Progressive Productions

Production Services in Hungary & Austria

Case Overview – Project headline and key visual

Kalenji

Catalogue Photography

A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a group of models running together along an urban street.
Campaign image from the Kalenji photoshoot for Decathlon’s sportswear brand. This page is a case study of a multi-day campaign photoshoot in Hungary, featuring campaign images, casting challenges and outcomes, behind-the-scenes workflows, location case studies, service differentiation insights, and credits.

Credits

Image gallery from the Catalogue Photography

  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring child models running on an outdoor athletics track.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a group of models running together along an urban street.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running along an urban street.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model standing in a locker room.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running along a rocky outdoor trail surrounded by steep earth walls.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot showing a group of models running together in a park.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running in an urban environment next to a modern metro entrance.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running along a wooden path in a park environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two models running along a riverbank.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running on an urban street.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running along an urban street.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two female models standing together in a locker room.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running past a residential building.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running along a rural road.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running along a rocky outdoor trail surrounded by steep earth walls.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running across a bridge in an urban environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running along a rural road in a natural countryside environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running under a bridge on a gravel-like surface near the Danube.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running along a rural road beside open fields.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two male models running side by side on a wooden path in a green park environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two female models running along a cobblestone street.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring child models running on an outdoor athletics track.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running across a bridge.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two female models standing together in a locker room.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot showing two models running side by side on a bridge.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running on a road beside a field.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two models running under a Budapest bridge in an urban riverside environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a female model running on a bridge in an urban environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running through a quarry-like landscape with reddish terrain in a natural outdoor environment.
  • A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring two male models running together in a park environment.

Case Overview – Project Scope & Casting Challenge

This 6-day photo shoot for Kalenji, Decathlon’s own French-made sportswear brand, presented Progressive Productions’ in-house casting department with real challenges.

Case Media – Catalogue Campaign Image

A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running through a quarry-like landscape with reddish terrain in a natural outdoor environment.
Catalogue photo shoot for French sportswear brand Kalenji

Production Challenge – Athlete Casting Requirements

The project called for professional runners with perfect running form. This required extensive casting, and the client even came to Hungary before the production to sit in on a casting with pre-selected applicants. They based their decision to shoot here on the casting results, since they were not able to find the right talent in several other countries.

Case Media – Casting Process Behind the Scenes

People preparing and organizing a casting session on a school sports court, with tables, chairs, a camera tripod, and participants positioned around the area during the Kalenji photoshoot.
Casting for the shoot was crucial as we had to find great number of professional runners, and the client even made a trip to Hungary prior to the production to sit in on a casting

Production Challenge – Non-Traditional Casting Outreach

The photos capture just a moment of the run, so it didn’t matter who ran the quickest, it was the perfect running technique that meant everything. We quickly realized that this would not work with traditional casting methods so we made a huge effort and drew on extensive resources to find the talent needed. We got in touch with most of the city’s sports clubs, went to numerous sports events, and ran several ads. It is quite possible that everyone who could run in this country was notified of this casting.

Case Media – On-Set Lighting Setup with Athlete

Crew members positioning large reflectors around a runner standing on a red earth hill during the Kalenji project photoshoot at a quarry location.
We got in touch with most of the city’s sports clubs, recruited at sporting events, and ran several ads to find the right talents

Service Differentiation – Large-Scale Specialized Casting

We held several castings and saw hundreds of people. In addition, we needed two kids who were also trained runners, for which an even smaller pool of options was available, but of course we found the perfect talent. In the end we cast 11 runners, 2 children, and 2 underwear models.

Case Media – On-Set Image Review Workflow

Crew members reviewing selected images on a data wrangling laptop during the Kalenji photoshoot, with a locker room scene displayed on the monitor at the set.
By doing casting, location scouting, and production all in-house, we can adapt perfectly to the client’s needs

Service Differentiation – Integrated In-House Production Model

It really makes us proud that we could accomplish this task, and that we could show dozens of great options to our client. This project proved to us that an in-house casting department is far more effective. With in-house services (casting, location, production) we can adapt perfectly to the client’s needs.

Case Media – Urban Campaign Image

A photo from the Kalenji photoshoot featuring a male model running along an urban street.
The colorful baroque buildings of Buda Castle District turned out to be perfect for this shoot

Location Case Study – Colorful European Urban Setting

Another important factor that led Kalenji to choose Hungary was its locations, as they were looking for smaller, colorful houses in an old European streetscape. The Buda Castle District with its old Baroque buildings with different colored walls turned out to be a perfect place for many photos.

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