Hollywood Greats from the Stuttgart Region
What have films like “All Quiet on the Western Front” and the “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Independence Day” and “2012” to do with Baden-Wuerttemberg? The films go back to Carl Laemmle and to Roland Emmerich. One of Hollywood’s founders, Carl Laemmle (1867–1939), was a Wuerttemberger. A qualified businessman, he became of Hollywood’s greatest film studio bosses. His company Universal Pictures (now Universal Studios) became America’s largest film enterprise.
Film producer and director Roland Emmerich was born in Stuttgart. He is famous for his lavish disaster blockbusters, having already thrown conventions to the wind with his final degree film “The Noah’s Arc Principle”.
Film enthusiasts are offered the best possible conditions in the Stuttgart region. The Baden-Wuerttemberg Film Academy or the Lazi Academy offer a wide range of degree courses in various disciplines. Film production companies like teamWorx, one of Germany’s most important TV producers with various locations nationwide, are also represented in Ludwigsburg. One of the company founders, Nico Hofmann, has taught at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Film Academy as a professor since 1995, and together with Bernd Eichinger initiated the German Newcomer Award, FIRST STEPS, in 2000. Famous films by teamWorx are “Hindenburg”, “Die Sturm flut“ (Storm flood) and “Dresden”.
Stuttgart creativity and ingenuity in all its variations
The creative industry is one of the most important sectors of industry in the Stuttgart region. This includes advertising agencies, film makers, architects offices, information technology and telecommunication companies, and also educational institutions and companies largely devoted to research and development.
Together with the Stuttgart Region Media Initiative, the economic development department organises new projects in these sectors, and offers information and contacts. The regional Media Competence Centre promotes the area in the sectors of information technology, media and film. With its media and communication industry database, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce can search for addresses, products and services and offers start-ups comprehensive advice and assistance.
Ideas are not only originated and developed here, but also put into practice. The Stuttgart Media Days provide an insight into the multi-faceted media landscape. The Stuttgart region is strongly represented in the photography, film and TV sector. Feature films, documentaries and advertising commercials, children’s series and docusoaps are produced locally. The animated film and visual effects sectors are of international standing. The third season of the SOKO detective series, an offshoot of the German series SOKO 5113, is already in the making in 2011.
The International Festival of Animated Films (ITFS) takes place in Stuttgart, as does the FMX, the most important European conference for digital entertainment and interactive visualisation techniques.
On the music scene, four youngsters from Stuttgart have put German hip hop on the map. With their single “Die da” (Her There) the Fantastic Four took the charts by storm in 1992. There are also many classic jazz, rock, pop and soul groups and labels which enjoy nationwide success.
The Music Award Region Stuttgart (MARS) has been conferred every two years now since 2006. The sponsorship prizes go to startups from the music industry, bands taking the plunge into a professional career, songwriters, special achievements enhancing the Stuttgart region as a centre of music and school music.
The range of courses in the creative industry sector is equally extensive. The Ludwigsburg Film Academy, the State Academy of Art and Design, the Merz Academy, the State University of Music and Performing Arts are well-known far beyond the boundaries of the region for the high quality of their vocational training. The Media University with its 17 degree courses is the only university in Europe to cover all media sectors.
“Hindenburg†one of Germany’s most lavish television productions by teamWorx
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