Berlin's most outstanding media site
Adlershof offers first-class production conditions
Today, the Media City in Adlershof is a vibrant place. State-of-the-art, flexible studios and a creative scene
For the TV-drama-series “Das Adlon” suites, hotellobby, restaurant and bar of the famous hotel were rebuilt in the Adlershof studios
On August 25th and September 8th 2002, the royalty of political journalism in Germany poured into Adlershof. This was new in the history of German media: for the first time during the general election campaign, a German chancellor and his contender faced each other in a live TV debate. Studio B in Adlershof is, still today, the venue for all the TV debates that followed and is Berlin's most significant media site.
Numerous prominent guests from politics, business, society, and sports followed the debate in the adjacent Studio G, one of the largest and most advanced studios in Germany. Almost every TV channel had a eureka experience after the debate. All those present were sure that it could not have been better. Even the press opined: “We never experienced similar working conditions.“
The full programme of two TV channels was produced in Adlershof over the course of two decades: political reporting, first-class dramas, remarkable children's programmes, and entertainment. Many of today's filmmakers and TV producers took their first steps in Adlershof. Many programmes that were created, or are still being created here, are broadcast by television channels all over Germany.
One of the first to arrive was producer Bernd Eichinger who shot his movie “Resident Evil“ in the Adlershof studios. He said in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung that he had worked all over the world, but never met with such professionalism. Many national and international production companies followed, and with them stars like Charlize Theron and Tom Hanks.
Today, the Media City in Adlershof is a vibrant place. State-of-the-art, flexible studios and a creative scene in the immediate surroundings offer excellent working conditions. Production studios, sound and set designers, cutters, stage builders, event managers, stunt teams, equipment providers, make-up artists, and costume makers have established themselves here and often work in close cooperation.
The political talk show “Anne Will“ has been broadcasting live from Studio D in Adlershof since September 2008. Over 30 locations were considered as possible production sites, before the decision was made in favour of the Adlershof studio: due to its modern recording technology, equipment, and outstanding staff. Countless productions followed such as “Hart aber Fair“, “Let's Dance“, “Das unglaubliche Quiz der Tiere“ and the hit talent show “The Voice of Germany“. The team from the Adlershof studios is also responsible for broadcasting the FIFA's image into in the world cup stadiums. The TV journalist Ulrich Meyer is already an Adlershof veteran. He founded his production company META productions GmbH in 1992 and produced various programmes for SAT.1. He started producing “Akte – Reporter Decken auf“ in the Adlershof studios on January 4th, 1995.
Adlershof, however, is a treasure chest in many other ways. The cinematic heritage of the DEFA, the nationally-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), is stored here. The hallways are 30 metres long, the shelves amount to three-and-a-half metres. The history of film on 850 square metres. “The Olsen Gang“ sits next to Eisenstein's “Battleship Potemkin“, “Käuzchenkuhle“ alongside “Solo Sunny“. A grand total of 4,000 copies, 1,500 motion pictures, 2,500 cartoons and documentaries.
Enter the adjacent cellars and you will see the TV Tower of Berlin standing next to the Kremlin, not far from a Tatra cableway, a space capsule, and a “boatel“. These are a few of the 250 different means of transport which fly, drive, ride, or float an Adlershof veteran character through the night and into the living rooms: these are the props for the Sandman who also established himself in unified Germany as a co-production of the national broadcasting companies rbb, MDR, and NDR. The popular puppet did not only send the children of the GDR to sleep, but also scattered his sand in Lapland, Japan, and Egypt. Today, the Sandman Co. exports much of their repertoire – to Sweden, for instance.
“A bit more 'Bernd', please!“ is a popular stage direction in the Adlershof Studio L. What sounds funny at first, has already become television history. Bernd – a moody loaf of bread with tiny arms and little feet made of buns – has been broadcast daily since he started out in 2000. In the feel-good world of the silver screen, he has restored the viewers' right to be in a bad mood.
By Rico Bigelmann for Adlershof Special