SZCZEPANIK, Petr. A Post-Communist Production World: Barrandov Film Studios between the Cold War and Narnia. In SCMS 2010 Annual Conference. 2010.
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Basic information
Original name A Post-Communist Production World: Barrandov Film Studios between the Cold War and Narnia
Authors SZCZEPANIK, Petr (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
Edition SCMS 2010 Annual Conference, 2010.
Other information
Original language English
Type of outcome Presentations at conferences
Field of Study Art, architecture, cultural heritage
Country of publisher United States of America
Confidentiality degree is not subject to a state or trade secret
WWW URL
RIV identification code RIV/00216224:14210/10:00050604
Organization unit Faculty of Arts
Keywords (in Czech) filmové studio; produkční kultura; kreativní práce; zakázkové produkce; komunismus; studená válka
Keywords in English film studios; production cultures; creative labor; runaway production; Communism; cold war
Tags International impact
Changed by Changed by: doc. Mgr. Petr Szczepanik, Ph.D., učo 7909. Changed: 17/3/2012 21:24.
Abstract
The key question I raise in my paper is how historicity of local production culture is manifested in industrial reflexivity and career trajectories, both affected by the focus on foreign services. Under the socialist state monopoly, Barrandov had been involved in dozens co-productions and serviced both Socialist and Western producers. Services to Western producers were (unlike co-productions) judged solely in economic, not ideological terms, because they were clearly too profitable, bringing desperately needed hard currency. After the fall of the regime and privatization of the Studios, the business was at first dominated by former executives of the Barrandov s foreign department. The local infrastructure had been underdeveloped, and most of foreign producers brought their key crews with them. The situation changed in mid 1990s, when the new management succeeded to attract big-budget Hollywood projects and the older generation was replaced by new one, often foreigners like the most successful company Stillking. The production culture changed significantly with transitions from capitalism to Nazi occupation, then state monopoly and again free market. On the other hand, some shared practices persisted since the late 1920s. Without attempting to define an essentialist image of the local community, I’ll focus on how historical ruptures may reveal, beneath the surface, what could be called a longue durée of film-production culture. If we compare e.g. how Czech filmmakers reflected upon servicing Duvivier s Golem (1935), Guillermin s The Bridge at Remagen (1968) and Casino Royale (2006), we see they insisted on improvising as a key method in Czech production, as opposed to precise organization in the West. These historical continuities apply especially for below-the-line crews, the “flesh” of the Studios.
Links
GAP409/10/1361, research and development projectName: Historie ateliérů na Barrandově z hlediska organizace a kultury filmové výroby
Investor: Czech Science Foundation, History of Barrandov Studios in Terms of Organization and Culture of Film Production
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