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11-01-2009
FUTURE OF FILM


Karl Baumgartner's Workshop
 

German producer and distributor Mr. Karl Baumgartner, member of the jury at the Küstendorf Film Festival and one of the founders of the Pandora Film company, held the workshop after screening of film The Hunger, which is debutant release of the British director Steve McQueen.

In wish to share even small part of his great experience acquired during the work on more than 50 film projects all around the world with gathered students, Mr. Baumgartner said:

        I get attracted by complex projects – the films in which relationship between director and producer is based on partnership, not on a conflict of interests. I think that so-called independent films can be quite successful in financial way even if they are not blockbusters. It’s important to think about the target group they are aimed at and to make adequate strategy for certain audience. Besides that, you have to be realistic in your expectations. No one can ever tell what exactly is audience looking for. You can’t predict exactly how many viewers some film will have. Sometimes, you estimation happens to be totally wrong and sometimes the audience can surprise you very pleasantly. You can only influence the audience, but not control it.

 

Speaking of the influence that world economic crisis will have on the film, Mr. Baumgartner stressed that he is not optimistic about the resources that will be given to the film industry. He believes that there will be fewer co-productions, although they are good way of uniting money, knowledge and energy of the few countries and are a much easier way of filmmaking.

– Film markets are in crisis, as well as the stock markets, and it will be much harder to regain the invested money through the market – emphasized Baumgartner, and added that financiers will always invest in original stories and new ways of film making.

 

        After the economic crisis in 1929, American audience swarmed in cinemas to watch comedies in order to forget everyday problems and hard life. Audience does not believe to the media anymore, when it comes to reporting on film. There is just a few of them which are well educated and honestly interested in film and plenty of those who are just chasing the sensations and the stars.

 

After emphasizing that work on Kusturica’s film ‘Underground’ was one of the most important production projects, Mr. Baumgartner counted many ways of film realization. He reminded the audience on ‘Waltz with Bashir’, which have revolutionized the animation, and on ‘Three Monkeys’, which is entirely filmed with digital camera, and added:

– Film has a future. Digital film will be pure liberation of the film, a brand new freedom of expression and authorship. Digitalization is something positive, but it is yet to be seen.             

 

Many times awarded film ‘Tulpan’ by director Sergey Dvortsevoy, which Mr. Baumgartner worked on, too, will be shown on the sixth day of the Küstendorf Film Festival as a part of the Contemporary Trends programme.





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