Marc Hartmann. The World is Yours!
Is "The World is Yours" about cigarettes as a health hazard?
Marc Hartmann (director, The World is Yours): No. Health issues have never been an aspect or motivation for anyone involved to make this film.
It is a tale about two cigarettes and their point of view. I think it's more a tribute to cigarettes than anything else.
And how long did it take to make?
Marc Hartmann: Time to convince Mr. Fudickar (Screenplay); to shoot it at filmschool: 5 years. Preparation: 5 weeks, Shooting days: 7 long ones and editing: 1 week. Effectively, we waited 5 years for 7 weeks of fun.
What were the toughest parts of making?
Marc Hartmann: Believe it or not: One page of
dialogue with a drunk actor and only 50 meters of film stock left at
11p.m. on the last day of shooting.
Sounds absurd but even after
two years it seems to have been the most difficult part. We wrote his
lines on card-boards than he messed up with the pronunciation, so we
rehearsed each line about 25 times before we could actually roll the
camera. Anything else seemed quite easy compared to that little
incident.
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Marc Hartmann, режиссер (в двух видах)
Did you have any contract with Philip Morris regarding Marlboro cigarette packs ?
Marco Gilles (producer, The World is Yours): No! We chose Marlboro, because it's one of the most popular brands in Germany . But we didn't ask for permission, if this is the question is about. We pitched the project for sponsoring. They were interested, but we never made such a contract.
How was the zoom-in at the ashtray made in The World is Yours?
Marc Hartmann:
The ashtray-shot consists of three parts: The beginning (part 1) were
mulitple passes of different stop-trick animations (glasses, filters,
hands etc)
that were all shot with a motion-control camera and
then composed together later to one picture where we also added some
smoke.
Just before the lens touches the ashtray, part 2 starts: a 3D-animation
of the whole table, ashtray, the cigarette-box and the flight into the
box,
where we cut to part 3, a jib-down along the costume of a cigarette in an oversized 3mx5m model of the box.
Voil.. But don't tell anyone it's that easy.
Why do you consider the film experimental?
Marc Hartmann: Maybe because it leaves you with more questions than answers?
Was it related to any kind of promotion for the post-production company involved?
Marco Gilles: The postproduction companies involved were our film school Filmakademie Baden-W.rttemberg, its Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction whose student where responsible for the Visual Effects and Ruhr Sound Studios who where in charge for the mixing and Dolby Mastering of the Sound. We only paid for the expenses but not for the service. They are of curse allowed to promote their selves using the film..
shooting "The world is yours"
What does the German market for short film looks like to you?
Daniel Mann (producer "The Raft", co-producer "The world is yours"): There is not really a market for short films in Germany . But there are many festivals and the industry, film funds and TV station are supporting young filmmakers doing their first or second short films.
Do you have any jobs outside of your company?
Marco Gilles: No, in general and most of the year we do not hire for other companies. But if a project outside of our company arouses our interest, it could happen that we freelance as a consultant.
How do you manage to exist without producing commercials/corporative? Or do you?
Marco Gilles: Yes, we do. Last year for instance we worked on a corporate film for Deutsche Post World Net. DHL is one if their international brands. But we try to concentrate on feature films and documentaries for the movies and television. One of our next films is going to be a documentary based in Russia . The working title is "Childen.s Prison of Chelyabinsk ". This documentary feature sheds some light onto the unusual concept of prisons for children in the Russian Federation . Apart from depicting the routine in these unusual institutions, it accompanies the children in their lives before the prison, at home or within juvenile gangs, and afterwards as well, in their attempts to be reintegrated into everyday society. By being imprisoned at such a young age, the fate of many of these kids is sealed, since the re-integration of delinquents is almost impossible in the Rus-sian system. This starts a vicious circle that is responsible for whole generations of "inmates".
Did you ever have any TV deals?
Daniel Mann: There is a pay TV channel in Germany which is called 13th Street . They are co financing short films, show them on a primetime slot (Saturdays at 20:13) and they have also a short film competition (shocking short award). The preferred genre is crime, suspense and action. Also German Public Free TV Channels (ARD, ZDF, ARTE) are buying short films. Sometimes they even co-finance them.
Is it easier to sell animation shorts in general?
Daniel Mann: When you have a short which is short (5 to 10 Minutes), funny, without language and animated, we think you have the best chance to sell your film.
Is the publicity you get during the festivals of any commercial help?
Marco Gilles: It depends on the quality of the festival, but awards and festival participation could help to finance your next project.
What are your relations with your film school? Did it ever help you get any deals?
Daniel Mann: When you are a student at our film school, the Filmakademie Baden-W.rttemberg, you get money, technical support and facilities (studios, editing rooms, etc) to make your films. Usually you try to get more (money, technique). Then you are in a pretty good situation with a first financing and many in Germany a willing to support young filmmakers especially when you are on a famous film school. The film school also distributed their student films which is very helpful because they have many contacts to festivals and distributors. But to get maximum success you should distributed your films yourself.Do you have to party a lot in order to meet the right people?
Marco Gilles: It's a people's business. But this doesn't mean that you have to party a lot to meet the right people. May be working with them could be more efficient but not less comfortable.
© Shortы 2006