House Hunting on Camera

Adrian with contributors Daryl & AngelaYesterday and today I’ve been in the midst of filming yet another House Hunters International TV episode — the 20th since the first one as long ago as 2006. This episode is devoted to renovation and is planned to be a ‘double’ episode. The first part will be devoted to the “contributor” (the subject of the show) visiting three properties from which he will choose to purchase. The second part will focus on the renovation process of the property.

The contributor is a long time friend of Parler Paris who has wanted to have his own “pied-à-terre” in Paris for years, but was always hesitant and a bit reluctant. Then one day, he woke up realizing that life is short and decided to ‘take the plunge’ and make it happen. Now, it’s happening for real…as well as on camera.

It’s obvious HGTV’s House Hunters International has a broad and loyal audience. No doubt it’s so fun to see how other people live in places around the world. Since living in Paris (and other parts of France) is what we Americans in Paris think of as the Number One American Dream (if that’s true, we can’t be sure, but it seems to be), the shows that take place in France are particularly popular among Francophiles.

Crew in the “Can”Filming the shows is fun, even if tiring. Yesterday started at 7 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m. with a lunch break in between. The weather was cold and clammy all day long making the outdoor scenes difficult without turning our lips blue. But the ‘show must go on’ and it does with limited time and resources to put together one episode.

The crew is lean and the equipment is getting more compact all the time. The newest video cameras are small and light, yet of a very high quality. The ability to be portable and still get a professional result is increasingly easier for the crews, who often come from the U.K. This time, however, they came directly via Paris, except for the director with whom I have worked before.

Yesterday’s filming took place in a 17th-century building on the Left Bank with beautiful wood beams supporting the very high ceilings. The apartment had great ‘bones,’ but needed a ton of renovation — in fact, floor to ceiling and wall to wall — perfect as a subject for the show. Others the contributors will see today fit a similar profile, with more or less needed to bring them up to snuff.

Adrian Micing Up for the sceneOne of the things I like most about the process of filming the episodes is that when we are doing our parts to recreate the story in front of the camera, it means being absolutely ‘present’ in that moment. Nothing else matters. So, regardless of what negative thing is going on in our lives, at that moment they are non existent. All we’re thinking about is taking direction and reliving a particular past. And best of all, while we’re doing it, we’re experiencing Paris…or other great place where we might be filming that day.

When the show will air, we will never know. It take time for the editors to produce the final result and for the network to schedule the airing. If you’re a fan of House Hunters International and want to stay up on when our shows air next, visit our House Hunters International page or follow us on Facebook.

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds

Editor, Parler Paris & The Adrian Leeds Group

(From HHI episode “Finding Happiness in Paris”)

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P.S. Own a fraction of an elegant studio on Ile de la Cité in the center of Paris.”Le Notre Dame” has been entirely restored to include its original centuries-old wood beams, fireplace and antique touches. There are only a few shares left — visit Le Notre Dame for more information.