Written by James Peak on Dec 15, 2008. Posted in On Location

On location in Berlin

Berlin's rise to prominence as a centre for film and the arts continues to gather speed. Despite a difficult economic environment, it is attracting high profile filmmakers and Hollywood actors. Among recent visitors is Quentin Tarantino who has been spotted in Berlin preparing for his forthcoming World War II movie alongside Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger.

Berlin is in fact no stranger to well-known producers and A list actors. Christiane Raab, head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Film Commission observes that since the introduction of the German Federal Film Fund in January 2007, filming in Germany and especially in Berlin has increased significantly. Christiane cites a whole host of international blockbuster productions including Tom Cruise's Valkyre, Tom Tykwer's The International and Pandorum with Dennis Quaid, as well as numerous German (co-) productions.

It appears that Berlin is bucking the current economic trend. As Eike Wolf, head of Corporate Communications at Studio Babelsberg AG, asserts: "The film activities in Berlin are booming right now," Eike adds that last year, 300 movies were shot in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.

There is, however, some evidence of a cautious approach to budgets on the part of advertisers. The World Federation of Advertisers' German Advertiser Association, the Organisation Werbungtreibende im Markenverband (OWM), has released the results of a survey among the biggest German advertisers, which provides a mixture of good and bad news. In particular, 35% of respondents believe that German ad budgets will be less in 2009 compared with 2008 while 43% believe budgets will remain constant. Ony 22% expect that budgets will increase in 2009.

So aside from the economic pressures that Berlin shares with the rest of Germany, and indeed the world, is Berlin still the main attraction for filmmakers coming to Germany or are other areas gaining popularity? According to Christiane: "The location variety is impressive: Beautiful art deco buildings, Prussian castles and gardens, socialist tower blocks, modern contemporary architecture, picturesque lakes and landscapes around Berlin. This, combined with highly professional production service, competitive prices, high living standards and the attraction of a modern metropolis makes the Capital Region unique in Germany."

Michael Nouri, of Stillking Films, which offers production services in Berlin and in other places across Germany, observes that while there has been a worldwide reduction in storyboards and filming, there are still international projects going ahead which need to be shot abroad. Michael says a big advantage for Berlin and indeed for the rest of Germany is the variety of locations it can offer, all within an easy distance from each other. He adds that since the City was rebuilt in the 90's, there is now a huge variety of locations and styles, with classic buildings standing alongside very modern architecture.

While Berlin has certainly attracted its share of high budget productions, those with less cash to spend are also welcomed by the City's production service companies. Michael observes: "Production costs are very reasonable compared to US and UK costs and our good relationships with equipment rental companies and crews mean we are able to give nearly any budget a chance." There are also attractive incentives on offer from the the FFA (German Film funding) and Medienboard, the local film fund in Berlin (see below).

As far as the type of filming that takes place is concerned, Berlin attracts a good mix of commercials, documentaries and feature films. Michael observes: "Nowadays it's more or less equal. Starting with national features coming to Berlin after the fall of the wall, the commercial industry followed and brought agencies and production companies to the city." Michael adds that documentaries have always been popular due to Berlin's unique history.

Industry experts also point out that there is still much of Berlin to explore, particularly since the fall of the wall. Eike observes: "The new Berlin has a lot of unused locations to offer: Hauptbahnhof, Regierungsviertel (government area), Potsdamer Platz, Museumsinsel, the living districts Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte - never seen in a big movie before."

The high level of filming activity in Berlin sits well with the City's increasing profile as a creative and artistic centre. Indeed the Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion week has put Berlin very much on the Fashion map, in the same way that the Berlinale film festival has attracted attention from the international filming community. Michael observes that as a united city, Berlin became increasingly attractive to artists, musicians and fashion designers, and that this creativity also extends to filmmakers. This creative buzz was highlighted recently when Partizan, which describes itself as an international community of directors, opened an office in Berlin. Executive producer Moritz Merkel, who will run the new office, referred to Berlin as 'dynamically changing, creative and fun'.

Christiane concludes: "Twenty years after the Berlin Wall came down, Germany's capital still is and will continue to be very popular with filmmakers."

Financial Incentives

Christiane Raab, head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Film Commission, summarises the main financial incentives on offer to International film makers:

"The main incentive for international film makers is definitely the German Federal Film Fund providing annual grants of EUR60 million until 2009, an extension until 2012 has already been announced. Applications can be submitted at any time. Grants will be awarded without jury decisions and disbursed following approval by the FFA in Berlin. Filmmakers need a German office/subsidary or a German co-production partner. Grants can amount to up to 20% of the approved German production costs. The normal grant ceiling per film is EUR4 million. Following a special request from the producer, this grant ceiling can be extended to a maximum of EUR10 million.

The regional film funding agency Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg with a yearly budget of approximately EUR30 million, offers grants that have to be spent in the Capital Region. A sole authority, the board's director, makes the final decisions, after consulting with a team of advisers. International productions need an office or a local co-production partner for the application."