Kids & Families

What makes images on television and in the cinema move? When did images start talking and what animation techniques were first used? During a guided tour through the permanent exhibition, young visitors are given the answers to these and countless other questions related to cartoons and animation techniques.
The tour begins with the pioneers of German film. It then moves through the early years of German cinema, and explains the beginnings of sound film. How images are manually and individually animated is demonstrated by silent film classics like Metropolis.


Duration: 60 minutes, Age: 8+

Groups: Price: 60 euros (plus 2 euros admission per child, 3 euros per adult)
Group size: max. 20
School classes: Price: 45 euros (plus 2 euros admission per child, 3 euros per adult)
Group size: max. average class size

We can design an individual birthday program with tours, workshops, and much more to meet your individual requests. A combination of diverse offers revolving around the world of moving images will transform a birthday into a special experience. The following program can be booked, for example:

Tour and Workshop – Animated Films

How long have cartoons been around? Which animation techniques are used in film and how do they function? During a guided tour through the permanent exhibition on film, young visitors are given the answers to these and countless other questions related to cartoons and animation techniques. Following the tour, the children develop their own storyboard for a short cartoon and turn it into a film. They create it frame by frame using a two-dimensional technique called cutout animation, as well as a light box and a digital video camera.

Duration: approx. 4 hours
Price: 210 / 360 euros
Group size: max. 10 / 20
Age: 8+

The use of mobile multimedia devices, such as smart phones and tablets, are part of everyday life for many people. These devices provide access to more than just communication and multimedia entertainment, however. In addition, they also place a pocket-sized, but complete set of film equipment at your fingertips, making experimentation with basic techniques of filming and producing creative-artistic work with audiovisual media quite simple.
In the context of the workshop, participants unlock the hidden potential of smart phones, etc., guided by a film professional’s expert instructions. First, a film team is organized, then a cinematic idea is jointly developed and a shooting schedule is laid out. This preparation is followed by putting the plans into action, using cinematic aesthetic tools to produce film and sound recordings that are subsequently assembled into a finished clip. The structure of the workshop can be coordinated to meet the interests and prior knowledge of the participants. The following themes are examples of offers available for booking:

•  Portrait – Who am I and What Makes Me Who I Am?
•  Berlin, the Metropolis – Staging the Aesthetic of the Big City
•  Black-and-White – An Homage to Silent Films
•  Breaking News

Duration: approx. 4 hours, Age: 12+

Groups: Price: 180 euros (10 participants) / 360 euros (20 participants)
Group size: max. 20
School classes: Price: 165 euros (10 participants) / 325 euros (20 participants)
Group size: max. 20

This workshop can be organized for larger groups on request.

Making your own animated film doesn’t have to be difficult! After a short introduction into how moving images and different animation techniques work, participants develop their own storyboard for a cartoon and turn it into a short film. They create it frame by frame using a two-dimensional technique called cutout animation, as well as a Trickbox and a digital camera. This workshop can be combined with the “Animated Films and Techniques” tour.

Duration: approx. 3 hours, Age: 8+

Groups: Price: 150 euros (10 participants) / 300 euros (20 participants)
Group size: max. 20
School classes: Price: 125 euros (12 participants) / 245 euros (24 participants) / 365 euros (30 participants)
Group size: max. 30

In the tradition of the German special effects pioneer Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981) and other animators working in this field, participants produce a richly imaginative story under the expert guidance of animation specialists. The workshop begins with a review of film history, in which select design options are presented and individual ideas are developed. Afterwards, participants create their own short cinematic narrations in the style of silhouette animation.
To make animated films from silhouettes or cutouts, black silhouettes of self-made figures - plants, animals and imaginary creatures – and other materials are brought to life on a backlit glass surface. The images are montaged into an animated film using the stop motion technique and digital software. Professional animators lead the workshop.

Duration: approx. 3 hours, Age: 8+

Groups: Price: 150 euros (10 participants) / 300 euros (20 participants)
Group size: max. 20
School classes: Price: 125 euros (12 participants) / 245 euros (24 participants) / 365 euros (30 participants)
Group size: max. 30