If you're planning a TV commercial or film production and you haven't considered Bulgaria, you're leaving a significant competitive advantage on the table.
Over the past decade, Bulgaria has quietly become one of Europe's best-kept production secrets - a country that offers Western-quality crew and facilities at a fraction of the cost, backed by genuinely diverse locations that can stand in for almost anywhere in the world.
Here's why more agencies and production companies from the US, UK, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Canada are choosing to shoot here.
The Budget Goes Further - Significantly Further
Production costs in Bulgaria run 40-60% lower than equivalent shoots in the UK, Germany, or Scandinavia - without any compromise in crew quality or output.
That difference doesn't just mean savings. It means a bigger budget for talent, more shooting days, a larger wardrobe, a better grade in post. The productions that come here from London or Hamburg don't come because they're cutting corners - they come because they can make a noticeably better commercial for the same money.
Bulgaria is also outside the Eurozone, which means exchange rates can work further in your favour depending on currency and timing.
Locations That Can Look Like Anywhere - and Any Era
Bulgaria's location range is one of its most underrated assets. Within a country roughly the size of England, you have studios, a visually rich capital city, Black Sea coastline, mountain landscapes - and something few European countries can still offer: an authentic period look.
- Studios & backlots - purpose-built sets that have doubled for New York streets, London interiors, ancient Rome, and beyond. Fully equipped, controllable, and ready to dress for any era or setting
- Sofia city locations & landmarks - a capital with a layered architectural character: grand 19th-century boulevards, neoclassical public buildings, Orthodox churches, underground Roman ruins, and wide communist-era squares that photograph like no Western European city can
- Period looks: the 70s, 80s, and 90s - this is where Bulgaria genuinely stands apart. Preserved Brutalist housing blocks, Soviet-era factories, unchanged stairwells and interiors, mid-century tram lines, communist-era public spaces - all still intact and available. If your script needs Eastern Europe, the Cold War, or simply a world that hasn't been renovated since 1987, you'll find it here
- Mountain landscapes - dramatic peaks, pine forests, and alpine scenery within 90 minutes of Sofia, doubling for the Alps, the Rockies, or Scandinavia
- Black Sea coastline - long beaches, rocky cliffs, and fishing villages with a strong Mediterranean feel
The practical benefit: you can shoot multiple looks in a single production week without long travel days eating into your schedule. Everything is within reach of Sofia.
World-Class Crew at Local Rates
The Bulgarian film industry has a long and serious history. Local crew have worked on major international productions - features, commercials, broadcast series - and they know the pace and expectations of agencies and directors from the US, UK, and Europe.
You won't be working with a B-team because you've gone international. You'll be working with experienced directors of photography, art directors, gaffers, and production coordinators who operate at the highest level - and who cost significantly less than equivalent talent in Western Europe or North America.
Sofia Is Easy to Get To
Sofia Airport has direct flights from London (2.5 hours), Frankfurt (2 hours), Amsterdam (2.5 hours), Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Dubai, with connections from North America via major European hubs.
Once you land, you're in a functional, modern city with good hotels, reliable infrastructure, and a time zone (EET/EEST, UTC+2/+3) that overlaps comfortably with Western Europe - and gives workable hours for North American clients on morning calls.
Bulgaria vs. Other Eastern European Destinations
Producers sometimes ask how Bulgaria compares to the Czech Republic, Romania, or Hungary - all established production destinations. The honest answer: each has its strengths. But Bulgaria offers a combination that's hard to match.
The diversity of landscapes within a compact region is exceptional. The Black Sea coast is unique in Eastern Europe for its accessibility and visual range. And the production infrastructure in Sofia - studios, backlots, crew, equipment - has matured significantly over the past decade. Costs remain among the most competitive in the region.
A Track Record That Speaks for Itself
Push Pull has provided full production services for international clients across TV commercials, brand films, and broadcast productions - including campaigns for Xbox, Brawl Stars, T-Mobile, TV2 Play, Scalapay, and Bruno Banani, working with directors and agencies from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands.
International producers return not just because of what Bulgaria offers, but because of the quality of service on the ground - pre-production support, location preparation, crew coordination, and a team that treats every project as if it were their own.
What We Handle for You
When you work with Push Pull, you're not arriving in an unfamiliar country and figuring it out as you go. We handle everything:
- Location scouting and preparation - we find it, permit it, and have it ready when you land
- Crew - selected specifically for your project and its creative needs
- Equipment - full technical capability across camera, lighting, and grip
- Logistics - transport, accommodation, scheduling, and problem-solving
- Production coordination - from your first call to the final wrap
Your director and creative team focus entirely on the work. Everything else is covered.
Ready to Bring Your Next Production to Bulgaria?
If your production needs diverse locations, a reliable and experienced local team, and a budget that works harder than it would in Western Europe - Bulgaria is worth a serious conversation.
