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Over 300 Million Crowns in Investments

19.7.2007 - CTK News Service

Autor: beh

SINCE 2005 BARRANDOV STUDIOS HAS INVESTED OVER 300 MILLION CZECH CROWNS

Prague, July 19 (CTK) – Prague’s Barrandov Studios, which operates one of the most extensive studio complexes in Europe, has invested more than three hundred million Czech crowns into new buildings, modernization, reconstruction, and repairs between 2005 and the end of this June. Barrandov Studios management expects great things from the investments and hopes to increase the company’s competitiveness while obtaining new orders. Barrandov Studios is owned by Moravia Steel, where entrepreneur Tomas Chrenek has the final word.

“The largest investment during the past few years consisted of the 200 million crowns placed in the construction of the MAX soundstage complex, which was opened last December,” CTK was informed by Vladimira Mejtska, a member of Barrandov Studios management. Thanks to its total area of 4,000 square meters, the complex is the largest of its kind in all of Europe. According to Chrenek, even the most demanding Hollywood projects can now be shot at Barrandov.

The latest investment undertaken by Barrandov Studios is the reconstruction of the old coal storage room, which amounted to more than four million Czech crowns. The former coal storage room was converted into a new, multifunctional utility area, which measures 480 square meters and can serve equally well as a costume room, production workshop, or storage space for props. “Our goal was to further increase the quality of the services we offer and expand the supporting space available to crews and productions that shoot films and commercials at our studios,” said Mejtska.

Last year, Barrandov Studios increased its net profits by 29.2 percent to a total of 43.8 million Czech crowns. Revenues from the sale of products and services grew by 4.3 million to a final amount of 497.6 million crowns. “Last year, the number of foreign and Czech films shot at Barrandov was the highest it has been since 1989 and the volume of commercial shoots also increased in an unprecedented manner,” stated Barrandov Studios spokesperson Tomas Zelazko.

The list of foreign films shot at Barrandov and its Hostivar stages last year includes “Casino Royale”, “Hannibal Rising”, “Red Baron”, “La Dame d´Izieu”, “Hostel 2”, “Psycho 9”, and “Happy New Year”. Czech films made at Barrandov in 2006 include “Obsluhoval jsem anglickeho krale” (“I Served the King of England”), “Maharal – Tajemstvi talismanu” (“Code Name Maharal”), “Bestiar” (“Bestiary”), and “Vratne lahve” (“Empties”). Barrandov Studios participated as co-producer of the first three Czech films mentioned above.

The volume of commercials shot at Barrandov Studios last year grew by one-fourth as compared to 2005. “Almost 150 commercial projects were filmed at Barrandov’s soundstages last year, including spots for companies such as the Heineken brewery, Renault automobiles, and Aquila mineral water,” commented Zelazko.

Producers from abroad spend billions of crowns annually in the Czech Republic while shooting films, video clips, and commercials. The Czech Republic remains one of the most popular destinations in the region for foreign film crews, but experts are warning that strong competition in the field is growing in surrounding countries.

Over the approximately seventy years of its existence, more than 2,500 Czech and foreign films, which the company either produced or co-produced, have originated at Barrandov’s soundstages. The establishment of the Barrandov film studios is linked with the entrepreneurial Havel family, primarily in relation to the activities of brothers Milos (1899-1968) and Vaclav Havel (1897-1979). The construction of a modern film studio started on November 28, 1931, according to the plans submitted by architect Max Urban.