Amphibious film

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Amphibian film is the name for films of which a special multi-part television version is shot in addition to a theatrical version. First, the feature film is evaluated in the cinema, one or two years later the long version is shown on television. "The term 'amphibian film' [...] should express that a film has the same justification in both media, just as amphibians live on land and in water."

The idea of ​​making a shorter, but full-length theatrical version as well as a multi-part television series at the same time, is based on earning double the money and thus covering the high costs of a production that is ready for the cinema. The advantage of such productions is that they are financed through the cinema and DVD market in addition to film subsidies and financing from television stations, and in this way a higher budget can be made available compared to conventionally produced cinema films or television films and series. The concept is practiced most in Germany and is intended to establish a connection with the US competition. Examples of amphibious films are Das Boot (1981), Sofie's World (1999), The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Buddenbrooks (2008), The Popess (2009) and Henri 4 (2010).

Differentiation from extended versions

The TV series version of an amphibious film is similar to the so-called extended versions , i.e. the extended versions of cinema films, which are usually provided with additional scenes when the first or second DVD release is made in order to increase DVD sales, but rarely also like the film series, for example Star Wars represent renewed theatrical versions. In contrast to films in which an extended version exists, the production of an amphibian film is already designed during the shooting so that two film versions are produced and are to be exploited on the film market. As you can see from the Star Wars example , this is not the case with extended versions . Only if a movie is very successful and further DVD marketing is really worthwhile, a corresponding version will be produced afterwards. However, as can be expected in some movies of success, in recent times even more frequently during the filming of appropriate material for Extended Versions produced that then second window on the DVD market, in addition entfallenen scenes in the form of an extended version is used . This leads to a slight blurring of the two terms.

Criticism of the concept

Thinking twice about cinema and television can damage a film production, on the one hand, because it can happen that television quality comes to the cinema and, on the other hand, because a cinema film sometimes requires a different dramaturgy and thus a different script as well as a different production than a TV series version.

A well-known critic of the concept is Volker Schlöndorff . He was the first director of the film The Popess . In July 2007, however, he criticized the "unholy alliance" of film and television producers in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, who increasingly mixed the different dramaturgies of a cinema and television film into an "amphibious film" in order to reduce costs. Thereupon he was terminated by Constantin Film, the production company of the said film, on the grounds that he had violated the relationship of trust. His (general) criticism also harmed the planned production of The Popess.

The showing time of a movie is more limited than that of television. Movies last around 90 minutes or, if longer, around two hours. The television version, on the other hand, can also last three hours, which are shown in two parts of 90 minutes each or later in the case of a "long film night", even in one piece. For example, lengthy scenes with a lot of action were left out of the movie Das Boot in the cinema version. This changed the character of the film significantly. And this is where the criticism of the author of the underlying book Lothar G. Buchheim begins. He expressly praised the long version, as it corresponds better to the conditions described in the book on board a submarine.

List of amphibious films

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ a b Klaus Raab: “Debate about film quality. Can television be cinema? " The daily newspaper , December 22, 2008, on the dispute over" amphibian films "
  2. ↑ Cf. Henri 4 - Sex and Violence in the 16th Century ( Memento of the original from March 8, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Buddenbrooks: In tune with the times, but without sparkle ( Memento of the original from December 15, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / film.fluter.de @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.glaubeaktuell.net
  3. ↑ Volker Schlöndorff: "Curtain up, curtain down ( Memento of the original from May 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . The biodiversity is great, but there is a risk of ever increasing intermingling: For the separation of film and TV. ” SZ , July 12, 2007 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sueddeutsche.de
  4. ↑ "It's about money, a lot of money" ( Memento of the original from October 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Süddeutsche Zeitung, July 23, 2007, interview with Schlöndorff @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sueddeutsche.de