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13-617: The orchestra was founded in June 1943 as the in-house orchestra of the Barrandov Studios in Prague . It was subsequently nationalised by the Czechoslovak government, but government support was cancelled in 1989, and the orchestra shut down due to economic reasons. In 1991 a private company FISYO s.r.o. was found by one of the orchestra's members in order to continue the ensemble's work. To date,

26-566: A modern film studio in the development. The area was to be called Barrandov after Joachim Barrande , the French geologist who had worked at the fossil-rich site in the 19th century. Still to this day, the Barrandov Rock displays a plaque with Barrande's name. Construction of the studio, based on designs by Max Urban , began on 28 November 1931 and was completed in 1933. Fourteen months later, Barrandov's first Czech film, Murder on Ostrovni Street ,

39-599: A year. In the 1980s, some major American productions were made in the studios, including Barbra Streisand 's Yentl and Miloš Forman's Amadeus , winner of several Academy Awards. Shortly after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Barrandov was privatized. The studio almost closed down in 2000. However, the decline in local films was balanced out by an increase in foreign productions, particularly feature films made by US producers. Czech television stations and producers of commercials for television also made extensive use of

52-542: The Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where it performed with chanson singer Veronique Sanson . Successful concerts have also included tours to England and the USA, where it performed Jan Klusák 's film music from Erotikon , a 1929 Czech film directed by Gustav Machatý . Influential conductors include in particular František Belfín and Štěpán Koníček . Since 1991 the orchestra has been using

65-581: The occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany during World War II (1940–1945), major additions were made to the studio's facilities. Seeking to make Barrandov an equal to the major film studios in Berlin and Munich , the Nazis drew up plans for three large interconnecting stages. Construction work started in 1941 but the final stage was not completed until early 1945. These three huge stages (with more than 37,000 square feet (3,400 m ) of shooting space) still form

78-455: The 1960s, a new wave of Czech films attracted worldwide attention. Czech film directors working at Barrandov at this time included Miloš Forman , Jiří Menzel , Vojtěch Jasný , Pavel Juráček , Věra Chytilová , Jan Němec , Ivan Passer , František Vláčil , Elmar Klos , and Ján Kadár . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Barrandov continued to produce feature films, particularly comedies and fairy tales, turning out an average of seventy pictures

91-458: The Biografia film distributors. At first, A-B studios were located in the garden of a Vinohrady brewery. However, with the emerging sound film, new modern stages equipped for sound recording had to be built. At the beginning of the 1930s, Miloš's brother Václav planned to build a luxurious residential complex on a hill on what were then the outskirts of Prague. Miloš Havel had suggested that he include

104-697: The Witch and the Wardrobe , The Zookeeper's Wife , Nosferatu , and others. Czech film history is closely connected with that of Prague's entrepreneurial Havel family, and especially with the activities of the brothers Miloš Havel (1899–1968) and Václav Maria Havel (1897–1979) (Václav was the father of the Czech President of the same name ). In 1921, Miloš Havel created the A-B Joint Stock Company by merging his own American Film distribution company with

117-723: The facility. Barrandov Studios now provides complete production services for feature film producers and for the increasing volume of local audio-visual productions. In December 2006, Barrandov Studios opened a massive new soundstage aimed at attracting bigger productions. According to studio representatives, in terms of size, the new facility is now the largest in Europe, at 4,000 square metres. Barrandov Studios are owned by investment company Moravia Steel. 50°01.841′N 14°23.493′E  /  50.030683°N 14.391550°E  / 50.030683; 14.391550 Occupation of Czechoslovakia Too Many Requests If you report this error to

130-427: The main attraction of the studios to filmmakers throughout the world. Shortly after the war, Barrandov and its smaller sister, Hostivař Studios , were nationalized and remained under state ownership until the beginning of the 1990s. During this time, Barrandov's new film laboratories were constructed, as was a special effects stage with a back projection tunnel and a water tank equipped for underwater shooting. In

143-739: The name Czech Symphony Orchestra for their international concert performances. Another ensemble that parted away from the Film Symphony Orchestra after its government shutdown is known as the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra . Barrandov Studios Barrandov Studios is a set of film studios in Prague , Czechia. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe. Several major Hollywood productions have been made here, including Mission Impossible , The Bourne Identity , Casino Royale , G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,

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156-425: The orchestra has recorded music for over 5,000 Czech and international movies, in particular German , French , Belgian , Greek , Italian , Danish , Norwegian , Canadian , American and Japanese films. Notable film titles include Blue Velvet and The Bourne Identity , which earned the orchestra an Emmy Award . Next to its recording activities the orchestra also performs live in concert, at venues such as

169-537: Was shot there. The volume of films shot at the studio increased rapidly. Barrandov had three hundred permanent employees, was making up to eighty films a year, and had begun to attract foreign producers. It was the best-equipped studio in Central Europe and in the early years, foreign production companies such as UFA, MGM, and Paramount developed their own distribution systems in Czechoslovakia because of it. During

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