Behind the scenes of our video productions
You’ve probably seen them before! For several years now, we at Falkensteiner have regularly produced video content and films for our hotels. But behind the scenes of the perfect film world, there is often coordinated chaos. On a set, many things happen simultaneously and there is a relatively large team involved in the production. Cinematographers, actors, and directors have to work for hand in hand and then the technology has to play along as well. The schedule is tight. Tension and concentration can be felt by everyone on the set. A well-coordinated team is a basic prerequisite for everything to go smoothly.
Preparation, equipment, and many kilometers
Even if many scenes and shots in the finished product seem loose, light, and spontaneous, a lot of preparation time goes into a film. Based on the idea for a storyline and a detailed briefing, a script is first created and, after visiting the locations, a detailed production plan is drawn up. This step is especially important, so everyone in the team knows what to do, and the organized chaos on set is easier to manage and prepare.
But to stage the hotel perfectly, it takes more than a talented cameraman and a few actors. For an image film, our partner moves a good 3 tons of equipment all over Europe. In addition to the camera and lenses, this includes a lot of lighting equipment and movement technology. Equipped with rails, cranes, and countless tripods, a real film set is created in the hotel with the help of many 100 meters of cable and countless batteries. Depending on the production schedule, this mobile set is moved 4 – 6 times. On peak days, a half-marathon is on the pedometer in the evening.
Long days, short nights
The most beautiful light conditions are always at the edge of the day. This means that the best pictures are usually taken in the early morning hours and shortly before sunset. So shooting days often start as early as half-past three in the morning.
The tight schedule, which is usually due to high production costs, often leads to 14 hours and more working days. Each production demands constant top performance from the entire team, which must be maintained over long stretches. In addition, of course, there is the tension and also unplanned events that often lead to delays. It can happen that the cameraman and director go to the floor to discuss the next shot.
Hands-on in all situations
Many tasks on the set are clearly distributed. Just like in the kitchen, there are relatively strict hierarchies and distribution of tasks in film. But: especially under time pressure, the entire team works like clockwork. Every move is perfect and creative solutions are often sought in order to get the best scenes for the film. When it’s almost 50 degrees outside on the set, the wet shirt is quickly blow-dried, the beach is combed or the diving equipment is quickly put on to get an additional underwater perspective.
And sometimes you’re unlucky…
(Heart)blood, sweat, and tears are probably behind every film we see because every project tickles the ambition out of the whole team. But no production can get by without major or minor hiccups. There has been a rescue operation for a drone from the top of a tree, a pit stop for a crane that lasted several hours, or a never-ending laughing fit in front of the camera. And yes, there’s always the matter of the weather…
You can find all our Falkensteiner films and videos on our YouTube channel. Let yourself be inspired by the impressions from our hotels and destinations and discover a new side of our hotels. This is what a finished image video can look like. Welcome to the Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz:
