At the kick-off event of Behind the Set, industry practice met academic research. Stefan Nickel (Assistant Directors Union) and Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Schön (University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer) explored the key pain points of film production and discussed what the industry can learn from project management practices in other sectors.

Germany as a film production hub is facing increasing pressure from international competition, tight budgets, and a fragmented, project-based industry structure. What is still missing is a systematic approach to knowledge transfer that reaches across the entire industry. This is exactly where Behind the Set comes in – a joint discussion and exchange format created by the Assistant Directors Union (ADU) and the CreatiF Center at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF Munich). The inaugural online session took place on 8 June and lasted one hour. The discussion was hosted by Lena Fischer and Jonathan Partecke from the CreatiF Center. The panel brought together two complementary perspectives, creating an ideal foundation for a dialogue between industry professionals and academic research.

“Project Management? That’s Exactly What’s Missing.” 
Read more about this topic on the CreatiF Center website.

The collapse of the governing coalition caused significant problems for the German film industry at the end of 2024. The legal framework for state film funding structures, the existing FFG (Film Funding Act), was set to expire on December 31, 2024. Without a new law, domestic film production would have faced a looming standstill due to the absence of funding. However, just before Christmas, the new law was finally passed. Yet, the method of political horse-trading among the participating factions is highly questionable and shows a complete lack of respect for the hard work of the tens of thousands of employees in the German film industry.

While employers may feel some relief at the beginning of the new year, we as employees must critically ask ourselves what the new FFG means for the industry and, more specifically, for us as workers—and, above all, what it does not address. … (Read more in german)

The latest open letter from the Fair Film Initiative, which consists of over 30 professional associations and institutions in the German film industry, criticizes the poor production conditions for all professions involved in the German film and television industry. Serious and as yet unresolved problems include stagnating budgets despite rising costs, a brain drain and the resulting drastic compression of shooting schedules. The initiative is calling for more funding for commissioned productions, fair remuneration and working conditions as well as greater support from public broadcasters and politicians. The letter appeals to all those responsible on the side of clients and producers to enter into dialog with the entire industry in order to find sustainable solutions.

You can find the full letter to the directors of ARD and ZDF here.

Together with around 30 other associations and organizations of filmmakers, we are a member of the Fair Film Initiative. On November 7th, the second letter was sent to the Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth. In it, we call on her to finally anchor social sustainability in the new version of the 2024 Film Funding Act. Now that the ecological standards have made it into the FFG, also with pressure from the EU, it is now time to focus on the employees of the funded film projects.

You can find the second letter here.