The document discusses the Spanish television series Money Heist (La casa de papel). It describes how the show traces two elaborate heists led by the Professor and carried out by a criminal gang. It captures viewers worldwide through its character development, natural dialogue, and impressive performances. The show was unique and did well despite initial bad reviews. It had an excellent international cast and creativity from its directors and screenwriters. The interior scenes were filmed in Madrid's old Royal Mint building while exterior shots used a specially constructed set near Barcelona.

1. How Money Heist Captured the Hearts of Viewers Worldwide
La casa de papel (English: Money Heist) is an award-winning Spanish
heist television series created by Álex Pina and directed by Alberto
Rodriguez and David Schächter. The series traces two long-prepared
heists led by the Professor (Álvaro Morte), one on the Royal Mint of
Spain, and the other on the Bank of Spain, carried out by an organized
crime gang and their hostages, which include police officers, security
guards, and politicians.
A heartwarming story about teamwork
The series, which is known in English as The House of Paper and tells
the story of a group of people that manage to steal 14 million euros

2. from the Royal Mint of Spain, has captivated viewers worldwide. It's no
surprise considering the series' superb acting and character
development, which not only makes viewers empathize with the people
involved but also root for them. While some may prefer shorter
episodes in their TV shows nowadays, there's something immensely
satisfying about watching characters develop before your eyes over the
course of an entire season. Even though each episode follows a
different character's point-of-view (or perspective), fans found
themselves enthralled with all stories nonetheless. This is thanks to
very natural dialogue between characters and impressive performance
by actors in every role they played.
A show like no other
Usually, if a show doesn’t get off to a strong start in the ratings, it’s
swiftly canceled by the network. However, sometimes a television
program has something so unique about it that it captivates audiences
and does quite well despite bad reviews from critics. One example is
the crime drama La Casa de Papel, or The House of Paper in English
(though its original title is more meaningful). The first season follows
two professional criminals who lead two different heists, one on the
Royal Mint of Spain and another at an undisclosed location. Each
episode brings viewers deeper into their operation as they plan these
operations with help from a team of people who have been planning
them for several years beforehand.
An excellent cast with universal appeal
It doesn’t take a genius to know that casting for the lead roles in a heist
movie is important, but few could have foreseen the global appeal that

3. Álex Pina managed to secure with the two main characters. For
Professor and The Woman, Pina found just the right actor and actress:
Alberto Ammann and Nadia de Santiago, both relatively unknown
actors whose on-screen chemistry somehow manages to work like
clockwork. And if you’re not convinced yet—both actors are supported
by an incredibly talented cast, many of whom have gone on to land
major Hollywood roles since their inclusion in La casa de papel.
Creativity from the directors and screenwriters
The show stars Álvaro Morte, Belén Rueda, Imanol Arias, Yon González
and María Valverde. It was written by three screenwriters and directed
by two directors. Each episode has been coordinated by a different
director: Cesc Gay for the first two episodes, Sandra Hernández for the
third one, Carlos Marques-Marcet for the fourth one, José Luis Escolar
for the fifth one, Paco Leon and Sergio Andrés as co-directors of the
sixth one and Carlos Sedes directing himself in a seventh episode along
with Javier Fesser. The other six were directed by Alberto Rodríguez.
Daring filming techniques
The interior scenes were filmed in the old Royal Mint building located in
Madrid, while all exteriors were shot in a specially-constructed set near
Barcelona. There, the crew built an entire city block of fake apartment
buildings and businesses that served as a facade for the real building:
the actual Casa de la Moneda. The two sets are indistinguishable from
one another, making it hard to tell where the set ends and reality
begins.

4. Never boring viewers even for a moment
Keeping the viewer hooked with an interesting plot is no easy feat.
After all, not every storyline keeps people watching; anyone who has
ever had to sit through the final season of a show knows how quickly
things can get stale if the story isn’t up to par. In Money Heist, viewers
are never bored—in fact, they’re always eager for what’s coming next.
The writers and producers behind the series have done a remarkable
job creating stories that evolve from one episode to the next but still
keep you interested as you follow a new scene. It helps that each
character has their own part in the heist—and you want each person to
succeed on his or her own terms.
Film inspired Alex Piña to make money heist
The first time that Alex Pina had heard about heists was in one of his
favorite movies, and it was all downhill from there. Growing up with a
criminal lawyer father, Pina developed an affinity for bank robbery
stories early on in life. But it wasn’t until he watched Heat that he
realized just how much he liked them. He immediately thought of
robbing banks after seeing Al Pacino disguise himself as a delivery man
to gain access to a bank, even though that part didn’t make sense to
him at first. Then years later when a friend told him about Breaking Bad
and said they robbed banks on TV now, Pina couldn’t believe it — but
immediately wanted to see what other television shows were out there
like it.
The Professor's Master Plan: How La casa de papel Pulled Off
the Biggest Heist in TV History

