Barrandov Studio Ready to Co-Produce

05 April 2016

Film Industry

Barrandov Studio Ready to Co-Produce

Interview with Petr Tichý, General Director of Barrandov Studio

Film Industry

Barrandov Studio Ready to Co-Produce

Interview with Petr Tichý, General Director of Barrandov Studio

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The foundation stone for Barrandov Studio was laid on 23 November, 1931. 2016 marks 85 years since this symbol of Czech and world partnership with film was born.

What is the current state of Barrandov Studio?
Barrandov Studio, with its 13 sound stages on a total area of 12 000 m2 and over 160 000 m2 of unique exterior backlot, rises high above the horizon of Prague as one of the largest Central European film and TV studios.

Which services does the studio offer?
Barrandov Studio, in addition to the already-mentioned 13 sound stages with complete facilities, offers comprehensive production services, as well as set-construction services, which include a carpentry shop, locksmith, plaster shop and other spaces for preparing your production. Barrandov Studio also has the world’s largest wardrobe collection. Barrandov’s furniture and prop collections are equally extensive. Integral parts of the services offered are audiovisual post-production, two dubbing studios and a digital lab for transferring film material to digital formats in HD quality.

How can Barrandov help to service various productions?
Last year Barrandov Studio serviced the project Mountains and Stones, directed by Joseph Ruben (Sleeping with the Enemy) and starring Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down). Barrandov Studio helped them with getting the incentives, financial services, production facilities, technical equipment, renting stages and other services, including a complicated move of the whole crew to locations in Turkey.

What do foreign crews praise the most about working with Barrandov?
They praise the tradition and respectability of the Barrandov Studio brand, its flexibility, the expertise of Czech crews, the quality and comprehensiveness of the services offered. Another advantage that we cannot forget is the location of the Barrandov stages right in the centre of Europe, near an international airport and the beautiful center of the capital Prague, as well as a wide range of other historically interesting locations.

How many films are shot every year at Barrandov?
The numbers vary from year to year, mainly because of the time required for individual projects. In 2015, more than 300 foreign and domestic productions used Barrandov Studio with their film, television and advertising projects.

Which recent film or series has been most demanding to produce and why?
Because of its production length, art department and construction needs, one such production is definitely the series Borgia, which was produced at Barrandov for three years. Throughout the shoot, the crew built unique exterior sets of medieval Rome and a copy of the Sistine Chapel inside the soundstage. Another equally challenging project last year was the feature film Anthropoid, for which, in a record time of three weeks a replica of the Cyril and Methodius Cathedral was built inside the stage. I could name dozens of other truly exceptional sets that have been built by Barrandov workers in recent months and years.

In addition to studio rental, Barrandov Studio is also a co-producer of various Czech films. When did this start and which films has Barrandov Studio co-produced?
Barrandov Studio has always been and will be helpful in the development of Czech and foreign films. Last year Barrandov Studio has helped to bring alive more than 10 Czech films, either by support provided via the Film Foundation (which Barrandov Studio created to support screenplay development) or by direct co-productions input. Among the Barrandov Studio’s co-productions, I would like to mention the feature film I, Olga Hepnarova, which will have its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale, where it will open the Panorama competition section. Another world premiere feature co-produced by Barrandov Studio at the Berlinale is We Are Never Alone, directed by Petr Václav, who won the Film Foundation’s screenplay contest.

Is Barrandov also interested in international co-productions?
Of course. For a long time, Barrandov Studio has had a department dedicated exclusively to co-production projects and development. It is focused on the search for both domestic and foreign scripts, and it is no accident screenwriters approach this team on their own. Currently, for example, they are negotiating the co- production of a project entitled Speedway, developed by the Polish director Doroty Kędzierzawskiej and producer Arthur Reinhart. The participation of Barrandov Studio in co-production forums at festivals like the Berlinale, Cannes and Toronto is evidence of our interest in international co-production projects.

Czech Film Center
division of the Czech Film Fund promoting Czech cinema worldwide

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