Sergei Sobyanin clues about Moscow Digital Film Platform
The Moscow Digital Film Platform is a one-stop-shop tool for smooth-running film, TV show and video shootings throughout Moscow. Sergei Sobyanin has blogged on why it was actually created:
“Creating film and television content is an amazingly creative, exciting, but at the same time incredibly painstaking process. Even for shooting a short film or a one and a half minute video, you have to approach dozens of different organizational issues. The idea of making this easier was virtually in the air. After all, there is, for example, the Moscow Innovation Cluster, a common platform for innovative industries to cooperate and share resources. Why not create something similar for the film industry?” the Moscow Mayor writes.
Intended, in particular, to book a shooting location, select equipment or props, or apply for a Moscow Government grant, the new solution is part of the capital’s large-scale digital ecosystem. Its capabilities are accessible through logging in a mos.ru user account. When filling out an application, the user account data will be added automatically, so the user will not have to enter it manually.
Piloted in late September, the digital film platform has been used about 400 times to date, with more than a half of the applications (about 238) sent to book filming sites in Moscow.
The platform offers over 520 locations and facilities, in particular, historical and contemporary streets, estates, mansions, museums, libraries, universities, schools, hospitals, industrial enterprises or even parking lots.
“To make it easier for the film industry to select a suitable location for filming, the film platform has embedded 3D models and enables panoramic views of some sites from the Moscow Digital Twin. They clue about what a location may look like and what it has nearby. At the moment, the option is available for sports facilities. Bit by bit, other film locations in Moscow will have 3D models as well. Their number, by the way, will also constantly increase,” added Sergei Sobyanin.
Apart from outdoor shooting, users can book 12 studio sites with 83 pavilions located in three clusters, namely, METMASH, Moskino Cinema Park, and the Maxim Gorky Film Studio.
Another 180 or so issues which have been handled through the engine, are those related to renting equipment, such as lighting fixtures, sound systems, lifts, cables and smoke machines.
The available props directory is growing rapidly thanks to the Zhar-Ptitsa (‘Firebird’) film warehouse, to be soon broadened with the Maxim Gorky Film Studio props for film-makers to select paraphernalia for their projects, including rare, exclusive or sometimes one-off wardrobe or interior items. Those are furniture, carnival and theatrical costumes of different eras, etc.
“With the Moscow Digital Film Platform, the film industry has got a major competitive advantage, that is, fast and easy access to the filming infrastructure. For businesses, this means lower production costs, while viewers will have more excellent films,” concluded the Moscow Mayor.