High Five: Bulgaria
In this edition of High Five, we get insight into the Bulgarian film scene with Georgi Abrashev, executive producer at Kinomoto x final_new, as he showcases some of his favourite recent local works, and shows us what makes Bulgaria the perfect place for just about any project. Twelve years ago, Georgi would never have imagined he would be in any way involved in the film industry, but now he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He thoroughly enjoys his work and his passion shows through in the results. The scene in Bulgaria is close-knit, with many highly professional creative and technical talent who support and encourage one another while maintaining a healthy competitive atmosphere centred on coming up with and delivering the most creative and interesting concepts possible.
"I am really glad that I have the opportunity to operate in a relatively small, but at the same time, tight and highly experienced industry, which has facilitated not only world-class creative heads in the fields of production and costume design, but also highly trained and proficient technical professionals in every department, from stunts and SFX to camera, sparks and grip. We can offer and facilitate almost everything - from art-heavy studio jobs to diverse locations and environments, all within a few hours' drive. I love that the service production industry is rapidly developing and growing in the Bulgarian audio-visual industry. For me, filmmaking is a never-ending endeavour to develop and push through and outside one’s comfort zone. This is one of the reasons that I love service jobs. The other reason is that, for me, filmmaking is also about building lasting global relationships.”
EVN Bulgaria - Rescue Campaign
Agency: Guts&BrainsDDB
Production: final_new
Director: Vasil Petrakov
I love projects that are different and present a challenge. I love it when the brief arrives and we have no idea how exactly to approach it and make it come to life. Uncharted waters. I am also passionate about social campaigns that actually make a real difference in our world. For this one, I will always remember how, when we briefed one of our most experienced DOPs Nenad Boroevich, he immediately responded with: “OK this is something new, we really need to put our heads together in order to figure it out.” Crew working together to come up with a workable creative approach is always such an exhilarating experience, the backbone of filmmaking. At the end of the day all the planning, testing, solving logistical, technical, and safety challenges, battling weather and honing out the tiniest details paid off. The day after the shoot, Bulgaria went into a total Covid-19 lockdown.
Fashion Days - 'Spring: #followmyself'
Agency: Human
Director: NEDA
A most recent hip and visually striking example of NEDA’s sensitive work. The mix of film and digital cinematography works great with the interesting framing. The pace and flow work so well with the confident VO. I love the styling, cast and locations because they look cosmopolitan but at the same time retain a distinctly Bulgarian look with the distant apartment blocks, apartment interiors and central city streets. Altogether, it makes for a delightfully layered and nuanced piece, which I greatly enjoy.
Telenor Bulgaria 5G - Image Campaign
Agency: Guts&BrainsDDB
Production: PushPull
Directors: Petko Spasov and Demetry
Telenor’s 5G campaign is one of the freshest and most visually striking Bulgarian TVCs for 2021. It’s a wonderful combination of creative concept, directing and cinematography, an absolute wild ride. It’s a great example of the endless range of stunning locations that Bulgaria offers.
Rostar Bulgaria x Deutsche Markenbutter Bulgaria - 'The Butter Is 'Wow''
Agency: NITRAM
Production: Filmmaker
Director: NEDA
We have all pitched on projects that we love from the first slide of the agency brief and have really, really wanted to win and shoot. For me, 'The Butter Is ‘Wow’' is the one that got away in 2021. For the last several years Rostar Bulgaria has trusted NITRAM and NEDA to create a stylised, memorable and distinctive look for their brand. With this project they have continued this tradition. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of all Deutsche Markenbutter Bulgaria’s campaigns is the excellent production design. In Bulgaria we are lucky to have a number of not only talented and visionary, but also highly experienced production designers and art direction crews to support them. The production designer responsible for this particular spot is the wonderful Severina Stoyanova.
Kan Wakan - 'Oh Mother' ft. Jessica Childress
Production: Nulla
Director: Demetry
I pay a lot of attention to the local music video and passion projects scene. I believe these provide an opportunity for young and upcoming talent to perform and make a statement, while also encouraging established creatives to be bold and leap forward. So far in 2021, 'Oh Mother' is my favourite music video. It’s pared back, yet beautifully directed and photographed. It blends beautifully with the track and delivers an immersive and emotionally touching audio-visual experience.
