Studio Babelsberg
The oldest large-scale film studio in the world, located outside Berlin. Founded in 1912, Babelsberg has hosted productions from Fritz Lang's Metropolis to The Bourne Ultimatum and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Overview
Studio Babelsberg is the oldest large-scale film production facility in the world, founded in 1912 in Potsdam, just outside Berlin. The studio has operated continuously for over a century, surviving two World Wars, the division of Germany, and reunification. Babelsberg hosted the golden age of German Expressionist cinema, served as the production base for UFA (Universum Film AG) during the Weimar Republic, and has reinvented itself in the modern era as a full-service international production facility attracting Hollywood and European co-productions.
The studio complex encompasses approximately 25 acres with 21 sound stages, including one of the largest in Europe. Babelsberg's proximity to Berlin, combined with Germany's federal and regional film incentives, makes it an attractive production base for international projects.
History
The Bioscop film company built the original Babelsberg studio in 1912. The facility became the production base for UFA, the German film conglomerate that dominated European cinema in the 1920s. Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), one of the most influential films in cinema history, was produced at Babelsberg, along with Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (1930) starring Marlene Dietrich.
During the Nazi era, the studio was used for propaganda film production under the direction of Joseph Goebbels. After World War II, the studio fell within the Soviet occupation zone and became DEFA (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft), the state film studio of East Germany. DEFA produced approximately 700 feature films and 2,000 documentaries between 1946 and 1992.
Following German reunification in 1990, the studio was privatized and modernized. Major international productions at the renovated Babelsberg include The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Inglourious Basterds (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Bridge of Spies (2015), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2014-2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and the Matrix sequels (2003).
Facilities
- 21 sound stages ranging from 400 to 5,000 square meters
- Marlene Dietrich Halle -- one of the largest sound stages in Europe at approximately 5,000 sq meters
- Extensive backlot including a recreated European city street
- Water basin for aquatic filming
- Costume and prop warehouses with items spanning a century of production
- VFX and post-production suites
- Production offices and support facilities
What Filmmakers Should Know
Studio Babelsberg operates as a full-service production facility, renting stages and providing production services to international and domestic clients. Germany's federal film fund (DFFF) offers a production incentive of up to 25% of eligible German expenditure, and the state of Brandenburg provides additional regional incentives. These combined incentives, along with Babelsberg's facilities and Berlin's deep crew base, make the studio a competitive alternative to UK and Eastern European facilities.
The studio also operates Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures, a production and co-production company that develops and finances feature films, providing an additional pathway for filmmakers beyond facility rental.
See Also
For understanding how European production incentives affect budgeting, see Budget Breakdown for Independent Films. To model production costs across territories, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.
