Czech Republic at DVinfo.net

Sandra Walker · September 18th, 2008, 12:11 PM

My husband and I will be traveling to the Czech Republic to work on a documentary. We're taking a DVX100B, two tripods and some other gear. We ordered a Dakine Sequence backpack and a Lowepro Flipside 400 that have not arrived yet. We are hoping to take most of the gear as carry-on. I've read a lot of posts about transporting tripods and still haven't decided what to do about that. Does anyone know of good places to rent/buy camera gear in Prague? or borrow for free? :-) I know how crazy that sounds.

I would like to contact one or two universities with film programs while we're there. Perhaps they have resources. Does anyone know any film students or filmmakers in Prague or the Czech Republic?

We will be staying in Prague, but traveling to the following smaller towns:
Krasne Brevno, Usti nad Labem, Lobositz, Klatovy, Plzen
It would be a great help to find someone who knows the area and is willing to provide advice. The doc contains elements from WWII and is very low budget, so I am combing the internet for information and resources that are affordable. Wish I could afford a location scout.

Also looking for WWII photos, footage, royalty free if you know of any.

I am new to this forum and not sure if all of these questions are appropriate for this thread. But I would greatly appreciate any advice that's offered.

Thanks,
Sandra

C.S. Michael · September 21st, 2008, 01:14 PM

Many years ago (early 90s), I taught English in Czechoslovakia. I guess I know the turf pretty well, but unfortunately not from a filmmaking perspective.

There's a great WW2 monument in Plzen thanking American GIs.

WWII veterans honored in Czech city for 60th anniversary of V-E Day | Stars and Stripes

Also, check out the Pilsner Urquell beer hall in Plzen -- a few years ago, my wife and I went there one evening and were the sole Americans in a crowd of a couple hundred. It was a blast.

You might try coordinating with the American Embassy in Prague. I suspect that someone there could provide you with resources, or at least point you in the right direction.

Sandra Walker · September 22nd, 2008, 02:30 PM

Thanks C.S.,
I wish I could be there during the celebration to honor veterans. It would be great to talk to some of them! I will definitely check with the American Embassy.

Stefan Immler · September 25th, 2008, 01:04 PM

Prague, Pilzen and the other cities are wonderful places to go! I think that Prague is one the (if not THE) most beautiful cities on Earth. Unfortunately, the increase in tourism and thousands of stores that appeared have destroyed much of its charm (you should have seen it 2 decades ago, amazing! 100% authentic, dark & sinister gothic). Just be aware that Prague is also the auto theft capitol of Europe, so keep a watchful eye on your rental car. Most car rentals will not allow you to rent a car in nearby Germany (which is less than 2 hrs drive away) and drive to Prague, so you need to rent a car on location.

Sandra Walker · September 29th, 2008, 08:27 PM

Yes, and we are going to be renting a car for at least part of the time. So thanks for the heads-up about auto theft.

Also my friend Bruce said that I should register my gear with customs. So I did some checking and found this:
It's called a Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (Form 4457)
Based on what I have read it is not always required. However, if there is going to be any hassle, I would rather do it before the trip and not during. So we took our stuff down to the local customs office and filled out the forms. And there was no charge. If anybody is interested, here's where you can get more info on traveling abroad with gear.
U.S. Customs Form 4457: What American citizens need to know about bringing photo gear abroad

Robert Rogoz · October 1st, 2008, 12:55 PM

Sandra, a couple of notes. I am sure you can find a lot of stock WWII footage at the National Film Archives. Also in Poland there is a National Film Archives: link NAC - Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe - Zbiory Zdigitalizowane . Poland is a very short distance from Czech Republic.
I would avoid car rental. Driving in that part of the world is not what 99% of Americans are used to. Also you are risking theft (never leave anything in your car). You can get anywhere by combination of public transit and taxi. Considering 6 bucks per gallon price tag of gasoline it might be cheaper if you are on a tight budget.
I am also curious about a topic of your documentary.

