Progressive Productions

Production Services in Hungary & Austria

Case Overview – Project headline and key visual

Covert Affairs - TV Series (Show #310)

NBCUniversal / USA Network

Thumbnail from the Covert Affairs project that plays a scene from the Budapest-shot episode when clicked, showing the female lead practicing her aim with a handgun.
Cover still from the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series, featuring a large-scale car chase sequence set along the city’s riverside streets. This page is a case study of the Hungary shoot for the episode, featuring series trailer context, behind-the-scenes production footage, shoot logistics insights, stunts and action coordination, production challenges, social media highlights, and client relationship context.

Client Testimonial – International Producer Quote on First Collaboration

“We first hired Progressive Productions in Budapest to produce a large shoot for "Covert Affairs" with us. The scenes involved heavy dialogue scenes with our lead actors, car crash stunt sequences, weapons, difficult locations like a trainyard, and it went extremely well and we had an excellent experience.”
Rajeev Dassani - International Producer, Master Key Productions (Los Angeles)

Case Overview – Previous Experience & Project Scope

Two episodes of Covert Affairs were our first project where we could broaden the spectrum of genres that we had experience in. Before Covert Affairs, we produced several commercials and photo shoots, but never a scripted television show. To top it all off, Covert Affairs was one of the biggest summer shows in the U.S. at the time, and was broadcast on the USA Network.

Case Media – Firearms Training Sequence (Video)

PROGRESSIVE PRODUCTIONS

Campaign Context – Budapest as Moscow Stand-In

Their team was searching for a city that could double for Moscow. At that same time, Die Hard 5 was being shot in Budapest, where our capital city also played Moscow. This convinced them of the city’s capability. They also made the rare decision to shoot in Budapest and shot heavy action scenes here, which was quite unusual before this shoot, as the producers of the show hadn’t really taken the risk to shoot heavy action scenes abroad before.

Case Media – Street Action Scene

A scene from the Budapest-shot episode of Covert Affairs showing the female lead holding a camera and a firearm beside a damaged car window during an action sequence.
For this episode of USA’s Covert Affairs Budapest doubled as Moscow, and many heavy action scenes were shot here

Shoot Logistics – Riverside Road Closure for Car Chase

For this episode we closed a 2-kilometer (1.5 mile) stretch of road (one of the busiest streets in Budapest) right next to the river Danube for a car chase, where our main character Annie, played by Piper Perabo, was looking for a well-off Russian spy who was expected to be driving a luxurious Mercedes, which Annie proceeded to stop with a spike strip.

Case Media – Car Chase Roadblock Moment

A scene from the Budapest-shot episode of Covert Affairs showing the female lead deploying a tire-spike strip across the roadway during an action sequence.
Piper Perabo’s character stopped a Mercedes with a spike strip on this 2km stretch of riverfront road that was closed down for the car chase

Stunts & Action – Precision Driving & Multi-Day Continuity

There are many top-notch stunt professionals in Hungary, so we brought in a very talented precision driver who did amazing stunts, of course without even scratching the car. It was a great challenge, especially for the car to slide on the road exactly the same way on both shooting days because the road was closed for only one of the days.

Case Media – On-Set Coordination During Car Chase Shoot

Crew and cast working around a black car with shattered glass during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of Covert Affairs.
A top-notch Hungarian precision driver was brought in to do stunts for this car chase

Stunts & Action – Firearms and Pyrotechnics Coordination

Much of our success relied on pyrotechnics as well, since most of the scenes included gunfights, for which we provided numerous types of firearms that were all real, but deactivated of course. We happened to shoot similarly heavy action sequences in a Budapest train station for the second episode.

Case Media – Armed Action Sequence with Deactivated Firearms

A scene from the Budapest-shot episode of Covert Affairs showing armed military characters running along a train platform.
We provided different types of deactivated firearms for realistic action sequences

Production Challenge – Cross-Location Continuity and Art Department Coordination

A quite challenging aspect of this project was that the Covert Affairs set is situated in Canada, but we shot exterior scenes here in Budapest. To solve the continuity issues this caused, we worked together closely with the American production team and art department, and maintained continuity smoothly.

Case Media – Behind-the-Scenes Production Overview (Video)

PROGRESSIVE PRODUCTIONS

Client Relationship – Production Partner Collaboration

We loved every minute of working with such a great production company and studio as Master Key Productions and NBC-Universal.

Behind-the-scenes image gallery

A stunt performer rehearsing a railway action scene with a stand-in during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A crew member holding a clapperboard beside a vehicle while filming the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series on a riverside embankment.
A camera operator filming the two lead characters on a railway platform during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members filming an action sequence with armed actors beside a passenger train during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Actors in tactical gear running across multiple railway tracks while filming an action sequence for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A camera operator filming a moving locomotive at track level during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members filming an action scene near the main entrance of a railway station during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
The director conferring with a crew member beside a green and yellow passenger train during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members filming an action scene with uniformed actors at the entrance of a railway station during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A camera operator conferring with an actor in tactical costume on a narrow street during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Camera operator and the lead character’s stunt double during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members discussing a scene with the female lead on an elevated terrace overlooking the Danube during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A scene from the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series showing the female lead practicing her aim on a terrace overlooking the Danube.
A camera operator filming the cast during a shooting sequence on an outdoor location for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members filming the shooting practice sequence on a damaged terrace overlooking the Danube for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A spike strip laid across a riverside road as part of the car sequence filmed for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A camera operator filming a car driving over a spike strip during the riverside road sequence for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members conferring beside a closed-off riverside road during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
The lead character and crew seen through a car’s shattered window during filming for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
The lead character seated in a director’s chair as crew members confer around her during filming for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members preparing a riverside driving scene for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Crew members filming a street scene for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A main cast member sitting in a car during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Filming an exterior street scene for the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
Hair touch-up for the female lead during the filming of the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series on a narrow street.
The director conferring with the male lead between takes during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A stunt performer rehearsing a railway action scene with a stand-in during the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series.
A crew member holding a clapperboard beside a vehicle while filming the Budapest-shot episode of the Covert Affairs series on a riverside embankment.

Making of Covert Affairs - Photo Gallery

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