"Volume" film studio for virtual productions opens

The newly built film studio for virtual productions, the so-called "Volume", has started operations in the Marlene Dietrich Hall at Studio Babelsberg with the start of filming for the Netflix mystery series "1899". The core element of the "Volume" is the largest fixed LED installation of its kind in Europe. With this new technology, virtual backdrops can be faded in behind the actors as if they were in the original locations. The new film studio will be permanently available to filmmakers and creative people from all over the world for projects. The "Volume" will be operated by the newly founded Dark Bay GmbH with its two shareholders Dark Ways GmbH and Studio Babelsberg AG. The MWAE has funded the investment in the new virtual production studio with around two million euros from the programme "Gemeinschaftsaufgabe Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur" (GRW-G).

"The new studio for virtual film productions is another forward-looking media project in Babelsberg. It is impressive proof of how innovative the location is. The 'Volume' has international appeal and thus a high economic potential for the entire media location Berlin-Brandenburg."

^{Prof. Dr. Jörg Steinbach | Minister of Economics State of Brandenburg}

Mit dem Produktionsstart des virtuellen Studios der Dark Bay GmbH wird die Medienstadt Babelsberg nach der Eröffnung des volumetrischen Studios der Volucap GmbH im Jahr 2018 ihren Innovationsvorsprung auch im europäischen Vergleich weiter ausbauen können. Die Medienstadt ist Teil des von der Bundesregierung ausgezeichneten MediaTech Hub Potsdam.

Das wird, laut Dr. Steinbach, mit erheblichen Arbeitsplatzeffekten verbunden sein. Unterstrichen wird das bereits durch die neue acht-teilige Serie „1899“, die eine Produktion von Dark Ways in Zusammenarbeit mit Netflix ist. Für das anspruchsvolle Filmprojekt erhält Dark Ways Förderungen aus dem "German Motion Picture Fund" (GMPF) der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (BKM) sowie vom Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

With the start of production of the virtual studio of Dark Bay GmbH, Medienstadt Babelsberg will be able to further extend its innovative lead, even in European comparison, following the opening of the volumetric studio of Volucap GmbH in 2018. Medienstadt is part of the MediaTech Hub Potsdam, which has been awarded a prize by the German government.

According to Dr Steinbach, this will be associated with significant job effects. This is already underlined by the new eight-part series "1899", which is a Dark Ways production in collaboration with Netflix. For the ambitious film project, Dark Ways receives funding from the "German Motion Picture Fund" (GMPF) of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) as well as from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

"In the film sector, the successful cooperation between Berlin and Brandenburg has long been taken for granted. We are delighted that today, with the premiere of the LED Stage, we can open and promote a new chapter in the history of film production at the traditional location of Babelsberg, which is constantly reinventing itself. '1899' will be shot entirely here in the studio and we are excited to see breathtaking images digitally made in Berlin-Brandenburg!"

^{Kirsten Niehuus | Managing Director of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH}