Excellently staged

New Weekend Seminars Have Begun

The Saxon Film Academy in Görlitz recently kicked off its new series of weekend seminars. Berlin-based set designer and production designer Christiane Chaboissier was a guest lecturer at the Film Academy in Görlitz, speaking on the topic “Set Design as a Means of Characterizing Film Characters.” Christiane Chaboissier has been working as a film set decorator and production designer for about 20 years and boasts an impressive filmography of over 30 feature films.

She has two major film productions connected to Görlitz, for which she was responsible as a film set decorator and production designer: “The Dream Building, ” an elaborate historical series set in the 1920s and 1930s, in which the Görlitz department store and the city center played a major role for weeks. The second film production was “Die Schule der magischen Tiere 3.” Here, too, the Görlitz department store made a major appearance, as did the university campus in Görlitz. (We reported on this.)

How does the set design influence the plot?

Highly motivated seminar participants—most of whom already had relevant experience on film sets or had completed a degree in production design—were thrilled with the two-day seminar and discussed questions such as: How does production design influence the plot? How does it reflect the characters’ inner development?

The seminar provided insights through numerous examples and practical exercises. The participants were particularly interested in the explanations regarding the planning and logistical challenges involved in producing the episodes of “Haus der Träume” and “Die Schule der magischen Tiere 3.”

The next SFA weekend seminars will take place in June. There are still a few spots available.