Before we went there, how could we have known that shooting in the Black Forest was such a pure delight? On may 7th 2019, just a few days after Walpurgisnacht (»Walpurgis Night«), we shot the teaser trailer for our fantasy series in the real Black Forest in Germany. With enough preparation, manpower and a little bit of luck, we managed to capture everything we needed in a single day.
Locations in the Black Forest
For weeks we had been location scouting until we found the Katzenkopf (»Cat’s Crown«) – the perfect place on the Hornisgrinde. The Hornisgrinde is the highest mountain of the Northern Black Forest. In the 1980s, the Katzenkopf became well-known world-wide for the observation of the so-called Waldsterben (»forest death«), as it slowly but surely turned into a bald spot. This place is so beautiful, with all its different trees and other plants, changing colors and atmospheres completely, almost every other week. It’s shifting from dry and peaceful to deep in snow and turbulent throughout the year.
If you plan on shooting in the Black Forest as well, make sure to check out every local production guide in your area for your dream locations. You will need at least an official filming permission from the Rural District Office and make sure you request it ahead of time. People were really helpful and supporting us, for that we are truly grateful. You can also examine the Blackforest Tourism database with a lot of useful articles and and links.
The Black Forest Experience
The weather made it especially hard to plan our creative endeavour. Weather is always a great unknown. Since it was an outdoor shoot, we blocked three whole days for the cast and crew, but in the end only one day provided the perfect shooting conditions: Sunshine, dry air and no wind. At 32° Fahrenheit, it still proved to be an exhausting experience, but I believe everyone went home with light feet and heavy hearts. One day later, a rain storm blew over the Katzenkopf and made it impossible to get out of the car. A week later, it was even more beautiful than ever before.
The day after. Photo: Rolf Maier. 
The Forest in Spring. Photo: Sven Eric Maier. 
The Forest in Winter. Photo: Sven Eric Maier. 
The week after. Photo: Rolf Maier.
The Black Forest as a Metaphor
The Black Forest is still a mystery. It’s a metaphor for our dark past, our roots in the transcended. Like the human spirit, it remains unfathomable, like a shadow. Despite mankind trying to tame it, in the end nature remains ferocious. For us, the Forest is right next door, and it reminds us of the rich history that we want to explore with this series. Now that we released the teaser, our aim is to shoot the whole tv pilot.
We hope that you like what you’ve read so far. Want to see the full TV series? Help us and buy a Black Forest Witch mug now! 
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