Challenge

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the internet encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation celebrated this milestone with their first-ever cinematic video campaign. For the ambitious project, the foundation tapped Berlin-based agency Twinematics, headed by twin brothers Tarkan and Yakup Pamuk, to create a series of German-language spots that would increase brand awareness, inspire new volunteers, and encourage donations.

Twinematics returned a concept around three visually distinct shorts set in real-world locations to celebrate Wikipedia’s value and human contributions. The Wikimedia Foundation greenlit the project, and Twinematics set about preparing for a whirlwind shoot. The limited budget meant practical locations were a must, so they found compelling options in the library at Freie Universität Berlin, a large university lecture hall, and a Berlin bar.

While each location brought rich texture, none of them were available for a normal production day. The lecture hall would need motivated, consistent daylight coming from the massive windows on the far wall, a tall order due to the size of the room, the timing of the shoot, and Berlin’s frequently overcast skies. In the library, the team would have just one hour to light and shoot before it opened to the public, and the bar would have to remain open for the duration of the shoot. Because of budget and logistics, the crew would need to be tiny, and industry tools as simple as lighting stands would be impractical for much of the production.

Solution

The Pamuks aggressively planned their days around the limitations of each location. “Because the crew was small, preparation replaced manpower,” Tarkan says. “We conducted detailed location scouting, developed lighting concepts for each environment, pre-programmed setups in Sidus Link, and created lighting diagrams.”

For the lecture hall, the team blacked out the windows and created sunlight with the Electro Storm XT26. The fixture’s compatibility with 220V household circuits in the EU meant the XT26’s high output was available on location without a generator. A Light Storm 600d Pro with Spotlight Mount created a window blind pattern.

In the university library, the team discovered in scouting that the bookshelves were metal. They split their hour of production time and spent thirty minutes pre-rigging an entire aisle of shelves with INFINIBARs and MC Pros. The magnets and battery power on these lights let the team eliminate stands, cables, and most grip equipment. Lighting was pre-configured in Sidus Link, so adjustments were made quickly and wirelessly.

Since customers were patronizing the bar during the shoot, the Pamuks chose again to light the entire space rather than worry about individual setups. A Light Storm 600d Pro provided “daylight” from outside, and Aputure STORM 80cs provided warm, 2700K light to match the earthy tones of the bar. MC Pros added depth to the bottle shelves, and an INFINIBAR was moved in for a facial wrap on close-ups. Again, Sidus Link made adjustments quick.

Results

The campaign went live in June 2026 on the German Wikipedia and Wikimedia Foundation pages. The foundation is happy with the results, and the Pamuks are thrilled at the final result and what’s possible with modern lighting and production equipment. Tarkan says, “Lighting the entire space instead of individual shots completely changed how we work under time pressure. It gives us creative freedom. Aputure fixtures enable us to make quick changes in seconds on set, which is an absolute game changer for us.” Yakup adds, “We don’t believe cinematic quality depends on crew size. It depends on preparation and intelligent tools.”