Romania hosted the entire production and filming of the Hungarian format of the famous TV reality show series, “The Bridge”, whose premiere will take place on August 11, only on HBO Max Hungary. Paprika Studios Romania provided complete services for HBO Max and Free Monkeys to create this new and exciting television show, being responsible not only for location scouting, but also the organization of filming and the design and construction of sets, with ecological materials. The Romanian production team was formed by approximately 50 specialists in the film industry, with extensive experience in productions around the world, broadcast by famous companies such as Disney+, Netflix, MGM or international festivals.
The format of “The Bridge” brings together 14 strangers, coming from varied backgrounds, with different life experiences, skills and goals, who meet in an unknown and wild place. They have one thing in common: the desire to win the HUF 30 million (approx. EUR 80,000) grand prize. To succeed, they must build a 250m long bridge together, without modern tools and without any outside help. During this process, they will need to devise strategies and develop both confidence in themselves and others, as well as the ability to work in a team. But how will the contestants handle the moral challenges if there is only one winner? Will self-interest trump the team? Can this task be solved under these conditions?
As for the challenges, this time in making the production, they were not lacking, especially in perfectly combining all the elements that ensure the success of any television series. In addition to the complex and compelling characters that must fit the story and develop as the plot, conflicts and contingencies unfold, a key element was the filming location. More specifically, an environment that captures the viewers’ imagination from the start and keeps their attention for a long time. The chosen location, which would both offer landscapes of breathtaking beauty and meet all the technical requirements to make the production feasible, was by no means an easy task. Especially because most tourist areas of this kind are crowded, and visiting tourists during filming would have disrupted the team’s activities.
In addition to the entire production process that happens behind the camera, from recording to broadcasting, the Paprika Studios Romania team managed to find, after 5 months of searching in which no less than 10,000 kilometers for the documentation of 50 lakes, one of the most picturesque, and at the same time more secluded tourist spots in Romania:
Lake Beliș.
“Finding the ideal place is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It requires a lot of effort, prospecting and documentation, and a lot of luck, of course. I think we have discovered a place that we are now adding to the world map for millions of viewers to enjoy on this reality TV show. And which, why not, maybe they will also visit in reality”, said Anca Iurea, Operations Officer of Paprika Studios Romania.
During the filming, no less than 10,000 liters of drinking water were consumed, 10,000 cups of coffee and more than 5,000 eugenias were the delight of the film crews of all nationalities. And in order to build the bridge, 20,000 meters of rope and over 70,000 kg of wood were used. All materials used on set were eco-friendly to comply with environmental requirements, standards and protocols. Including to build the setting where the contestants lived.
“First of all, I was impressed by the beauty of the region where we filmed – Transylvanian lakes, forests, mountains… Then, I was even more surprised when I saw how the <centuries-old> wooden house of the contestants turned out in the end , built by our teams in just a few weeks…”, said Christophe Brackx, general director of Paprika Studios Romania.