Saskia Marka

Saskia Marka
Saskia Marka
	Saskia Marka, 2019
Born	1975 (age 49–50); Bayreuth, West Germany
Occupation(s)	Film title and graphic designer
Years active	2001–present

Saskia Marka (née Rüter; born 1975) is a German film title designer, known for her work on the TV series Babylon Berlin, The Queen's Gambit, Deutschland 83, Deutschland 86 and Deutschland 89.^[1]

Life and work

Marka studied communication design at the Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design (Muthesius Kunsthochschule) in Kiel. After receiving her diploma there, she went on to study Film & TV Design (today: Motion Design) at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg in 2000, which Marka also completed with a diploma in 2003.^[2]

Since then she has been working as a freelancer and has designed title sequences, opening and closing credits for many German and international films and television series. Marka also designed the artwork for several German feature films and series. In 2010, she became the first German title designer to receive the Certificate Of Typographic Excellence from the Type Directors Club of New York for her title design for the German feature film This Is Love.^[3]

Marka achieved international fame with her work for the television series Babylon Berlin (2017), The Queen's Gambit (2020), Deutschland 83 (2015), Deutschland 86 (2018) and Deutschland 89 (2020). Her opening credits for the TV series Deutschland 83^[4] were among "The 10 Best Opening Credits of 2015" of the website Vulture.com.^[5] The title sequence for the TV series Babylon Berlin, created by Marka, "was named Art of the Title’s number one title sequence of 2018".^[6] In 2019 she was nominated for the SXSW Film Design Award (the jury prize for Excellence in Title Design) at the SXSW Film Festival for her title design of the series Babylon Berlin.^[7] In 2021, Marka won the SXSW Film Design Award and received a Bronze Cube at the 100th Annual ADC Awards^[8] for her end title sequence for the series The Queen's Gambit.^[9] This sequence made it also into the "Top Picks of 2020" by industry website Art of the Title.^[10] In the same year, she also received an Emmy nomination for her work on The Queen's Gambit.^[11]

Filmography (selection)

Unschuldig (TV series), (2008) – director: Philipp Kadelbach
This Night (Diese Nacht) (feature film), (2008) – director: Werner Schroeter
I Know You Know (feature film), (2008) – director: Justin Kerrigan
Horst Schlämmer – Isch kandidiere! (feature film), (2009) – director: Angelo Colagrossi
Gravity (Schwerkraft) (feature film), (2009) – director: Maximilian Erlenwein
This Is Love (feature film), (2009) – director: Matthias Glasner
Großstadtrevier (TV series), (2007–2009) – director: Various
Outcast (feature film), (2010) – director: Colm McCarthy
Life Is Too Long [de] (Das Leben ist zu lang) (feature film), (2010) – director: Dani Levy
The Good Neighbour (Unter Nachbarn) (feature film), (2011) – director: Stephan Rick
Blaubeerblau (TV movie), (2011) – director: Rainer Kaufmann
The Loneliest Planet (feature film), (2011) – director: Julia Loktev
Mercy (Gnade) (feature film), (2012) – director: Matthias Glasner
The Iran Job (documentary), (2012) – director: Till Schauder
Invasion (feature film), (2012) – director: Dito Tsintsadze
The Weekend (Das Wochenende) (feature film), (2012) – director: Nina Grosse
Wolf Children [de] (feature film), (2013) – director: Rick Ostermann [de]
Lose My Self (Vergiss mein Ich) (feature film), (2014) – director: Jan Schomburg
Phoenix (feature film), (2014) – director: Christian Petzold
Sanctuary (Freistatt) (feature film), (2015) – director: Marc Brummund
Deutschland 83 (TV mini-series), (2015) – director: Edward Berger, Samira Radsi
Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe (Vor der Morgenröte) (feature film), (2016) – director: Maria Schrader
Deutschland 86 (TV mini-series), (2018) – director: Florian Cossen, Arne Feldhusen
Tatort (TV series, title designer for 6 episodes), (2015–2018) – director: Sebastian Marka
Die verlorene Tochter (TV mini-series), (2020) – director: Kai Wessel
Deutschland 89 (TV mini-series), (2020) – director: Soleen Yusef, Randa Chahoud
The Queen's Gambit (TV mini-series), (2020) – director: Scott Frank
Leipzig Homicide (SOKO Leipzig) (TV series), (2017–2021) – director: Various
Babylon Berlin (TV series), (2017–2022) – director: Henk Handloegten, Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries
Leopard Skin, (2022) – director: Sebastian Gutierrez
Liaison, (2023) – director: Stephen Hopkins

