Cinematic events

In the former airplane hangar in the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Straße a very special event location is being built

The name is Long Arm. Milo Long Arm. The long arm of the camera robot is not primarily designed for serving sparkling wine, it is true. „But“, Stephan Horst of Visavis film production assures us that „he would most certainly manage it.“ Not such a bad idea, thinks Silvana Schneider of Adlershof con.vent. As the old hangar, which is now Milo‘s new home, is to host events in cooperation with Visavis that, next to all its scientific brilliance, will bring the glamour of film and fashion to Adlershof.

Marcel Neumann and Stephan Horst founded Visavis in the mid 1990s in an apartment in Wilmersdorf. In Kreuzberg their company grew to employ 30 staff and now, as a film production company primarily making marketing, image and commercial films, it counts major international companies as well as public institutions among its customers, including Miele, BASF, Deutsche Bahn and various federal government ministries.

For years now, Visavis has also been making image films for Berlin City Council. And maybe soon it will be making films for Adlershof. The Milo Long Arm is a sensation. Oscar-winning and now indispensable to special effects-filled blockbusters, there are just four examples worldwide. These are in London, where it was developed, Tokyo, Los Angeles and now Adlershof.

The camera robot, weighing more than a tonne, holds cameras and makes filming possible at the highest level of precision. The camera and robot communicate with one another. „The camera tells the robot how many pictures it is taking“, explains Horst. Up to two thousand in one second. The understanding between the two is so important because it enables camera settings and tracking shots to be repeated exactly for visual effects such as crowd replication or scaling. So, for the first time, for example, it is possible to create crowds of people without masses of extras and create dwarves next to giants.

Milo and Visavis are well suited to Adlershof, thinks Stephan Horst. „We are constantly experimenting, we need maximum accuracy in our work and we often work on the edge of what is physically possible.“ He also sees promising parallels with the events sector and the partnership with Adlershof con.vent. „Events and films are illusions that only work if they are perfect.“

The company has spared no efforts and invested a lot into achieving this perfection. The more than 500 square metre large studio created in the hangar offers everything a successful event needs – whether that event is a panel discussion, vehicle presentation, gala dinner or fashion show. All in black in the middle of the studio is a turntable on which a scissor table is installed that can lift up to five tonnes, a bar perhaps or a vehicle or a rock band. A green screen, above this the world‘s only rotating light scaffolding, with lighting that can be synchronised with the movements of the turntable. Lounges, rooms for make-up and wardrobe, galleries, workshops, ground level sanitary facilities – everything was designed with use as an event location in mind.

Silvana Schneider is also delighted about the partnership. „We will develop completely new event ideas here.“ A beer garden for theatre productions and film screenings, summer festivals and parties is also being created on the 2,000 square metre outdoor area, a little way away from the centre of Adlershof. „That way we can turn the music up a little bit higher than we could in the centre.“

By Rico Bigelmann for Adlershof Special

www.visavisfilm.de