With bases in Czech Republic and Slovenia Pavleye is known for its high-quality, collaborative approach to international photo and film production. In this interview, the team reflects on the qualities that shape a strong production, from local insight and trusted partnerships to the wider perspective needed to deliver work across borders.

Prague continues to attract major international clients. From your perspective, what makes it such a special and enduring production hub?

There are two key factors. Firstly, Prague offers highly skilled, experienced crews who have worked on large-scale international and Hollywood productions for years. Whether that’s commercials, feature films or TV series. This means they can handle even the most creatively or logistically demanding briefs, because they’ve likely done it before. Additionally, Prague benefits from a respected filmmaking tradition dating back to the 1930s, which establishes a strong production culture and deep technical expertise across all departments. So, you’ve got excellent people across the board, along with casting agents and a casting infrastructure capable of delivering world-class international-level casting. Lastly, the fees and broadcasting rights are still reasonable.

The other factor is production costs. Prague offers a very competitive cost structure, both in terms of crew rates and the wide variety of accessible locations. Prague is, quite literally, at the heart of Europe, which means it offers access to all the major cities, landscapes, sound stages or facilities a production could need.

Last but not least, Prague is a great city to spend time in! It’s culturally rich, inspiring, and beautiful, which is crucial to the overall experience. If you’re staying somewhere for days or weeks, you want to enjoy the environment around you.

Slovenia is still something of a hidden gem for many international clients. What first drew you to the country, and what did you see there before others fully recognised its potential?

For me, the main attraction was the locations and the people. It’s been on our radar for a while, largely for the variety of locations and landscapes within a relatively small territory. However, it all fell into place once I met our local production partners. In our company, we always place enormous value on the human aspect of production. We work with people first and foremost, so we are always looking for partners who are highly professional and, above all, honest in their approach. In Slovenia, I immediately felt that same mindset among the people we collaborate with, which made it clear to me that there’s a lot of untapped potential.

Slovenia offers a remarkable variety in a relatively small territory. What creative and logistical advantages does that give you when producing shoots there?‍

One of Slovenia’s biggest advantages is the diversity of landscapes within a very compact area. Within a short distance, you can move from alpine environments to lakes, forests, historic towns, or the Adriatic coast.

This allows productions to cover a wide range of visual looks in a relatively short time, significantly reducing travel time and production costs. For example, you can shoot in the Alps in the morning and be on the coast roughly an hour later.

At the same time, the success of these productions always depends on the people involved. We have amazing local partners, which allow us to truly maximise the country’s creative and logistical advantages. And last but not least is the budget, and how much more you can achieve with that money in Slovenia.

As a company working across several countries and internationally, how do you adapt your production approach from one market to another while keeping the same level of quality and attention to detail?

The key is choosing the right local partners and setting very clear production standards from the beginning. Every country has its own cultural, logistical, and regulatory differences, and understanding these nuances is essential.

At the same time, we manage projects through experienced international producers who maintain the same level of quality, structure, and attention to detail, regardless of location.

Most importantly, values and skills transcend borders. We’re very particular about the people we partner with and work with. Trust, honesty, and reliability are essential. Also, being nice and professional. These are all elements that remain, whether we’re producing in Slovenia, Prague or anywhere else.

On productions like KitKat, where you may be both representing the artist and managing the production side, how do you balance creative advocacy with budget responsibility?

It comes down to honesty and respectful communication with all parties involved. When everyone understands the creative ambition as well as the budget framework, it becomes much easier to find the right balance.

If the brief has strong creative potential, and people are excited, which was the case with this project, they are more willing to collaborate and bring their best ideas to make the collective vision work, even if the budget isn’t ideal.

It’s crucial to work with people who are not only highly skilled but also grounded, collaborative, honest, and passionate. That human quality is often what allows us to achieve more than what the budget alone would suggest.

In your view, what separates a good production from one that truly feels global in scope, ambition, and execution?

To me, a global production is not defined just by the scale of the client or the budget. It’s about how the project is approached and executed.

There are many subtle elements involved: how you communicate, how clearly you set expectations, how reliably you deliver on your promises, and how well you take care of the client, the crew, and the overall creative process. In our case, it is also about being genuine and somehow special in character. You need to get along on a personal level as well.Personal contact, professionalism, and genuine collaboration are absolutely essential. 

However, so is an understanding of the creative process. We’re a service production, but we also develop our own creative projects through Pavleye Art & Culture, collaborating closely with artists (photographers, directors, visual artists). All of this feeds into our approach. I believe that only when you truly understand the creative process and what the artist and the client are trying to achieve can you really support them. It allows us to think and work outside of the box. And for me, personally, it’s also about the passion and love for what you do.

Sustainability is becoming more important across the industry, but budgets are tightening while expectations continue to rise. Within that reality, what practical steps can production companies take to work more sustainably?

Sustainability often comes down to practical choices and clear production guidelines. Even simple measures can make a meaningful difference. For example, reducing single-use plastics on set, using refillable water systems, or working with local suppliers for catering, transport, and equipment whenever possible.

The challenge is that sustainability sometimes conflicts with very tight budget expectations. In many cases, the largest corporations are also the ones with the most demanding cost negotiations, making it more difficult to implement.

However, with thoughtful planning, responsible decision-making, and working with partners who share the same values, it is still possible to make meaningful steps toward more sustainable productions without compromising the quality of the work.

What benefits do you get from being a member of Production Paradise?

We have been a long-term partner of Production Paradise and appreciate their continuous development and commitment to improving the platform.

For companies like ours, visibility within the international creative community is extremely important. Production Paradise provides a strong platform where production companies, photographers, and creative professionals can connect and present their work to a global audience.

At the same time, the platform helps highlight the human side of the industry, bringing together professionals who value strong collaboration, professionalism, and integrity, which are principles we consider fundamental in our own work.

Thank you to Jozef and the Pavleye team for sharing your perspective with us. It was a pleasure to hear more about your approach, your values, and the thinking behind your work. View their member page to see more.

If you enjoyed this interview, discover more stories from our talented members here.