Awards

Type Directors Club

2010: Certificate Of Typographic Excellence for This Is Love

Beazley Designs of the Year

2020: Nomination for the Beazley Design of the Year Award in the category Graphics for Babylon Berlin

South by Southwest (SXSW)

2019: Nomination for the SXSW Film Design Award – Excellence in Title Design in the category Title Design Competition for Babylon Berlin
2021: SXSW Film Design Award – Excellence in Title Design in the category Title Design Competition for The Queen's Gambit

ADC Awards

2021: Bronze Cube Award in the category Motion / Film / Title Sequences for The Queen's Gambit

Primetime Emmy Awards

2021: Nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards for The Queen's Gambit

References

^ Cowan, Katy (December 9, 2020). "Saskia Marka's captivating titles for The Queen's Gambit offer the perfect ending". Creative Boom. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ Filmakademie Alumni: Profile of Saskia Marka (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ Müller, Jochen (June 28, 2010). "Titeldesign von "This is Love" ausgezeichnet". Blickpunkt:Film (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ "Deutschland 83 (2015)". Art of the Title. June 17, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
^ Lyons, Margaret (December 18, 2015). "The 10 Best TV Opening Credits of 2015". Vulture.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
^ "Babylon Berlin (2018)". Art of the Title. January 30, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ Preine, Elena. "Saskia Marka, Absolventin Motion Design – "Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass mir ein anderer Beruf besser gefällt"". Filmakademie Alumni (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ "ADC Awards: 2021 ADC Awards – Motion / Film / Gaming Craft – The Queen's Gambit Main Title Design". The One Club. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
^ Lindahl, Chris (March 19, 2021). "SXSW Film Awards: 'The Fallout' and 'Lily Topples the World' Win Top Prizes at Festival". IndieWire. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ "ADC Awards". The One Club. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ "2021 Creative Arts Emmys: Full Winners List". Variety. September 21, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.

External links

[1] Cowan, Katy (December 9, 2020). "Saskia Marka's captivating titles for The Queen's Gambit offer the perfect ending". Creative Boom. Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[2] Filmakademie Alumni: Profile of Saskia Marka (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[3] Müller, Jochen (June 28, 2010). "Titeldesign von "This is Love" ausgezeichnet". Blickpunkt:Film (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[4] "Deutschland 83 (2015)". Art of the Title. June 17, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2021.

[5] Lyons, Margaret (December 18, 2015). "The 10 Best TV Opening Credits of 2015". Vulture.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.

[6] "Babylon Berlin (2018)". Art of the Title. January 30, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[7] Preine, Elena. "Saskia Marka, Absolventin Motion Design – "Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass mir ein anderer Beruf besser gefällt"". Filmakademie Alumni (in German). Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[8] "ADC Awards: 2021 ADC Awards – Motion / Film / Gaming Craft – The Queen's Gambit Main Title Design". The One Club. Retrieved June 14, 2021.

[9] Lindahl, Chris (March 19, 2021). "SXSW Film Awards: 'The Fallout' and 'Lily Topples the World' Win Top Prizes at Festival". IndieWire. Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[10] "ADC Awards". The One Club. Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[11] "2021 Creative Arts Emmys: Full Winners List". Variety. September 21, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.

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