Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice:
DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s

k 2015

Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice: DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s

SKOPAL, Pavel

Basic information

Original name

Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice: DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s

Authors

SKOPAL, Pavel (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

39. konference German Studies Association, Washington, D.C., seminář "East German Cinema and TV in a Global Context: Before and After 1990" 2015

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Field of Study

Literature, mass media, audio-visual activities

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/15:00085526

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

co-productions; state socialist cinema; production history; Trust; Risk; Barrandov; DEFA

Abstract

V originále

The presented research implies that the most persistent and successful series of co-productions between DEFA and Barrandov strongly benefited from the high level of institutional trust. This trust was rooted in professionalization and corporate culture of the Barrandov's dramaturgical group of films for children and youth, as well as in the networks established with the partnering DEFA groups. On the other side, the main source of risk and uncertainty came from the corporate central dramaturgy. Co-production projects with the ideologically "trusted" partner were less exposed to unpredictable interventions during the later phase of the project. On the other side, co-productions were more closely followed in the preliminary phase, as it would be extremely difficult to stop a work on project with a socialist country. In general, however, DEFA and Barrandov of the 1970s and 1980s became politically pretty trustable partners in the eyes of the central dramaturgies. The compatible credibility of the studios and comparatively lower risk of failure in this sphere of production stimulated a proportionally long and exceptionally successful series of movies which was ceased with the film Magical Heritage – it was the moment when DEFA's central dramaturgy considered one risk as too strong: the political risk that the co-production model will be constantly accompanied by resignation on DEFA's own concepts and cultural preferences. Barrandov proved to be very credible partner, but the high credibility – and predictability – was tied to one specific mode of co-operation on projects for children: the mode in which Barrandov had a control over the aesthetic and cultural features of the co-produced movie. It did not represent a huge problem for the DEFA dramaturgical groups with networked with the Hofman's group, but turned out to be too risky in its ideological losses for the studio´s central dramaturgy.

Links

MUNI/A/1172/2014, interní kód MU

Name: Česká kinematografie a proces kulturního transferu

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Citovat

SKOPAL, Pavel. Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice: DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s. In 39. konference German Studies Association, Washington, D.C., seminář "East German Cinema and TV in a Global Context: Before and After 1990". 2015.

@proceedings{1322735,
   author = {Skopal, Pavel},
   booktitle = {39. konference German Studies Association, Washington, D.C., seminář "East German Cinema and TV in a Global Context: Before and After 1990"},
   keywords = {co-productions; state socialist cinema; production history; Trust; Risk; Barrandov; DEFA},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice: DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s},
   year = {2015}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 1322735
AU  - Skopal, Pavel
PY  - 2015
TI  - Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice: DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s
KW  - co-productions
KW  - state socialist cinema
KW  - production history
KW  - Trust
KW  - Risk
KW  - Barrandov
KW  - DEFA
N2  - The presented research implies that the most persistent and successful series of co-productions between DEFA and Barrandov strongly benefited from the high level of institutional trust. This trust was rooted in professionalization and corporate culture of the Barrandov's dramaturgical group of films for children and youth, as well as in the networks established with the partnering DEFA groups. On the other side, the main source of risk and uncertainty came from the corporate central dramaturgy. Co-production projects with the ideologically "trusted" partner were less exposed to unpredictable interventions during the later phase of the project. On the other side, co-productions were more closely followed in the preliminary phase, as it would be extremely difficult to stop a work on project with a socialist country. In general, however, DEFA and Barrandov of the 1970s and 1980s became politically pretty trustable partners in the eyes of the central dramaturgies. The compatible credibility of the studios and comparatively lower risk of failure in this sphere of production stimulated a proportionally long and exceptionally successful series of movies which was ceased with the film Magical Heritage – it was the moment when DEFA's central dramaturgy considered one risk as too strong: the political risk that the co-production model will be constantly accompanied by resignation on DEFA's own concepts and cultural preferences. Barrandov proved to be very credible partner, but the high credibility – and predictability – was tied to one specific mode of co-operation on projects for children: the mode in which Barrandov had a control over the aesthetic and cultural features of the co-produced movie. It did not represent a huge problem for the DEFA dramaturgical groups with networked with the Hofman's group, but turned out to be too risky in its ideological losses for the studio´s central dramaturgy.
ER  -

SKOPAL, Pavel. Risk and Trust in State-Socialist Co-Production Practice: DEFA-Barrandov Collaborations of 1970s and 1980s. In \textit{39. konference German Studies Association, Washington, D.C., seminář ''East German Cinema and TV in a Global Context: Before and After 1990''}. 2015.

Detailed Information on Publication Record