Bulgaria
Locations. Picturesque villages, ski resorts, beaches, monasteries, rivers, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, forests, national parks.
Permits. No extraordinary restrictions or rules apply. Permitting in
Bulgaria is a very straightforward process requiring usually no more than a week for
most locations.
When to shoot? The best warm weather is between April and October. The best snow can be found between November and March.
For monthly weather statistics please see: http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/bg-country.html
Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.
Costs. Local costs in Bulgaria are quite competitive. Standard shoot day costs are on average 20% less than Czech or Hungary. Bulgaria also offers a very competitive exchange rate.
Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Bulgaria offers mainly ethnic Bulgarian looks with some Turkish and Eastern European looks available too. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad.
For examples of locally available talent looks see:
Talent Partners - http://www.talent-partners.com/
Expose Model Management - http://www.exposemodel.com/
Ivet Fashion Agency - http://www.ivetfashion.com/
New Vision Model Agency - http://www.modelsnv.com/
Next One - http://www.nextoneagency.com/
Web Models - http://www.webmodels.bg/?&lang=en
Bulgaria has a very limited pool of directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Its close proximity to major European production centres allows easy access to those pools of creative talent should you ever need to look further.
Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.
Crews are non-union.
Fringes. No hidden extras.
Premiums. Bulgaria works on a twelve-hour day including one hour break for lunch with overtime rate negotiated on a case by case basis. No 6th or 7th day, weekend, night or holiday premiums with crew or talent.
Equipment. Bulgaria only has basic equipment available locally. All else needs to be brought in from abroad.
Art department and set construction is good. Examples of work can be seen in films shot in Bulgaria such as Julius Caesar and Spartacus.
Studios and backlots. Bulgaria have several option including an Ancient Rome studio backlot and New York City streets backlot.
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign
commercials or films shooting in Bulgaria.
Film Stock. Both Fuji and Kodak are available locally.
Post Production. Best to post abroad.
Visas and Work Permits. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Bulgarian embassy or representative for more information.
Transportation Infrastructure. Roads are up to international standards. Several international and budget airlines service flights to Bulgaria.
Accommodation. Best options in the capital Sofia include:
Hilton Sofia - http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/SOFHIHI-Hilton-Sofia/index.do
Arena di Serdica Residence Hotel - http://www.arenadiserdica.com/
Hotel Anel - http://www.hotelanel.com/
Grand Hotel Sofia - http://www.grandhotelsofia.bg/
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Communication. Web posted casting and scouting.
Safety. Bulgaria is a safe place for foreign productions to visit.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in Bulgaria, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
