GENERAL INFO

The working week may vary from 5 to 7 days, depending on the project. The day off is usually Sunday (and Saturday). However, the work schedule is negotiable since there are no strict union rules and the crews are usually flexible. A working day is 12 hours including a 1 hour lunch/dinner break.

If the shoot is within the boundaries of Budapest - where most crews are based - the working day starts on location. Otherwise the working day starts when the crew leaves the city, so the travelling hours has to be included. If the crew has to spend the night on location, travel days are normally charged at 50% of the regular daily fee. When crew vehicles have to travel outside the city, mileage/km fees are charged.

Night shoots are charged at the regular crew rates without any extra charges. For Sundays or a seventh shoot day it is customary to charge 150% of the regular rates, whilst for Holidays the crews normally charge 200% of the normal fee. Turnaround is charged if there are less than 11 hours between wrap time and the next day's call time. 75% of day rates apply on equipment check and 50% on technical recce.

/ CREW

Crews are flexible when it comes to working overtime and will do their best to carry out anything within reason. Most speak English and have a great deal of experience of working with international personnel.

/ STUDIOS

There are currently three big stages and several smaller to mid size studios. The three big stages are owned by Mafilm, which used to be a state owned national film production studio in the communist era and have continued to play a role in the Hungarian film production industry in the recent post-communist years.

Mafilm has a stage in Budapest and a large facility with two stages and a back lot area used for building exterior set in a nearby town, Fót. A medieval village set has been around in the Fót back lot for the past ten years. Another large facility called Stern Studio opened in 2004 in a small town called Pomáz, just 18 kms north of the city. Overall, construction is considered to be of excellent quality and very good value.

/ EQUIPMENT

The equipment available in Hungary covers quite a large range of the latest film technology. There are a couple of big equipment rental houses: Sparks, Cam & Vision, Light&Vision and Camera Rentals.

Technology available in Hungary:

• one Genuflex MK II Motion Control
• five ARRI 435 cameras
• three ARRI 535 cameras
• three ARRI III cameras
• ARRI BL4
• Moviecam
• Moviecam SL
• Moviecam Super America cameras

Apart from these locally available equipment, driving in equipment from other European countries (mostly Austria, Germany and Italy) is common practice, especially since Hungary has become a member of the EU. But if something is still not on hand, it can easily be outsourced from London by air.

There are three good steadicam operators in Hungary who have worked on many film productions in Hungary as well as abroad.

/ LAB & POST

Full range of Kodak and Fuji stock is available from accredited suppliers. High-end negative processing is also available in all 35/16 mm film formats at the recently opened Kodak Lab as well as at Hungarian Filmlab.

The largest post production company in Hungary is Focus Fox. They have done post production work for many feature films, commercials, music videos for Hungary and many other foreign countries. The company is well equipped with three AVID systems, 2D and 3D animation machines, Inferno and Cyborg as well as digital studios and other post production equipment. Threre are two other large post production companies, Saint and Post Edison, both well equipped with the latest technologies and excellent staff.