Get Connected!

Media Network Bavaria

In the film industry, a tight network is the most important thing. Now, cast and crew are moving even more closely together – on the Internet: since the autumn of 2010, the Munich-based online portal Crew United is co-operating with Schauspielervideos.de, Germany’s largest online database for demo tapes of movie actors. The joint objective is to establish an even closer network of teams and creative people in front of and behind the camera. »Our companies complement each other perfectly already now«, Vincent Lutz at Crew United gives reasons for the new initiative. »Above all, however, we share one vision of what the Internet will be able to do for the film industry in the future.« Already today, more than 16,000 people working in the film industry make use of Crew United to present their personal profiles.

Bavaria is one of the leading locations for film productions in Germany and Europe. Alongside successful, creative film and TV producers, young game developers elaborate new, ambitious concepts. To take maximum advantage of Bavaria’s locational strengths, a stable network of film and TV producers, broadcasting services, studio operations, animations producers, visual effect and post-production companies, game developers and distributors, film technology manufacturers and finance providers is required. This task is performed by the Audiovisual Media Cluster (CAM), which has been set up by the Bavarian State Chancellery. »I believe that our cluster has contributed to creating an awareness of the complexity and productive efficiency of this media location also among other lines of industry,« summarises cluster manager Barbara Schardt. »In addition, we have tapped into an entirely new market in the area of game developers.«At the Film Festival Munich, one of the most important meeting points of the film industry, the CAM has already invited attendees to the networking event »Get Connected« over four consecutive years: on two festival days, representatives of the film industry come together for talks.

»Our strength is the creation of networks among media professionals of the various industry segments that also include other sectors of the economy. Wherever we see intersections between the media and other industries, we initiate and encourage exchange with the objective of establishing interdisciplinary co-operation.«

Barbara Schardt, Audiovisual Media Cluster Manager

»The Personal Dimension Counts«

Today, business contacts can be initiated in a particularly efficient manner online, for instance on XING, the best-known German business network. The oldest and in the mean-
time largest regional group is the XING community of Munich. According to the motto »The personal dimension counts, business contacts follow«, more than 69,000 users from the Isar metropolis have already signed up to this community. »Since 2004, we have organised 125 events with around 40,000 participants«, stresses group founder Johannes Woll. In this context, the »rotat-ing dinners« are especially popular: during an exclusive three-course-meal, places are switched after each course. A computer programme specifically developed for this event helps to establish new, accidentally selected contacts.