Production Handbook for Europe?

[Dan Uneken]

I own a few (almost all available) handbooks on film production. All of them written for the USA. Does anyone know of a publication on European film production. English, German, French, Spanish???

Thanks!

[Rob Lohman]

That's a very good question and I don't know. Let me elaborate
a bit more.

From what I understand each state in the US have film commissions
that give out information for film makers and list which films are
being made when and where.

Here in Holland (for example) such a thing does not exist. Or at
least not that I could find (you can compare the size of Holland
to one state in the US <g>).

So recently there was a large Hollywood production here and
they where working with multiple movie companies in the
Amsterdam area. The company that was doing the local production
for them was unlisted in any telephone book I tried and had no
presense on the web whatsoever.

How they found them (I know the company recently changed
names) is completely unknown to me.

This little story just to indicate how difficult it can be to get any-
where here, especially on information and whom to contact for
what. So I doubt there are handbooks for that here. The UK
probably has the best provision for such things since quite a few
Hollywood movies are being made there (partially).

Frustrating!

[Ken Tanaka]

Dan,
Browse through Focal Press' offerings. I have several of their books and most are actually geared for British settings, since they are a UK publisher.

[Dan Uneken]

Ken:
What time was it in Chicago when you wrote that? Yeah, Focal press is great. I have a line of their books, worth a fortune. Actually I just found one book there that had escaped my attention: Bastian Cleve, Film Production Management. He's from Germany. The book is dated 1999, so a bit old, but worth a look at.

Rob:
What film was that, shot in Amsterdam? I'm from there.. That production company may have been set up just to do that film. Special construction to make the most out of tax benefits that the Dutch government has (had?) on offer..

Think I will order mr. Cleve's book. Thanks!!!

[Rob Lohman]

The movie being produced here (partially) was Ocean's Twelve
(the sequel to Ocean's Eleven). The production company was
not setup just for this as far as I know.

It's just that everything could be a lot clearer than it is. It's like
a secret society overhere.

[Dan Uneken]

Have now got mr. Cleve's book. Not bad, but mainly about film production in the USA and Hollywood in particular.