Behind the scenes at the Berlinale
February 12th 2008 02:22
BERLINALE behind the scenes.
Every year more than 3800 representatives of the media immerse themselves in the International Film Festival Berlinale held along Potsdammer Strasse in the heart of Berlin. This infatuation by the press mirroring that of the general public has made this one of THE most important festivals on the International circuit today as filmmakers vie for the attentions of the major studios and distributors visiting Germany’s capital.
With this is mind, the festival organisers could end up caught up in a logistical nightmare as they try to co-ordinate and organize this rabble of journalists and photographers as well as the many stars and potential stars attending the festival not to mention the thousands of fans attending the many screenings and ceremonies over the 10 days of the festival.
Most of the press facilities are found at the Press Centre which is located in the Grand Hyatt Hotel directly across from the Berlinale Palast and is the central contact point for the press where all accreditations and passes are issued. Any information regarding screenings, photo calls and interview opportunities or anything else you need to know including daily updates or last minute changes will be here. Any contacts for interviewees in relation to each different section of the competition is also available either here or on the festival website which is regularly updated for the convenience of the media and general public alike, so if you want to know who is going to be where and when than the website is the place to head to if you are attending the festival and want to know where your favourite actor or director will be on any given day.
Meanwhile the press are provided free of charge with 40 computer workstations complete with internet access (you wouldn’t expect anything less in this day and age would you?) as well as the locations of ‘HOT SPOTS’ throughout the city for wireless LAN for press reps to wire through their reports on the spot in time to make the latest edition whether it be an international website, radio, TV or tabloid.
The official press conferences for those films in official competition are usually held directly following the screening of each particular film and are normally held in a the conference room held at the press centre where seating is limited to about 350 people. Competition for spots at these conferences is almost as fierce as that for the Golden Bear itself as contracted and free-lance journos alike battle for the limited space available. Those unlucky enough not to make it in to the room are provided with professionally filmed copies using three camera technology while radio journalists can obtain a copy of digital audio recordings in the original language of the conference with English and German translations to ensure that no one is at a disadvantage and fans get all the latest information on their idols. And if you can’t wait for your local paper or favourite website to provide you with the latest news, the official website streams each conference live so that you can be part of the action too.
Usually the major festivals follow a similar format the one set out above. Press boxes are made available to as many journalists as possible to provide the maximum publicity for the festival and clips, photo shoots and interviews are readily available for all those who require any extra information on whatever section they are covering. And with almost 4000 professional media alone that’s one hell of a lot of material that needs to be compiled.
Next time you marvel at the red carpet entrances of your favourite stars at your local festival spare a thought for those behind the scenes tearing their hair out as they try to provide you with an entertainment experience that takes as much if not more planning as the films themselves.
SJC 10-02-08
Every year more than 3800 representatives of the media immerse themselves in the International Film Festival Berlinale held along Potsdammer Strasse in the heart of Berlin. This infatuation by the press mirroring that of the general public has made this one of THE most important festivals on the International circuit today as filmmakers vie for the attentions of the major studios and distributors visiting Germany’s capital.
With this is mind, the festival organisers could end up caught up in a logistical nightmare as they try to co-ordinate and organize this rabble of journalists and photographers as well as the many stars and potential stars attending the festival not to mention the thousands of fans attending the many screenings and ceremonies over the 10 days of the festival.
Most of the press facilities are found at the Press Centre which is located in the Grand Hyatt Hotel directly across from the Berlinale Palast and is the central contact point for the press where all accreditations and passes are issued. Any information regarding screenings, photo calls and interview opportunities or anything else you need to know including daily updates or last minute changes will be here. Any contacts for interviewees in relation to each different section of the competition is also available either here or on the festival website which is regularly updated for the convenience of the media and general public alike, so if you want to know who is going to be where and when than the website is the place to head to if you are attending the festival and want to know where your favourite actor or director will be on any given day.
Meanwhile the press are provided free of charge with 40 computer workstations complete with internet access (you wouldn’t expect anything less in this day and age would you?) as well as the locations of ‘HOT SPOTS’ throughout the city for wireless LAN for press reps to wire through their reports on the spot in time to make the latest edition whether it be an international website, radio, TV or tabloid.
The official press conferences for those films in official competition are usually held directly following the screening of each particular film and are normally held in a the conference room held at the press centre where seating is limited to about 350 people. Competition for spots at these conferences is almost as fierce as that for the Golden Bear itself as contracted and free-lance journos alike battle for the limited space available. Those unlucky enough not to make it in to the room are provided with professionally filmed copies using three camera technology while radio journalists can obtain a copy of digital audio recordings in the original language of the conference with English and German translations to ensure that no one is at a disadvantage and fans get all the latest information on their idols. And if you can’t wait for your local paper or favourite website to provide you with the latest news, the official website streams each conference live so that you can be part of the action too.
Usually the major festivals follow a similar format the one set out above. Press boxes are made available to as many journalists as possible to provide the maximum publicity for the festival and clips, photo shoots and interviews are readily available for all those who require any extra information on whatever section they are covering. And with almost 4000 professional media alone that’s one hell of a lot of material that needs to be compiled.
Next time you marvel at the red carpet entrances of your favourite stars at your local festival spare a thought for those behind the scenes tearing their hair out as they try to provide you with an entertainment experience that takes as much if not more planning as the films themselves.
SJC 10-02-08
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