Film and TV industry jobs in Germany

I was wondering if anyone had any information on the film/television industry in Germany. I will be moving to Germany and have been working in the industry since 2000. I would like to continue working in the industry. I work mostly on the production side of things, however I also act as well.

I have found one website: http://www.crews-united.com

I really need to find some websites that list jobs or that list production companies. I want to start sending out my resume soon. I am also interested in casting agencies for English speakers.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi GB, have a look on these links:
Bavaria Filmstudio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavaria_Film_Studios

http://www.bavaria-film.de/index.php?id=3

and
Babelsberg Filmstudio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babelsberg_Studios

http://www.studiobabelsberg.com/Startseite.4.0.html?&L=1

Both are well-known in the filmproduction industry in Germany

Thanks for the info. Do you know of any websites that list jobs in the industry?

I was curious if anyone might have info on RTL or any of the other television networks. I am wondering if they have job sites or boards...

This page is quite useful, it has links to the job sites of all major German TV stations:

http://www.jobmedien.de/

It's quite difficult to get into one of the public broadcasters, they tend to be, how shall I put it, slow-moving, stuck in their ways, dust farters? Good luck.

Let me know how you fair. I had a short look when I got here to see if I could somehow use my IATSE membership to work over here but found it a hard nut to crack. I just take a few weeks off each year and go home to work on movies, a nice way to pay for my trip and still stay active in the union Going home in April to work on Public Enemies, a Michael Mann production, luckily unaffected by the Writer's strike.

http://www.bavaria-studios.eu/cms/index.php?id=76&L=1

http://www.actorsandarts.de/ in Shellingstrasse 109A may be worth a try too

so you don't work here at all? must be nice to be independently wealthy!

Not in film, went with No. 2 Its a great industry so its hard to give it up completely, which is why I stay in the union back home and go home once a year to work. I'm lucky to have at least that option.

I thought about joining the DGA here. I have my days from when I was PA, but I figured that I might as well wait if I am going to move to Germany. Then I am one of the few in NYC the production world that cross over to the other side of the camera and do some acting. Actually there are several ADs, Grips & Electric, and Producers that have been doing acting on the side here in NYC.

The strike hasn't really affected me because for the past few years I have been working more on the commercial side of things. However, I feel that I should be looking more into non-episodic television. It seems there is more room for growth there.

Curious... What about MTV? They are based out of Hamburg right? I have worked for Nickelodeon here in the states and would consider going back to Viacom. I saw that they have Comedy Central there as well. But I am wondering how much original programming they have on German MTV/Nickelodeon/Comedy Central.

I was also interested in working for Brainpool (Stephen Raab's company), but from what I understand they really want proficient German speakers.

If anyone wants to send me a message feel free to. I would love to hear from other Americans and Brits that are working in the industry in Germany. I think it would be interesting to hear a little bit of the differences of how production works there.

K.

I guess now I will have to do research on IATSE. I am assuming that is the guild or union in Germany...

Oh to be independently wealthy or simply be born into the industry... Wouldn't that be nice. Unfortunately Robert DeNiro is not my dad. I wish!!! But I think I have learned to appreciate all the departments because I have had to work hard to move up and get work.

I hope that I can stay in the industry after I move to Germany. It would be really nice.

Thanks for all the info on places to look. I really appreciate it. If I find other links I will do my best to post them for everyone to see. Its good to network and share info. If anyone has questions about the NYC industry I can do my best to answer them as well.

Oh does anyone have any info on the production companies who that tape Good Things Bad Things (not sure the German title), Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Germany's Next Top Model? Or does anyone know of any companies that film commercials?

I just thought of another thing... I am sure they have it because they have things like Bambi, but do they have awards for commercials there?

K.

A lot of the jobs are via contacts, as opposed to advertised.

I would SERIOUSLY suggest you look for other work to supplement the low, irregular and late pay of much of the German TV industry.

I had a work colleague that was an Ewok in star wars (The one that sat down on the log) Not that that helps much

Don't forget to look at Wige in Köln ... they're expanding very fast!

I will have to look into Wige. It could be good to be working in Köln. My fiancee could stay in Düsseldorf. But Berlin would be fun to.

So, it takes awhile to get a check from German Productions. I know here it can take 2 to 4 weeks to get a check. Usually they come fairly quickly depending on the production manager... any more than 3 weeks I start calling the payroll company and asking questions. I am glad that I have no more checks owed from Axium/Avalon since Axium went bankrupt.

I freelance here in NYC. I am one of the fortunate ones that has not had to supplement work in other industries. When I first got here in 2000 I had to really pound the pavement and send out millions of resumes. I am sure that is what I will have to do there. God willing I will continue to be lucky and find a job. I really can't move until I do so.

Canaryman - that is cool that one of your co-workers was an Ewok. DJ Qualls went to one of the same high schools that I went too... Not that he is an amazing actor. But good for him for getting a few movies.

Does anyone have any info on the company Neo Neo? They have worked on several music videos. I actually acted in one last spring.

Are there agents for acting that are noteworthy in Germany?

Also curious if Monster.de lists film jobs there... because Monster and Career Builder here basically build spam!

K.

I wonder how hard it would be to get a grant or fellowship to do a documentary in Germany. It could be interesting. I might have to look into that.

K.

