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Hungary is also home to a wide array of forests, rivers, lakes, mountains, vineyards, agricultural fields and beautiful towns, Kisgergely adds. “And if you absolutely can’t find what you’re looking for, it’s possible to cross the border to countries like Austria, Romania or Croatia.” A three-hour drive, for example, could get you to Transylvania — or to the Croatian coast, which has been used recently in the HBO epic Game Of Thrones. As for facilities, Koves highlights the state-of-the-art studios run by Origo Film Group and Korda. “Korda’s underwater tank is only equalled by Pinewood London,” she says. “And there are quite a few smaller studios as well.” Koves says there is a good mix of feature films, TV series and commercials coming into Hungary. TVCs are not covered by the incentive, “but with costs 25%-30% lower than Western Europe, Hungary is still attractive”, he adds. Proof of this claim is the number of high-profile jobs that appear on production showreels. Pioneer, mentioned above, has been involved in
Csanad Darvas: “WE
HAVE HAD JOBS FROM SOUTH KOREA AND REQUESTS FROM CHINA AND AUSTRALIA. THEY ALL COME IN SEARCH OF THE EUROPEAN LOOK”
campaigns from brands including Adidas, Porsche, Audi, Virgin Atlantic and Southern Comfort, while recent Film Positive assignments include TVCs for Xbox, Sky Movies UK and Taco Bell. “We are also a trusted P&G partner, working for local and international P&G agencies. The latest P&G job, a spectacular Ariel TVC, is coming soon,” Koves says. At Orchestra, Darvas cites “a Monte Carlo ad, shot in two days, which was selected as the best romantic TVC shot in Budapest in 2015, and another ad for Cadbury Glow chocolate”. ‘The Glow’ production is a classic example of what Hungary is capable of, he adds, “because we basically took over the main square of a small town in southern Hungary”. The campaign was for Mumbai producer Curious and involved importing a Ferris wheel from the UK and shutting down the entire square for three days. “It was a challenge to keep every part of it under control, especially as the locals wanted a ride on the wheel,” he says. “This job couldn’t have been done anywhere else.” In terms of production nuts and bolts,
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Hungary has a four-season weather system, with April to October the best months for filmmakers (unless you want white winters or the autumn fall). Koves says that the permitting system is “okay”. He adds: “You usually need six working days, but expect more if you need to close
LIONS DAILY NEWS
or divert traffic.” The situation with equipment is also pretty straightforward. “Kit is fine,” Koves says. “We have all the generally needed equipment and what we do not have in Budapest — like Russian arms or certain Panavision lenses — can easily be brought
MADE IN HUNGARY THE BORGIAS: This Canadian/Irish/ Hungarian co-pro for Showtime used Hungary to double as Italy. A renaissance set was built at Korda Studios, portraying locations such as the Vatican and Florence. Renaissance-style gates, courtyards, alleyways, interiors, cells and a piazza are still available on the backlot. GUINNESS: London-based agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and production company Infinity went to Hungary to shoot a Rugby World Cup TVC for Guinness. Directed by Tom Hooper, the ad took four days to shoot and involved 370 people. Serviced by Pioneer, the locations included Varpalota. THE LAST KINGDOM: This BBC drama, based on a series of novels by Bernard Cornwell, is set during the Viking invasion of England in the 9th century. Although some of the series was shot in the UK, the production also came to Hungary in 2014/2015. It is not the first swords-andshield period drama to have been based in the country. Pillars Of The Earth and World Without End also used Hungary to replicate UK scenery. SPECTRAL: Mid Atlantic Films has been instrumental in bringing productions such as The Borgias, Hercules and The Martian to Hungary. Most recently, it facilitated the production of feature film Spectral, about a special-ops team dispatched to fight supernatural beings. Origo Film Group and Korda Studios were both involved in the production, which also shot in nearby Slovakia.
SPY: This Melissa McCarthy/Jude Law comedy film visited Hungary in 2014 for two key reasons: tax incentives and Budapest’s ability to double for other cities. The action ranges from Washington DC to Paris to Rome but, for the most part, it was filmed against the backdrop of Budapest’s superb architecture, with locations including the Hungarian State Opera House and Ferenciek Square. Other locations included Lake Balaton, situated 135 km south west of Budapest, which was used to double as the Black Sea. TATA SKY: PPM serviced a TVC for Curious described as India’s longest-ever commercial (3.5 minutes). Created for DTH platform Tata Sky, it focused on a group of prisoners trying to escape from prison while the guards are distracted by an India-Pakistan cricket match. Curious considered several locations, including Alcatraz in San Francisco, but the need for flexible shooting times led them Budapest’s Kozma prison and Komarom Castle on the Slovakian border. VIRGIN ATLANTIC — ‘THE IDEA’: Rogue Films came to Hungary in 2015 to shoot a 90-second commercial for adam&eveDDB client Virgin Atlantic. Serviced by Pioneer, the TVC used a clever mix of studio construction and locations to create a fast-paced story that had a touch of the Guy Ritchie about it.
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