Journal

Behind the work5 min read

For Betty Barclay's fragrance campaign Dream Away, German production company Palladium Film was looking for wide open nature, light and a sense of freedom. We found it in the dunes of Schoorl in North Holland, and shot the whole film there in one day.

A woman in a pink dress holds a cloud of pink balloons on top of a dune in Schoorl

Why Schoorl

Endless horizons, without the crowds of a beach in high summer.

The dunes of Schoorl are some of the highest in the Netherlands. They roll on for kilometres, with sand, grass and pine forest side by side and the North Sea just behind them. And it is less than an hour from Amsterdam, so the crew could stay in the city.

A woman lifts a cloud of pink balloons against the low sun over the sea

Protected nature

Sand looks forgiving.

The dunes are a protected nature area managed by Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch forestry service. That means a separate permit, clear agreements on where you may walk, drive and set up, and respect for plants and wildlife.

But footprints, tyre tracks and equipment cases leave marks that show up in the next shot. We planned walking routes and set up points in advance, so every take still looked untouched.

A bottle of Dream Away stands in rippled sand in front of pink balloons

One day, one chance

With one shoot day, there is no second try. That means preparation:

  1. 01

    A scout with the director in the days before, at the same time of day as the shoot.

  2. 02

    A schedule built around the sun, so the key shots get the best light.

  3. 03

    Short lines on set: base camp at the edge of the dunes, only what is needed carried in.

  4. 04

    A weather plan, because the Dutch coast can change within the hour.

Working for a German production company

You arrive, and everything is ready.

The model in a pink dress holds a bottle of Dream Away between pink balloons

Palladium Film brought their creative team and vision. We took care of everything on the ground: local crew, locations, permits and logistics. For a visiting production that is the whole point of a service production company.

The result

Dream Away captures Betty Barclay as she is: elegant, natural and contemporary, in one of the most striking landscapes of the Netherlands.

The model floats through the air in a pink dress, surrounded by balloons
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Next step

Looking for dunes, beaches or open landscapes?

The Dutch coast runs for more than 250 km, from the dunes of Zeeland to the Wadden islands. We know where to go and who to ask for permission.

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