So your creative teams have handed you three scripts for global recruitment site Monster.com, all of which need to be shot at the same time. Three A-list directors separately come back with expansive, technically complex treatments with large talent requirements. MJZ director Nicolai Fuglsig's "Daybreak" calls for a suburban idyll. Fellow MJZer Rupert Sanders' "Legs" requires a Tim Burton-esque town, while Gorgeous' Frank Budgen, with "Slots", covers one man's commute through a bustling urban metropolis. And, as it happens, all three directors want to shoot in Argentina. If it sounds like a massive undertaking for even the most seasoned producer, spare a thought for BBDO, New York senior producers Anthony Curti, Ed Zazzera and Jeff Beverly. "There was a lot of pre-production, juggling and pushing," sighs Curti.

The most immediate worry was the large, multi-ethnic talent requirement - over 500 for "Daybreak", and around 250 for "Slots" - and the possible casting crossovers. Then there was the potential strain on the local equipment house and service company crews. In the event, their worst fears proved unfounded: as shoot days were locked down, the three shoots slipped into three distinct units that didn't overlap. As for the service companies, Pioneer handled "Daybreak" and "Slots" while Benito Cine took on "Legs".

Argentina's versatility of locations and its highly experienced service infrastructure fulfilled the shoots' demanding and varied needs completely, says Zazzera. Buenos Aires' picturesque anonymity made it ideal for "Slots", and similarly the 'Anywheresville' quality of suburban Tandil, four hours outside of Buenos Aires, was perfect for "Daybreak". Conversely, the unique, fantastical character of Campanopolis, an uninhabited show town built of demolished iconic buildings by a local tycoon was, says Sanders' producer Laurie Boccaccio, "almost like the copywriter of ['Legs'] had been to the location."

"Normally everybody comes to Argentina to double a specific location or because of talent," says Benito Cine EP Georgos Nicolaides of unearthing Campanopolis. "But Rupert and his production designer John Beard went very deep inside Buenos Aires and discovered a very special location."

Talent-wise, buyouts proved substantially cheaper than either the US or Europe, says Alicia Roberts, Budgen's producer, with enough principal actors for each shoot. While location permits prevented a four-day shoot in any one location, Roberts says this was outweighed by the professionalism of Pioneer, the service team for her shoot.

"The three jobs in Argentina were huge," sums up Zazzera. "It's pretty amazing it all got done."

BBDO http://www.bbdo.com
Benito Cine http://www.benitocine.com
Pioneer Productions http://www.pioneerproductions.com.ar
MJZ http://www.mjz.com