Connecting movie makers with the right locations

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This database is the first successful multinational, trilingual location database in Germany. It has proven to be very effective in helping filmmakers find desirable locations. Additionally the Location Guide provides event and tourist managers with useful information.Susanne Jacob, Saarland regionThis joint project brought together the Saarland Film GmbH, the Saarland State Media Authority, the Lorraine region, the Luxembourg Film Fund, the Media Centre of the German Speaking Community of Belgium and Eifel Tourismus GmbH. It set up a common, transnational database of possible locations for shooting movies. Filmmakers can access this database to search for interesting building and landscapes in which to film (www.Location-Guide.eu).The region contains many interesting locations and is particularly suited to filmmaking as many of the sites are easily accessed and are in close proximity to one another. The Location Guide helps filmmakers find the right contact and even shows them the fastest way to get to the desired location.Building on previous initiativesThe start-up phase began in 2008 and ended in 2011. Luxembourg, the German Speaking Community of Belgium and the Eifel Tourism GmbH joined the project in 2008, which led to changing the name of the database to “Location Guide Großregion/Grande Région” in 2010. The current project followed on from an earlier Interreg IIIa project, which ended in 2008, and which produced the Location Guide Saar-Lorraine database that went online in 2007.A regional information hubThe main advantages of the database are that it provides a rapid, transparent approval process, enables customised production preparation, and gives a quick overview of the funding systems offered by the partner regions. Susanne Jacob, investments coordinator at the Landesmedienanstalt Saarland, says; “We get a lot of phone calls from people who want to get more information about locations, as we are the contact persons on the website. We can then forward them further information or provide direct contact to the location to speak about shooting permissions and conditions.”At present, the online resource contains 553 detailed pictures and descriptions of accessible locations. Saarland Medien GmbH in Saarbrucken is the project holder who is responsible for the database. Currently, Saarland Medien is in discussions with the Lorraine region, which has expressed interest in a renewed partnership.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “Location Guide Großregion / Grande Région” was EUR 632 100 of which the EU’s European Fund for Regional Development contributed EUR 316 050 from the Operational Programme ‘Grand Région’ for the 2007 to 2013 period.