Many people associate Munich with the Hofbräuhaus beer hall, but the Bavarian capital has also produced a number of famous films.
Among them is the cinematic classic ‚Das Boot‘ by Wolfgang Petersen, who enjoyed international success with his epic U-boat drama.
The adventures of Asterix and Obelix were also shot in Munich. The Bavaria Filmstadt studios brought the comic heroes to life with Gérard Depardieu in the starring role.
But it‘s not only stars who come and go in the studios. Visitors too can peek behind the scenes on guided tours or watch an amazing show at the futuristic 4D cinema.
The Bavaria Filmstadt studios are open daily.
The guided tour through Bavaria Filmstadt – A look behind the scenes
Since August 1981, visitors can take a look behind the scenes of one of Europe’s biggest and most successful TV and film studios. For 90 minutes, the friendly staff members of the guided tour at Bavaria Filmstadt Geiselgasteig, present visitors the bustling atmosphere of a production site including 12 studios, workshops as well as costume and furniture prop rooms, which are spread out on 320,000 m2, and tell you about the exciting shootings from famous cinema and TV productions.
In 2010 the studios introduced for visitors the possibility to shoot a small scene from the soap opera “Storm of Love” in the setting of the famous reception hall of the Hotel Fürstenhof. During the editing, you will see how the material is processed and how a small scene is being developed with one of the visitors as the main character. You can also see the requisites from Michael Bully Herbig‘s blockbuster “Vicky the Viking“, and visit the entire Viking’s village “Flake” as well as the mighty sailing ship “Hugin“.
During the guided tour, visitors will also see, among other things, street sets, the movie villas as well as numerous original locations and sets, such as: the hell’s gate hall from “The Wild Soccer Bunch 5”, the original model of the submarine of the film classic “The Boat“, the magic dragon from “The NeverEnding Story,“ the urban streets of Cologne in “MARIENHOF,” the Roman arena from “Asterix and Obelix versus Ceasar”, as well as the prison hall from the Oscar nominated movie “The Baader Meinhof Complex.” At the set of “(T)Raumschiff Surprise -Periode 1,” visitors are even able to show their artistic talent in front of the camera. The didactic concept of the guided tour through the Filmstadt is based on extensive experience and is a perfect mix of information and entertainment. Each tour is composed individually, since the staff members at Bavaria Filmstadt are trained to adapt their presentations to the different visitor groups.
The 4 D motion simulation cinema of the Bavaria Filmstadt: The motion ride “Lissi and the Wild Emperor” with the IOSONO sound system
At the same time of the cinema release of “Lissi and the Wild Emperor”, in 2007, Michael Bully Herbig presented his first motion cinema ride with the title “Lissi on the Run,” which can be seen in the 4 D motion simulation cinema at Bavaria Filmstadt. Bully and his film crew have created an exciting downhill ride with the characters of the animation movie on a high-performance computer especially for the visitors of Bavaria Filmstadt. Combined with the 4 D technique of the motion simulation cinema – moving seats and the digital projection technique in 3 D – viewers can watch explosive special effects and appreciate the ground-breaking IOSONO sound system, which provides for a multimedia flash experience. For about five and a half minutes the movie viewer in the Filmstadt goes on a breathtaking chase on a virtual snowboard with charming Lissi. While trying to escape two exterminators, the viewer appears to be risking his life by passing through icy tubes, traveling down snow slides and going over collapsing bridges in the last minute in a wild downhill ride…
During this unique cinematic adventure, which engages all the senses, the visitor of the 4 D motion simulation cinema experiences the interaction of the highest technical precision and feels as if he is himself part of this slant parody. The brilliant 3 D pictures seem very realistic; the seats move in six axis and the innovative IOSONO sound system makes sure that the ears don’t miss out in this action drive. IOSONO is an invention of the Fraunhofer Institute in Ilmenau, Erfurt, Thüringen and makes listening a unique and perfect experience. Compared with conventional sound technique, listening for the first time becomes spatial, just like in reality. With this new sound system, the listener can exactly locate every tone and every sound in the room.
The sound doesn’t seem to come out of the speakers, but directly from the acoustic source. This new sound system allows for a sound experience from every individual spot while offering quality and precision regardless if you stand in the middle, left or right corner of the room. There is no longer an ideal place in the room for the ideal playback, but the listening experience is perfect everywhere. For the listener this means that he doesn’t have to worry about getting a good seat.
However, the IOSONO sound system can’t exist without loudspeakers; these are numerously placed all around the room. In the 4 D motion simulation cinema of the Bavaria Filmstadt, there are a total of 432 loudspeakers in 27 panels, framing the cinema hall from all four sides. In addition, there are four subwoofers for the low tones. A controller using specially-developed software calculates in real time how the tones and sounds are to be distributed on the various loudspeaker channels. In the 4 D motion simulation cinema the acoustic waves overlap like waves in a lake; at certain spots a deletion or amplification of the sound occurs.
For the dubbing of movies with IOSONO, like in the 4 D motion simulation cinema, a sound engineer systematically places each tone source on an interactive platform of a special computer and can then allocate movements to the tone sources.
The true secret of the IOSONO technology is its intelligent software, which takes care of the special loudspeaker panels. If you want to authentically play back a multi-instrumental musical piece that has been recorded in the sound studio over IOSONO, each instrument can be positioned almost identically to the set up in the recording studio and by doing so create a real concert hall feeling. The location of each instrument can be exactly tracked by the listener. If you have a moving sound source, like a moving car or plane, through the virtual positioning of the IOSONO sound system, you can create spectacular audio effects that may be even more authentic than reality.
The 4 D motion simulation cinema in Bavaria Filmstadt is not only an extraordinary imagery impression, but an ultimate experience for all senses. “Lissi on the Run” is a completely computer animated movie in 3 D, which is already a visual highlight without the ISONSO sound. Being projected from state-of-the-art DLP-projectors, which create a brilliant spatial picture, the wild ride is supported by the movement of the hydraulic seats in the cinema. The viewer believes to be standing on a snowboard and rushing down through an ice tube. Behind almost every unpredictable curve there is a surprise, an obstacle or a track leading to nowhere. The hydraulic system moves the cinema seats on six axis so that the visitor feels every collision, every break and every acceleration. This reality simulation is enhanced by the IOSONO sound, which is rounding up the multimedia flash.
For the motion cinema ride “Lissi on the Run,” Heiko Müller from the Wavefront Studios designed the sound mix exclusively on IOSONO. The combination of the variedly used media and effects in the 4 D motion simulation cinema is highly emotional and realistic: Rushing through the ice tube, the visitors duck their heads as sounds come at them from every direction, and almost breathe a sigh of relief when the ride is over and they have survived this reckless adventure.
The motion simulation cinema is open daily, in parallel to the Filmstadt guided tour. The exact opening hours can be found on www.filmstadt.de under the INFO section.
History
The development of Bavaria Filmstadt — Beginning and idea.
The history of Bavaria Filmstadt began with disposal. When in 1981 the last scenes of the movie “The Boat” directed by Wolfgang Petersen had been shot, the 55 meter long model of the submarine was about to be dumped. Two resourceful, young staff members of Bavaria Film had a better idea: Why not exhibit the metal set for everyone to see?
How to get there
Bavaria Filmstadt
Bavaria Film GmbH
Bavariafilmplatz 7
82031 Geiselgasteig near Munich
Phone: +49 89 6499 2000
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
Take tram (Straßenbahn) 25 with direction to Grünwald. Exit at “Bavariafilmplatz”. From there it is a 10 min walk.
Official Website: Bavaria Filmstadt, Munich, Germany
