Overview
Betrand Caroy is a premier inspector and one of Belgium’s most famous people in law enforcement. With a fan club of 50k+ members on social media and intervention videos that amass 250k+ views on YouTube, Betrand Caroy’s reality series on RTL Belgium includes travel adventures documenting police work operations around the world. For viewers, it is an opportunity to see what happens in law enforcement across different countries and cultures.
When the reality TV show arrived in Romania, OVNI MEDIA required a local production crew to support with crew management, filming permits in Romania, equipment, additional logistics, and more. Our team’s role was to streamline all processes, including securing collaboration with the Romanian Police. Our job was to ensure end-to-end production support across several regional locations.
The brief
The video production involved access to real-life Romanian police officials across several locations. Our local crews had to coordinate with multiple police units in Bucharest, the town of Campina, and the Danube Delta. Furthermore, we had to manage filming permits while making sure unpredictable events and last-minute changes don’t impact delivery.
Services we provided:
- End-to-end video production support
- Filming permits across different Bucharest filming locations, the A2 Highway, Campina, the Danube Delta
- Direct project collaboration & coordination with the Romanian Police, the Border Police, and the Special Forces Unit.
- Film crew management on-site across all filming spots, ensuring seamless on-the-ground operations.
Challenges & how we addressed them
Police cooperation & filming permits
The main challenge was not logistical, but rather institutional. Working with police officials on filming a reality TV show was a task that required negotiation skills, navigating bureaucracy, and building trust. Thankfully, our strategy was straightforward. We placed our bets on cultivating relationships, showing professionalism, and demonstrating that we have a shared goal – to tell an honest story about the hard work behind Romanian law enforcement. Every element of the production was handled with respect, from start to end, and as a result, our local fixer in Romania secured all permits at no production costs to us or the client.
Filming across dynamic & volatile locations
In theory, working with active police forces seems fun and exhilarating. In practice, it calls for preparation, patience, and discipline. It is a fast-paced environment, meaning our crews had to be prepared for plans to change without warning. The main challenge was managing shifting schedules, cancelled operations, and finding solutions in difficult situations. An activity worth mentioning was aerial shooting from a BlackHawk helicopter, which was used to capture the Border Police on active duty on the boats of the Danube Delta. On land, we benefited from support from the Special Forces Unit.
Takeaways from filming in Romania with law enforcement officials
Every type of video production project comes with its fair share of unpredictability. As local experts, our teams are trained to expect the unexpected. On set, the rule of thumb is to have the flexibility to adapt in every situation. Navigating permits is one thing, but traveling with expensive equipment on a boat across the delta is something else entirely.
In conclusion, we managed to deliver impactful shots for Bertrand Caroy’s series thanks to our ambitious production teams, who were always open to implementing new ideas, taking risks, and collaborating seamlessly with law enforcement officials to deliver results that lived up to the client’s expectations.
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