International film productions returned to Hungary – everybody has to do COVID tests

In the ORIGO movie studio, the shooting of the Dune and the Birds of Paradise already continued, even though everybody had to do COVID tests which make all productions more expensive. 

According to hvg, the studio introduced a very strict protocol, and they further strengthened it at the beginning of August. Based on that, only those can enter the facility who obtain two negative tests. There are checkpoints at the entrances where only those can pass whose temperature is below 37.5 degrees Celsius. Moreover, ORIGO, the first in the world, robotised the measuring process. 

Mihály Tóth, the studio’s marketing director, highlighted that thanks to the strict measures,

their film studio is currently one of the safest places in the world

allowing international productions to continue their work. Interestingly, those who are in contact with the actors (stylists, hairdressers, beauticians) are tested daily. 

Government film commissioner Csaba Káel said that they communicated to the foreign productions that movie making did not stop in Hungary. Furthermore, the shooting of the Dune and the Birds of Paradise already continued. Control is made up of three steps in the ORIGO. In the morning, everybody receives a questionnaire about where they were and who they met before, then, they have to pass the checkpoint test and, finally, they receive an armband showing that they passed the test.

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People have to wear different types of face masks depending on their job. Both Csaba Káel and Ildikó Kemény, a producer, highlighted that, of course, they would like to return to the pre-epidemic movie-making environment; however, they strictly follow the rules implemented by the government. Academy Award winner Kristóf Deák (Mindenki) said that they will also start the shooting of his new film in September.

According to hirado.hu, in the last ten years, many Hollywood celebrities worked in the studio, for example,

Angelina Joli, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Will Smith,

who made 43 international productions. ORIGO created a path containing the stars of 12 for those people who gained an international reputation for their films shot in the studio. They created the wall of the Acadamy Award winners as well, having 51 names of Hungarian relevance. Furthermore, they opened an exhibition to salute before the founder of Hollywood, Adolph Zukor and Andy Vajna. 

Source: hvg.hu, hirado.hu