Kerstin Schmidbauer, Constantin Film: Movies From Bavaria

You have recently been working on a new film project. Can you give us an insight into what it's about?

Kerstin Schmidbauer: It's an action thriller called “Exterritorial”, which we produced for Netflix. The lead role is played by Jeanne Goursaud, a former special forces soldier whose young son disappears without a trace during a visit to the US consulate in Frankfurt. No one seems to remember him ever entering the building. In her desperate search for her child, she finally disappears into the labyrinth of the consulate. The screenplay was written by Christian Zübert, known for “Lammbock”, who also directed the film. The film contains unusual fight scenes that were intensively rehearsed over several weeks. It was an exciting opportunity for us to be able to tell this extraordinary story and work with Netflix.

We are excited! When did you realize that you wanted to become a producer?

Schmidbauer: It was a gradual process. As a child, I absolutely adored Bavarian series, such as those by Helmut Dietl. Later, I regularly went to the movies with my art and film-loving clique. I enquired at the Munich Film Academy straight after leaving school, but was still unsure which direction I wanted to take. They told me I was still too inexperienced and recommended that I study something else first.

What happened next?

Schmidbauer: I completed internships, studied theater, film and television studies, comparative literature and even business administration for a few semesters, but somehow felt out of place. The decisive moment was an interview with Bernd Eichinger, in which he talked about the financing of his film “Das Geisterhaus”. I thought his “moves” were brilliant and imagined how great it must feel to have successfully brought together all the different elements of a project. That was the initial spark for me to want to become a producer. I finally applied to the HFF Munich to study production and media management – and felt very lucky to be accepted.

What followed after your studies?

Schmidbauer: On the initiative of Senator Film, who wanted to set up a company with me straight after my studies, I started working on my first projects at the end of the 1990s. One of them was to turn the short film “Clowns” by director Tim Trageser into a feature-length film. To be honest, I didn't feel up to the challenge yet, as my studies had clearly focused on short films. My path was then to first work as a producer taking responsibilty for organizational tasks and then become a producer myself who is responsible for the overall technical and commercial success. In 2006, I made this leap at Constantin Film, where I was also responsible for many years as Managing Director of Constantin Television, which I built up together with Robin von der Leyen.

The challenge of adapting a book to film

You have already translated many literary works into films, such as the Eberhofer crime novels by Rita Falk, Ken Follet's “Pillars of Power” and “The Collini Case” by Ferdinand von Schirach. Are readers of adapted books a particularly critical audience?

Schmidbauer: Definitely. I can also say that about myself: when one of my favorite books is made into a film, I am sometimes critical. We have to be aware that when a well-known work is made into a film, there is a large fan base that has expectations. I always take these expectations very seriously. A significant part of my work therefore consists of dealing intensively with readers' comments. Fortunately, they often leave detailed feedback about what they particularly liked about the books and what they perhaps didn't like so much. This is valuable research material for me to recognize the main points and understand the strengths of the original.

How important is it to work closely with the respective authors when adapting literature?

Schmidbauer: Ideally, the novel authors are interested in our work and a fruitful dialog develops. However, the personalities differ: Some authors say “I'll stay out of it”, while others read every version of the script carefully and actively contribute with suggestions. I can handle both attitudes well.

The process to the movie: From inspiration to the decision

How do you choose fabrics?

Schmidbauer: The starting point is always something personal - a moment when I encounter something exciting, for example when I read something or have an idea that I can't let go of. The next step is to take a professional look: Does the idea have potential? How and with whom can it best be implemented? Before a project can be tackled more concretely, we naturally also discuss it internally. Opinions from different areas - including distribution and marketing – are always crucial for me when assessing the prospects of a project's success.

How do you put together the teams for your film projects? Do you tend to work intuitively or are you guided by specific criteria?

Schmidbauer: When I come up with material, I first look for a screenwriter, sometimes in combination with the director. I then select the other head of departments, such as camera, editing, costume design or production design, together with the director and the production managers. Of course, we also take into account established relationships, for example if a director enjoys working with certain team members. Before making a decision, we discuss it intensively, watch other films for comparison and try to identify actors who fit the planned look of the film. Sometimes very specific criteria also play a role: for a historical film, for example, you need someone who has experience with large teams and complex buildings for the set design.

Do you intervene heavily in creative processes or do you give the actors involved maximum freedom?

Schmidbauer: In film projects, many different personalities work together over a long period of time to achieve a big goal together. If someone were to put their ego above that of others, it would jeopardize everything. In the creative field, I do have passionate discussions with those involved, especially when I'm convinced of an idea or not quite convinced yet, but I never block arguments. I'm always interested in an open exchange, which I really seek out, and I always want to support the creative people as much as possible.

In one of your last films, “Flunkyball”, young people had the leading role. Do you see any additional challenges when working with very young actors that differ from working with adults?

Schmidbauer: It depends on how much experience the young people have. Some are full professionals with acting training, while others have enormous talent but need more guidance. In such cases, we support them with acting training in advance.

You have a close connection to Bavaria through your Rita Falk films and Constantin Film. In your opinion, what advantages does Bavaria offer as a media location?

Schmidbauer: Munich in particular offers great advantages, as many creative people of all kinds live here. The Munich Film Academy was an excellent opportunity for me to gain a foothold in the film industry. I met like-minded people there with whom I have realized numerous projects over the years. Another advantage: Munich is smaller than Berlin, for example – you know each other well and can exchange ideas quickly.

In conclusion: What trends in film production will shape the next few years?

Schmidbauer: Artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role, for example in visual effects, where it is already helping to enable faster and even more precise realizations. However, I am critical of the creative process, for example in the creation or support of screenwriting, as the principle of AI is based on existing, stereotypical patterns and, in my view, the creative process cannot be replaced. In terms of content, I am observing a trend towards stories becoming “warmer” again. This longing for authentic and emotionally strong stories and characters is perhaps also developing as a kind of counter-movement to AI.