Wosnitza, Thore Schölermann, Loris Karius and Stefano Zarrella lend their voices to the message.

We shot everything in a single day at the Cinegate Studio in Cologne – including build, and across three parallel sets for TVC, social and photography. The tight schedule with four talents called for a well-rehearsed team and fast, clear decisions on set. Working on a RED V-Raptor with Angenieux EZ zooms, backed by a Komodo as B-cam, we went for a modern, dynamic, handheld look. A large overhead softlight kept the lighting soft and even, while the coloured background in the cyclorama shifted from a bold red to pure white within the take – a visual motif that puts all the attention on the talents and the message.

In the grade I then refined the look further: clean, contemporary and with a controlled transition from warm red into white, keeping the imagery consistent across TVC and social.