"Ninja Assassin" and the Victory Column

Ninja Assassin News

Shooting Rainge

Berlin provides international filmmakers with a wealth of possibilities

By Scott Roxborough

Jan 29, 2009, 08:29 PM ET

Generous government-funding bodies. Top-notch yet affordable crews. State-of the-art facilities. Inexpensive housing and a cool, cosmopolitan vibe. When it comes to attracting international film shoots, Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg have a lot going for them. But their secret weapon? A bend-over-backwards bureaucracy willing to go to (almost) any lengths to make sure you want to come back. Take just five recent examples of Berlin's "Yes We Can" attitude to accommodating shoots.

"Ninja Assassin" and the Victory Column

James McTeigue needed a big motorbike chase scene for his tentpole actioner. His idea: Shoot it at Berlin's Victory Column, the city's central traffic hub. City Hall's answer: "No problem!""I don't know any other major city in the world where they would agree to let you essentially gridlock the place for three days," says Markus Bensch, head of locations for "Assassin" co-producer Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures. "But Berlin's politicians really understand how important film is for the city, both economically and as a prestige factor."

Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Credit: sixtofive1982