Halmark Europe: Alison Sweeini, Ashley Williams shares secrets

After decades of being in the ROM -com game, Hallmark Coordination of their movie To the science – but what happens when the stories take it out?

in Alison Sweeini and Ashley Williams2025 “Passport to Love” films To Barcelona with love and To Barcelona, ​​foreverThis is exactly what happened. Actresses, which appear in both films, traveled to Barcelona to shoot films and faced some obstacles along the way.

“There is a real look (f) of the Halmark movies,” I told Williams exclusively US weekly While promoting the successive June versions. “It was really important that we, although we were shooting in a different country, and the concept was a little bit outside the box, it was really important to be all this feeling and that he looked, walking and spoke like Holmark in a completely different location.”

She disturbed, “Halmark brought us to Spain, and we were like,” hello Spain, here is how things go. “

in To Barcelona with loveSweeney plays Erica, the American translator who lives in Barcelona, ​​responsible for translating Anna’s romantic novel (Williams). However, when Anna arrives in the city to promote the book, Erica admits that she has rewroved most of the conspiracy that leads to Shinigons and an impossible friendship among women.

To Barcelona, ​​forever It is the next step in the story, after more Anna’s journey after the writing disaster. “Anna has such a wonderful arc in the first movie. Then I think Springhara is in the bow for the second movie,” Sweeini said we.

While both films follow the Halmark protocol to find love through lost accidents and communications, how they were made were slightly different from most of the projects produced in Canada or the United States.

Pass down to see what it takes Halmark in Europe – And what is fake against what is real:

Is the photography window extended?

Halmark projects have a three -week narrow photography window, whether they shoot in the United States or Canada, where a lot of production is made. According to Sweeini, this timetable is the exact same time when Photography in Europe.

“The thing in what we was trying to do, like, severe, is that it is not like more time or anything additional,” Sweeini explained. “We were essentially trying to do the same thing we were doing at home, but in Spain. So there was a lot of moving parts for us.”

To make things more complicated, Sweeini said they photographed the two films at the same time using “Block Shooting”. “There were days when you were filming three scenes from the first movie and the two watching from the second movie.”

Local teams are a must

Instead of bringing a crew teaching them, Halmark hires the local population in their external productions. exit Ron Oliver I had to “teach the crew, which was a Spanish crew and did not do a Halmeg movie before, how the distinctive coverage looks”, ” Remember Williams. “You know what is the pace. Like, it’s completely different.”

Sweeney noted that everything from the photography style to the call papers has a “different style” that took time to adapt to the actor. Even with “increasing pain”, Soyini said that there is “excitement” and “enthusiasm” from the crew that positively affected the rest of the team.

Is there any closure on the roads for private scenes?

Throughout the two films based on Spain-and almost all other European features feature-local landmarks are shown with all its glory. While landmarks such as Sagrada Familia are often highlighted without many crowds, the actresses said they did not get anything Special treatment during the shooting.

“Usually when you imagine a movie like this, yes, you will have like an area that prevents it (prevent). They call it like” possessing it. ” weAnd they revealed that in Spain they had nothing to do for their crew and crew only.

Alison explained, “We cannot love, closing Los Ramblas, then renting 300 people, such as, additives,” Alison explained. For this reason, the director appointed 10 people to “stay close to the actors in the case of” recovery that they will match “and edited without problems.

Additions from the local population … for the largest part

Like the crew, Halmark is hired from the areas surrounding the costs. “We had some actors in the background, but we have most of the time what I started and referred to as” real human beings “, which was just a Spanish people,” Williams said.

She laughed, remembering the shooting in a market where “the Spanish people (was) to get their food for dinner that night, and they suddenly in the middle of our scene.” Williams pointed out, “It was partly, as you know, budget restrictions, but this means that we were able to bring the city’s vitality into the movie. Until you feel energy,” Williams pointed out.

Sweeney agreed, saying: “You see real people who really go to the market and really ask fish for dinner and pick up their olives and juice. This really happened everywhere around us.”

Where do the hair and makeup difference come from?

When Halmark movies are used in Canada The same external crewsIncluding hair and makeup. When in Europe, most of the team is from the same country, but Sweeini told we In this project, they managed to “arrange some of our own departments (to avoid).”

Sweeney makeup artist, who said she has worked with her since then The days of our lifeHe was one of the chosen few who made the trip. “I have done our makeup. I supervised our appearance,” she recalls. “Then the rest of the team was locally, so we had an amazing hairdresser from Barcelona. It was incredible and everyone was doing a beautiful job.”

Always wardrobe gambling

Since Williams and Sweeini Halmark positivesThey know the “majority” designers and fashion designers who are part of the network. But Williams said we When you don’t know fashion, it can be gambling.

“The first thing you do is go to install your wardrobe and never know if you are on the same page with them,” said Williams.

Sweeney has disturbed that she is “still scars of the 1990s”, so she “fears that things will not fit.” As a result, she loves to have a “look painting” that she creates with the fashion team in advance.

Fortunately for both, Williams wardrobe designer has long been able to come to Spain and play this part of the show. “I asked her if she would present us with a favor and wearing this movie, and she did so and changed the entire experience for both of us,” Williams shared.

Unlike most projects, actresses chose their wardrobe before flying to the site. “While I was sitting on the plane, learning my lines, and ordering it, I already knew what I was wearing, and it is not for me, and it is not usually going. So that was great.”

There is nothing like the taste test for the scenes of the food

First To Barcelona The movie, Williams, Anna, eating stalls are hesitant and trying as much local cuisine as possible. However, the places where they were eaten were not previously planned.

“They said, like,” hey, do you have any sensitivity? “Williams said about the experience on the move:” It is a good thing that I do not do. “We went up to the kiosks and said:” Can you be in this movie and do you want to be like the representative of the background and make me something from your kiosk? “As I was eaten in reality from their kiosks.

The budgets are small, but they are strong

To Barcelona with love It revolves around Sant Jordi Day Aka Saint George, a vacation in Spain that celebrates love with red roses and exchange of books. To stay within the budget limitsHalmark sent their representatives and managers to shoot the previous month of the real holiday.

“We designed (to fit). We had to be very careful with our budget, so we will find, like a little alleys that we could fill in these signs and signs,” Sweeini told. ” we How to earn their money go further. “This was just a genius, Ron Oliver was a genius to make him feel like a whole place (he was on vacation).”

She jokingly said that the locals were “somewhat confused” because they knew that the holiday was in April, not March, but they walked with the motifs. “It was really nice. Just as they were, and they loved that vacation,” Sweeini continued. “It was really fun to celebrate it twice that year.”

To Barcelona with love For the first time on Halmark channel on Saturday, June 7, at 8 pm East time with Part 2, To Barcelona, ​​forever The first offer on Saturday 14 June at 8 pm East time.