"Görliwood" wants to make people fit for film professions

Film industry professionals are lecturers

In the future, four certified courses will be part of the Film Academy's offering, including a course for production assistants. Those who inquire about such a job at the employment agency have so far come away empty-handed. With its certification, the academy hopes that the employment offices will issue training vouchers for the courses and interested parties will no longer have to bear the costs themselves. As lecturers, experts from the film industry impart their knowledge and experience in a very practical way.

So far, women and men from a wide range of professions have enrolled on courses. "We've had dental technicians, a master hairdresser, people from cultural management and some who have studied something completely different. It's all over the vegetable garden here." The courses are linked to internships and offer a good insight into working on set. "Everyone can find out: Is this a good fit for me or not?"

Set etiquette needs to be learned

Wißkirchen reminds us that a film can only be created through the interaction of many actors, even if the director and actors are named first. "That's why it's important to learn set etiquette. Everyone must be aware that it is not their own voice that counts, but teamwork. It's about making a movie with the budget available and within the planned time frame. It's a challenging job and not comparable to a nine-to-five job."

That's why the Film Academy also focuses on mental health and occupational health and safety in its courses. Last but not least, it's about sensitivity. "A lot of sensitivity is required in the costume department in particular. The employees there get up close and personal with an actor, which creates very intimate moments when changing clothes. This requires basic knowledge, which we want to prepare them for." In order to make this as intensive and practical as possible, a course should not include more than a dozen participants.

The mayor of Görlitz, Octavian Ursu (CDU), sees the film academy as an advantage for the location. "We have noticed that productions that come to us in Görlitz have a great need in this direction." For a film studio in Los Angeles or Munich, it would be a great advantage if it could rely on local staff on set.

Filmbüro Görlitz wants to be a point of contact for productions

In order to attract even more international productions, Görlitz has founded a film office. "Anyone who comes to us will receive close support and have all their contacts at one table. Applications for filming permits should be dealt with unbureaucratically," says Ursu. They are also happy to help with finding regional partners.

Wißkirchen describes an industry in transition. Increasing digitalization is accompanied by a change in work processes. More and more AI tools are being used in production preparation. "At the moment, no one can say where this will ultimately lead." You still have to carry cables on set and adjust the light correctly. In post-production, however, the possibilities for digital editing of filmed material are already almost unlimited.

Artificial intelligence plays a role in the preparation of films

AI already plays a major role in preparation - for example, when it comes to pre-visualizations of the scenes described in the script or the look of the locations and props. What should the mood be like, what lighting is needed? What could the actors' costumes look like? According to Wißkirchen, it would make work much easier if AI could be used to create a virtual costume rehearsal.

Increasing cost pressure is leading to a learning process for everyone involved. "Preparation times are being shortened, funds are no longer as plentiful as they used to be. Therefore, attention is being paid to optimization. We have to prepare participants for the associated challenges in our training courses and give them the ability to deal with them positively. We at the Filmakademie are also learning every day."

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