5. Looking back on 2017, it’s hard to argue that any other show
made as big of an impact as La casa de papel (Money Heist).
The Spanish heist drama premiered in May on Netflix and later
became the first non-English language show to receive an Emmy
nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. The worldwide
success of the show shouldn’t come as much of a surprise —
especially when you consider just how intricate this series was
from top to bottom.
A team of experts
That being said, it’s no surprise that two of the biggest names
behind the show are Álex Pina and Álvaro Morte, who worked
together on Money Heist before teaming up with Netflix to create
The Professors master plan. Knowing what went into their first
project provides some context for their follow-up heist. Still, it
takes a lot of people to put together something like The House of
Paper.
Planning every detail
What made the show so successful, however, was its meticulous
preparation. The most notable heist—the one at the Royal Mint
of Spain—came with a three-year period of planning and
execution. Before production began on season one, producers
mapped out each episode’s events and how they would tie into
an overarching master plan. Once filming started, they began to
leave Easter eggs that would be important to later seasons. For
example, before the first robbery even occurs, characters are
seen putting on latex gloves during dialogue scenes.

6. A grandiose scale
Over the course of several episodes, the Professor has
meticulously executed a master plan to steal more than €20
million worth of gold bullion from the Royal Mint. The operation
has been building up slowly, like a grandiose production; every
detail perfectly planned and orchestrated. From The House of
Paper being constructed right outside the Royal Mint—
presumably so that he could watch it and wait for the perfect time
to strike—to using homemade body armor to thwart gunshots
from policemen who came to stop him, there are few things
about which his crew hasn't thought ahead. The long-term
planning is an integral part of what makes The House of Paper
so riveting. Everything feels planned with military precision;
nothing seems arbitrary or left up to chance.
An unlimited budget
Let’s be honest—La casa de papel is a fictional show. The Royal
Mint of Spain doesn’t print large sheets of one-euro bills, and it
would take an insane amount of time to count up that much cash.
But we should give credit where credit is due: Show creators
Álex Pina and Javier Mendías created an incredible heist for
their characters, with unlimited funds to work with. The best part?
Because it was fiction, they could get away with anything—
literally!
An elaborate way to hide money
Money is dirty. But not everyone thinks that money is dirty
enough to be laundered, let alone stolen. That’s what makes La
Casa de Papel—the House of Paper—such a surprise hit. The

7. Spanish heist drama follows a small group of criminals as they
plot to steal 2 billion euros (roughly $2.5 billion) from a Royal
Mint facility in Madrid and fly off into the sunset with their
treasure.
Unanimous teamwork
One of a trio of movies Álex Pina has directed for Antena 3’s
most successful franchise, Money Heist centers on one of its
best known characters, The Professor (Álvaro Morte), and his
crew’s biggest heist yet. We chose to work with Antena 3
because they gave us freedom and confidence to innovate, says
Pina. They allowed us to bet big—not only on a creative level but
also on an economic level. This is very rare in Spanish
television. With them we could take risks that we would not have
been able to take with other broadcasters.
An exit strategy
The Professor has been planning his heist for years, but not
without a backup plan. If everything goes according to plan (and,
even then, there are surprises), he and his team should be able
to walk away with millions of euros. But if they get caught or
things don't go as planned? They'll need an out — some way to
end it all on their own terms. In short, they need an exit strategy.
Chapter 1 - Planning
Álvaro Morte is a meticulous planner. The first step to success is
being methodical and exacting, which is why it took him two
years to plan the Royal Mint heist. Morte required top-of-the-line
planning tools and technology to pull off the theft. As you begin

8. your own business, it’s important to be methodical and exacting,
too. Just as with Álvaro Morte, there are many tools available at
low or no cost to help you achieve your goals (such as software,
apps and websites). Once you have those tools at your disposal,
use them frequently throughout the duration of your business—
and don’t stop just because you launch!
Chapter 2 - Execution
The story of the team behind the series’ biggest theft, The House
of Paper, begins in 2014. In an office building near Madrid’s
Atocha train station, a group led by Álex Pina—an executive
producer who had previously produced the Spanish version of
Prison Break—met to discuss a new show. The general premise:
A robbery so grandiose it could never be pulled off by real
criminals. They envisioned a cast of eccentrics and oddballs who
must pull off the heist with little more than their wits and will
power to succeed...and perhaps some unexpected outside help
along the way.
Chapter 3 - Next Steps
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