Budding Filmmakers and Professional Training in Germany

Since 2008 the German Film Academy has been operating a digital knowledge portal called Vierundzwanzig.de that is particularly popular with both teachers and pupils for use in schools. Its focus on how films are made both in front of the camera and behind is quite unique compared to other European countries.

The German film cutter, Peter R. Adam, (The Harmonists; Good Bye, Lenin!) cannot recall exactly just how the idea of a “virtual film school” actually came about. The one thing that is certain however is that Vierundzwanzig.de was launched in 2008, a good three years after the setting up of the German Film Academy, of which Peter Adam was one of the founder members. The Academy, whose standing and image is best embodied by its selection and awarding of the “Lola”, the German film prize, incorporates most of the professional groups involved in the making of films both in front of and behind the camera.

According to its articles of association the mission of the Academy is to “promote the German film as an integral element of German and European culture”, which in the words of another promotional statement also means “ to promote film-related education and cinematic discourse”. In its pursuit of these aims there is more emphasis to be put on the actual basics of filmmaking rather than on what certain films are about or how they were received. “We, the members of the Academy who work in all fields of the business, have the know-how due to our many years of experience,” says Adam. He went on to say that the idea of using a digital knowledge portal, Vierundzwanzig.de, to present the creative side of the world of film to pupils, teachers and film buffs came about in a continuous process of development.

Video interviews with filmmakers

If you check out the Vierundzwanzig.de homepage, you will see a navigation bar on the left-hand side listing 14 professional groups or “trades” as they are also known, ranging from production and direction (of both feature and documentary films), screenwriting, acting, camera and lighting to casting, sound, special effects and animation. If you click onto one of these sub-headings, a page will appear with links to various specially produced video interviews and teaching materials. In the camera/lighting “trade” at the moment there is an interview with cinematographer and multiple Oscar nominee, Michael Ballhaus, on the phenomenon of the circular tracking shot that he invented along with German cult director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who died in 1982. It includes excerpts from Fassbinder’s 1973 film Martha. There is also a clip with renowned cameraman, Gernot Roll, talking about how he used 900 candles to light the set and create an amazing atmosphere in the film Rossini (1997, director: Helmut Dietl).

The entertaining, as well as educational, contributions to Vierundzwanzig.de that were collected and compiled by the site’s artistic director, Peter R. Adam, and his project manager, Katja Hevemeyer, are all the work of members of the German Film Academy. There has also been a cooperation project with the Frankfurt Film Museum with the object of exchanging film interviews. Furthermore a few “making-of” clips were also submitted by producers and film distribution companies.

Independent of the film industry

Nevertheless Adam makes a point of stressing that alongside “minor corporations” with partners from the film business the bill for the virtual film school is footed primarily by funding from the membership coffers of the Film Academy. In this way they can guarantee the greatest possible independence of the film industry’s commercial interests. Recently some new videos were posted on the site, among them clips with such well known directors as Andreas Dresen ( last film Wolke 9 (Cloud Nine), Whisky mit Wodka (Whiskey With Vodka) and Doris Dörrie (Kirschblüten/Cherry Blossoms, Die Friseuse/The Hairdresser).

According to Adam the main users of Vierundzwanzig.de are teachers – art teachers in particular – and pupils, but it is also popular with journalists and film fans. The teachers are mostly interested in the heading 24-Filmschule that provides teaching materials about the individual jobs in the film business in the form of PDF files that can be downloaded free of charge. In addition to that there is also a glossary of film-related terms that users can add to once they have registered, as well as a small index of articles about the films posted on the portal.

The latest addition that was posted a few months ago is a collection of selected video interviews conducted in the English language. According to Adam, on analysing the access addresses it became clear that it was not just German or German-speaking users who were clicking onto the site, but also film buffs from all over the world. “In this way,” says Adam, “our virtual film school has enabled us to remain true to our mission – to introduce other countries and continents to a piece of German culture.”