Tages Anzeiger

«CRIME SCENE is like the Champion's League in football»

Florian Froschmayer has settled down in Germany. However, shooting "CRIME SCENE/Tatort" remains a real challenge for the Thalwil-born director.

You finished directing your second "CRIME SCENE" within a year. How did you get to this job?

It is a co-production between Germany and Switzerland. It was obvious to consider a Swiss director. It was also great because Stefan Gubser and I had been looking for a joint project for a long time. As with the first shoot for this crime series, I had great freedom. I could even influence the screenplay. That was explicitly asked for.

What does directing CRIME SCENE feel like?

The series "CRIME SCENE" is something like the Champions League for German television. I was very proud when I saw the finished movie after five months. With the possibilities that were available to us, and in spite of the great weather problems, we got the best out of the film.

You are seen as a director who leaves nothing to chance. What do you have to do to make a successful product?

I always give the production a hundred percent. The success of a film, however, is mainly in its making. I have to think about every step before the shoot. The better I prepare for the production, the easier it is to jump in the deep end. If I know what I want to achieve, I don't lose control over my film. Logistically however, my new film was very complicated, especially the movements. In addition to a boat chase, there were car trips, a car accident and shooting in the film.

How much time do you usually have to shoot a scene?

My new film was ready within one month. There is just no time for much reshooting. From the first screenplay talk to the finished product, however, about five months elapsed. This was because it was a co-production, in which of course more parties need to agree.

Are there any other scenes in the Swiss CRIME SCENE that aren't in the one for German TV?

Both versions are identical picture-wise. As far as language goes, the Swiss actors speak in dialect.

The political relations between Switzerland and Germany have taken a turn for the worse. Is work on the film set better than in politics?

That doesn't interest us filmmakers. The more complex the origin of the actors and the crew, the more exciting the work is. It was also a challenge to shoot in winter. The fact that the Swiss investigator and the German investigator are in trouble gives the film a special touch.

When are you going to film the next CRIME SCENE episode?

There are preliminary talks. There is no official approval yet.

Are you working on any other projects?

Yes, for the Bavarian Radio and Austrian Television. The mountain climbing drama «The Route» has been filmed. The film is ready, but it is still unclear when it will be broadcast.

Would you like to make a film in Switzerland again?

Sure, but I haven't gotten the right stuff so far. The problem in Switzerland is that there are far too few projects to make a living as a director. In Germany, however, filming is an industry.

"Cop Killer", Sunday, 3 January 2010, 20:05 on SF 1.

Florian Froschmayer

Director from Thalwil

Director Florian Froschmayer was born in Thalwil. The 37-year-old has finished filming "The Policewomen's murderer", his second CRIME SCENE episode. His first, "Borowski and the Unchained World," was aired in spring. The series has been on ARD for 40 years. The latest series feature Swiss actors Stefan Gubser, Martin Rapold, Gilles Tschudi and Ralph Gassmann. Froschmayer has directed about 40 films in Germany. He began his career in 1993 as an editor for Swiss television, where he worked on more than 1000 news and magazine contributions alongside numerous documentary films until 1998. He has worked as a producer ("Exclusive") and shot commercials and music videos. Froschmayer now lives in Berlin.

original text by: Marco Morosoli

Outlet: Tages-Anzeiger (Zurich’s largest daily newspaper) Date: December 30, 2009
Circulation in 2007: 220.000

The Tages-Anzeiger (abbreviated to TA, colloquially Tagi) is a regional Swiss daily newspaper from Zurich, part of Tamedia. With 149 368 sold and 157 323 distributed copies, it has the highest circulation among subscriptions in the country and reaches 460 000 readers every day. The Tages-Anzeiger is one of the most influential newspapers in the German-speaking region of Switzerland.