“We Squeezed in Six Days of Work in Four”

Abroad Films recently serviced two projects in Bulgaria. Sofia is also a HQ for Abroad Films next to Budapest & London, so the team love to bring projects there. Here they dive into their recent work. 

Abroad Films HQ in Bulgaria - top studios, top locations ​

Bulgaria offers amazing locations and crews. The flexibility and capacity are top notch - our clients appreciate the fast problem solving and quick response time in comparison to the huge studios which are booked months and years in advance.

International collab, tight schedule

The project was a true international collaboration. The client was Impact BBDO Dubai, and we serviced the campaigns of two Middle Eastern FMCG brands. Two creative professionals from the UK led the way in production: Caswell Coggins director and Richard Mott Director of Photography. And of course there were we, Abroad Films, a Hungarian-Bulgarian service company, providing service in Bulgaria. Even though we serviced two projects at the same time, we were quite efficient. “We squeezed in six days of work in four” - said the director Caswell Coggins. This made it possible to remain in the tight budget. Caswell added: “As ever we were presented with a super challenging schedule but I found the support we got on the ground throughout fantastic! In particular the very generous nature of our local team and that when coming up against new problems I found everyone always to be incredibly resourceful. A great experience!”

One of the biggest challenges as service providers was the casting. We had to find characters of Arabic and Indian ethnicities in order to mirror the diversity the campaign was aiming at. This was a challenge in Bulgaria, Southeast Europe - but we made it happen.

The project had to be delivered on short notice and on a tight budget. Casting was the biggest challenge, as a dozen people from a variety of backgrounds had to be recruited in exchange for a nominal fee. We managed to overcame the obstacles and we are so proud of the outcome!

One of the most joyful parts of our job is always food styling. We love to create delicious food and props that help to bring life to the brand at hand. Especially in this case, because we had to create Middle Eastern dishes and delicacies. How did it turn out? Just look at the results as they speak for themselves:

The projects’ DoP, Richard Mott also had some nice words about the project: “I found working with Abroad Films to be a very positive experience. They surrounded us with the best crew, we were so well looked after. The operation ran very smoothly and they made what was a pretty tough job to be a much easier one due to their expertise and positive welcoming attitude. I would heartily recommend them.” And now, finally, take a look at the finished spots!