TV industry is awful in Germany as regards work for anyone, especially foreigners, something to do with the practices and production values. Expect a hard time and plenty of offers of 400e a month, no matter how much experience you have! I am now in London and the work is coming back but if you do make the move the definitive sites to visit are:

jobs.mediabiz.de
Crewunited.com
Dreharbeiten.de

Most other sites are crap compared to them with Crewunited being the real pros, dreharbeiten the slightly more indy and medibiz the downright sleazy (although also the hunting ground for the larger networks.)

Please let me know if you succeed where I failed! PM me if you are serious and I can give you a few possibly helpful contacts for MTV and others...

However if you discount the possibility of working for the public broadcasters you could be cutting yourself off from a major source of revenue. A lot of the private production companies' bread and butter comes from working for them. Suggest your German be good before you try to work in media here, though. They judge you pretty harshly on that.

Silty1 is right. A lot of the ARD/ZDF stuff is actually contracted out to the private companies.

It's not my industry but I'd rather work as the teaboy with a decent contract for a "dusty old fart" ARD/ZDF company
rather than try and survive in a "glamarous" job where I have to get social security to top up my € 400 wage.

good luck, you are certainly going to need it!!!

Wow... only 400 Euro a month... Sounds like McDonalds and Starbucks Managers make more there!!!

Does anyone know of any production companies that have offices both in the US and in Germany? I know several that are based in NYC have offices based in London and other places. Or are there any London based production companies with offices in Germany?

I admit my German is basic. I have learned a lot on my own and from friends, and I have taken a few private lessons. Next month I am planning on starting a class. I just know I need to not take a basic class... I can already count and don't want to be slowed down by others. A class would be better I think than lessons because you are interacting with others!

I am scared, but I know I can do it. I have survived in the world of film in NYC... If I can make a living here then I can make a living anywhere.

The € 400 thing is the ammount you can earn off a job without getting into the whole contract, social security stuff.
So employers love it.

It works - exactly the same as in the UK - becasue for some middle class kids, mummy and daddy pay the rent.

At the beginning at least I guess you will NEED to have another job.

Is it hard to find a job with a production company and work full time with that production company... whether it be management or in-house production?

And with television shows I would hope the jobs would be more than a few days a week...

K.

Try Constantin Entertainment...they are located in Ismaning, north of Munich...but I'm sure you will need to be able to speak german.

www.constantin-entertainment.de

I am really working on my German. I know its key to finding a good job. But its more important for my fiancee and her family.

Are there any books out there written in German that covers film terms? Or are there any good books about the industry in German that anyone thinks would be a beneficial for me to read or translate?

Does anyone have any info on German MTV/Viacom? I worked for them here in NYC, and that might help me get a position there.

German MTV is in Berlin. Most all large production companies have branches in Germany. Fox, Warner, Sony, etc.

the media industry centres are cologne, munich and berlin.
if your German is good enough, have a look at
Kameramann
has quite detailed list of what productions are being filmed at the moment and by whom.
also maybe of interest
Blickpunkt : http://www.mediabiz.de/mb_index.afp?Biz=mediabiz it's a weekly magazine and talks about the ratings, new productions etc and what is happening.
i am working on the postproduction side and read 'professional productions', Cut, digital productions, ...

Quick question...

For those working in film/tv... Here my resume is very different from the traditional resume. I list the best projects I have worked on and my title. Its easy to list movies and television shows along with their duration or the exact dates, because they have a longer duration. But when you work on a commercial (which I mainly do now) the days worked range from 1 day to 3 weeks, sometimes longer... but most commercials you only work for a day or two on...

So, my question is... when writing a German style resume how does one in the industry list the productions they work on? Here I list them in categories (such as: film, television, commercials, music videos, sporting events, politicals, etc.). I don't normally list the dates. Also sometimes you may only work specific days on television show when they need extra people. I am just curious how an film/tv/commercial person would list their work properly.

Wonder if Fox, Sony, Warner Brothers US websites list jobs in Germany or if it is easier to locate the German jobs on the German version of the website?

Kenn.

Dear Germany Bound,
I learned the video editing jargon from just switching my version of Final Cut Pro to german, if you know the software well enough you will ultimatly see and recognize the technique/tool and the German word for it.
As for jobs, I am a compositor and special effects supervisor, i make money tutoring university students who want to learn maya and fcp, while i am studying for my masters and there are fellowships and grants out there. Check out the DAAD for example. Also consider working at a game company, many of them do need work done for demos and what not. I mean I'm living in Weimar, which is a big shock coming from living in NYC to now be in good old east Germany, here i have even found work just being a native english speaker helping students speak with a better English diction but then again i only know a handful of Americans and Brits near buy and most of them are just semester long exchange students.
Good luck,
Kat

Hey Germany Bound

I just arrived from NYC as well, I am an editor and worked in the NYC Film & TV Industry for years, and I am finding it pretty hard to get work here in the industry...

Unless your German is good they won't touch you with a bargepole. Invest in your language skills if you're serious about getting media work of any kind.

I have heard mixed responses from others in the industry. Variety magazine did make a networking page called The Biz. Its pretty good and I have already made some contacts from Europe on there.

Right now I am focused on working here at the moment. It gets slow in NYC during the winter. I do have an interview with a clothing company for designer spot. It could be nice if it pans out. I won't leave film/tv, but it adds even more experience to my resume.