Finding time to edit

Finding time to edit and shoot whilst at the festival is always tricky and obviously the priority is to get the appointments you require and take photographs, so much of the post production is done when I get back home.  Here are two photographs that I managed to edit whilst still away.  They represent both ends of the talent spectrum found at festivals.  Lotte Verbeek was one of this year's Shooting Stars a European Film Promotion initiative that promotes young acting talent not only in Berlin but also at other major film festivals.  Michael Winterbottom is an established British film director who was in Berlin this year to promote his movie The Killer Inside Me.

Lotte Verbeek

Michael Winterbottom

Location Limitations...

Choice of location to shoot at any festival is limited and in my experience Berlin sets some pretty big limitations. First it's unlikely that you'd be able shoot outside. In four years I've only managed it once and my battery pack failed due to the cold temperature and the actor kept his coat on!  Outdoors this year was an absolute no no.  We're talking minus ˚7 and counting. So what are the options?  Well first it depends what space the PR agents can get. A lot of the time they are based in the Palast which is the main theatre for the festival. Unfortunately for us photographers it's all orange, orange and orange with a touch of navy blue thrown in here and there. If you're fortunate enough to have an assistant then you've got an extra pair of hands to carry a background.  But since I don't, most of the time it's orange or blue or if I'm lucky someone leaves their backdrop up for me which was the case with this photograph of director Rafi Pitts.  

Otherwise it's this which admittedly worked well with the outfit of director Jasmila Zbanic

Needless to say I'm looking forward to Cannes which at least (most of the time) has the weather on it's side.

Berrrlin

I arrived yesterday for the Berlinale.  Germany is seriously cold. Temperatures at minus ˚7 and counting.  I don't think I've been anywhere this cold in a long time.  In fact I tend to avoid these kinds of temperatures but... here I am.  My apartment Mitte is about a twenty minute walk (no doubt less without the treacherous ice) from the hub of the festival in Potsdamer Platz and that's about as long as it takes with double insulated gloves to start feeling the biting cold.  That said there are some amazing sites like seeing large chunks of frozen ice floating in the river or

bicycles that will have to be dug out with an icepick 

I try not to have my hands out of the gloves for more than 45 seconds although the temptation is strong as there is much to see here and Berlin being so full of history.  So whilst walking to and fro to make appointments and catch up with people I haven't seen since Cannes I whip out my beloved iPhone with it's selection of apps and take some pictures.  I start shooting tomorrow so for now I'll leave you with this last picture of some beautiful signage shot in front of the Brandenburg Gate