September 18th, 2008, 12:11 PM	#1
Sandra Walker Tourist Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 3	Czech Republic My husband and I will be traveling to the Czech Republic to work on a documentary. We're taking a DVX100B, two tripods and some other gear. We ordered a Dakine Sequence backpack and a Lowepro Flipside 400 that have not arrived yet. We are hoping to take most of the gear as carry-on. I've read a lot of posts about transporting tripods and still haven't decided what to do about that. Does anyone know of good places to rent/buy camera gear in Prague? or borrow for free? :-) I know how crazy that sounds. I would like to contact one or two universities with film programs while we're there. Perhaps they have resources. Does anyone know any film students or filmmakers in Prague or the Czech Republic? We will be staying in Prague, but traveling to the following smaller towns: Krasne Brevno, Usti nad Labem, Lobositz, Klatovy, Plzen It would be a great help to find someone who knows the area and is willing to provide advice. The doc contains elements from WWII and is very low budget, so I am combing the internet for information and resources that are affordable. Wish I could afford a location scout. Also looking for WWII photos, footage, royalty free if you know of any. I am new to this forum and not sure if all of these questions are appropriate for this thread. But I would greatly appreciate any advice that's offered. Thanks, Sandra

September 21st, 2008, 01:14 PM	#2
C.S. Michael Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 197	Many years ago (early 90s), I taught English in Czechoslovakia. I guess I know the turf pretty well, but unfortunately not from a filmmaking perspective. There's a great WW2 monument in Plzen thanking American GIs. WWII veterans honored in Czech city for 60th anniversary of V-E Day \| Stars and Stripes Also, check out the Pilsner Urquell beer hall in Plzen -- a few years ago, my wife and I went there one evening and were the sole Americans in a crowd of a couple hundred. It was a blast. You might try coordinating with the American Embassy in Prague. I suspect that someone there could provide you with resources, or at least point you in the right direction. __________________ Bored? Check out my blog (shot with Sony EX1, Panasonic TM700, Nikon D7100, Sony NEX-5N, GoPro2): LongLongHoneymoon.com

September 22nd, 2008, 02:30 PM	#3
Sandra Walker Tourist Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 3	Thanks C.S., I wish I could be there during the celebration to honor veterans. It would be great to talk to some of them! I will definitely check with the American Embassy.

September 25th, 2008, 01:04 PM	#4
Stefan Immler Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Washington DC Posts: 162	Prague, Pilzen and the other cities are wonderful places to go! I think that Prague is one the (if not THE) most beautiful cities on Earth. Unfortunately, the increase in tourism and thousands of stores that appeared have destroyed much of its charm (you should have seen it 2 decades ago, amazing! 100% authentic, dark & sinister gothic). Just be aware that Prague is also the auto theft capitol of Europe, so keep a watchful eye on your rental car. Most car rentals will not allow you to rent a car in nearby Germany (which is less than 2 hrs drive away) and drive to Prague, so you need to rent a car on location.

September 29th, 2008, 08:27 PM	#5
Sandra Walker Tourist Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 3	Yes, and we are going to be renting a car for at least part of the time. So thanks for the heads-up about auto theft. Also my friend Bruce said that I should register my gear with customs. So I did some checking and found this: It's called a Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (Form 4457) Based on what I have read it is not always required. However, if there is going to be any hassle, I would rather do it before the trip and not during. So we took our stuff down to the local customs office and filled out the forms. And there was no charge. If anybody is interested, here's where you can get more info on traveling abroad with gear. U.S. Customs Form 4457: What American citizens need to know about bringing photo gear abroad

October 1st, 2008, 12:55 PM	#6
Robert Rogoz Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 457	Sandra, a couple of notes. I am sure you can find a lot of stock WWII footage at the National Film Archives. Also in Poland there is a National Film Archives: link NAC - Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe - Zbiory Zdigitalizowane . Poland is a very short distance from Czech Republic. I would avoid car rental. Driving in that part of the world is not what 99% of Americans are used to. Also you are risking theft (never leave anything in your car). You can get anywhere by combination of public transit and taxi. Considering 6 bucks per gallon price tag of gasoline it might be cheaper if you are on a tight budget. I am also curious about a topic of your documentary.