PROJECT: Shoot three 30-second spots with five international locations for Hewlett Packard's global campaign in just three weeks.

AGENCY: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Dektor Film

SOLUTION: Hollywood-based Dektor Film had just three weeks to shoot a global HP campaign for Goodby. "Traveling Garage," "Kids Are Inventors," and "Toaster" were shot on location in New York (Wall Street), China (The Forbidden City), France (Notre Dame), Prague and Egypt (The Pyramids).

Dektor producer Mark Siegel recalls shooting "Traveling Garage," a spot featuring a replica of the Palo Alto garage in which HP was born. Traveling ahead of the Dektor crew, art directors constructed garages in each location so as to illustrate the campaign's message: that HP has always been and will continue to be global.

Using production services companies in each country, the crew spent a few days prepping each shoot, and two days filming. "We traveled with our key crew; our camera crew, key grip, key gaffer, wardrobe department, and production assistant director," says Siegel.

"Moving so fast we needed to have an open communication so we took the crew that we work with every day in America. With such a tight schedule we needed people who knew exactly how (director/cameraman Leslie Dektor) lit and what he wanted."

Of all the locations, shooting at the Pyramids proved most challenging for the producer because of production policy ambiguity and government censorship.

"The government sends someone to sit on your set and watch every single thing that you do," says Siegel. "They have to approve the wardrobe and the casting. They have to approve everything that you do from a government standpoint because you're representing Egypt in advertising that is going out to the West."

Whereas Dektor Film had chosen the location for its authenticity, government officials were intent on presenting a "modern" Egypt.

"In Cairo we had painted a very large billboard of a toaster and (Dektor) wanted to film a herd of goats walking by and a camel," says Siegel. "They eventually allowed the camel, but it had to be filmed in a very specific manner and they wouldn't allow the traditional dress in the shot. They kept making us change people into western clothes."

"So they say no goats or sheep and we pull up to the location and there's a herd of sheep walking right by the bus," continues Siegel. "That's reality and they wouldn't let us film it."

Referring to the local official as "the censorship lady" Siegel describes a set in which lollipops and candies were distributed to the crew while they were prevented from filming particular shots. Furthermore, extras were repositioned by the censorship lady so as to place individuals clad in leather pants and mini-skirts in the foreground of the shot.

Kasreln-niel Films in Cairo was the production service company. While the shoot ran relatively smoothly, the constant haggling resulted in budgetary concerns.

"We found it very difficult to get accurate prices out of the Egyptian production service," says Siegel. "I think it's a cultural difference. I don't think anything costs what it's meant to cost, I think it changes with time to be honest. That was our experience."

The producer advises anyone heading to Egypt for a shoot to get a quote in writing and then expect it to grow two- even three-fold. "Our budget didn't triple but I could easily have seen it getting there."

Allocating ample prep time is equally important says Siegel. "Be as specific as you possibly can. The more specific (dotting every I and crossing every t) that you can be with the Egyptian government and production service, the better you will come out financially."

"I felt a lot of the time in Egypt, I didn't know what I was walking into," concludes Siegel. "We shot, did it all, and the budget kept going up. In every other country (the budget) came down."

"Egypt went up repeatedly. Things changed continually. But quite honestly, I have always wanted to go to Egypt."