Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot in the Dolomites
I don't know about you, but often when we look at social media or magazines, we tend to only see the magnificent photos and most of the time we forget everything that goes on behind the scenes.
Through this article, I will tell you about the behind-the-scenes of my latest Moustache photo shoot in the Dolomites for the launch of GAME 2022.
Before releasing a video, there's a long phase of preparation and reflection. You have to find the right idea and imagine a story to best convey the world of a bike. Once the concept is defined, we tirelessly search for the best spot, crossing our fingers that the weather will cooperate and that there won't be any surprises on D-Day...
Once there, that's when things get serious! Nothing should be left to chance because every detail is important, otherwise you might have to spend hours in post-production or, worse, not be able to use an image due to an awkward grimace or dust on the lens... A shoot involves hours of filming and photographing, often with many takes for the riders, all while constantly keeping a smile (Andreas is very good at that :D). In short, there's always a bit of stress and fatigue, but the final result is worth it.
If you don't know the GAME, it's Moustache's most aggressive MTB model with 170mm of travel; this bike is designed to shred. This year sees the arrival of a new 750 Wh battery that adds 20% more range. Enough to extend the joy of riding! The idea is to show the bike's potential, which can take you to the top of any mountain, to ride until nightfall without having to stop (to recharge the bike's battery, at least).
For the first time since Moustache's beginnings, we wanted to venture outside France for a shoot. Not that we're tired of our Vosges playground, but opening up to new horizons feels good after these periods of lockdown. Among the destinations we considered were the mythical Dolomites.
Who better to discuss it with than Andreas Tonelli and Werner Ebner, both Moustache ambassadors and mountain guides. They know this region like the back of their hand! A few email exchanges and several video calls later, the trip is planned, and the list of spots for shooting is ready, perfetto.
Now that the final details are validated, the date set, all that's left is to take care of the logistics to be ready in 4 weeks...
D-DAY
Let's go! It's time for five busy days!
On Friday morning, at 6 AM, the van is loaded with all the gear. I hit the road towards Neuligen (GE) to pick up Manuel Sulzer our photographer, and join the rest of the team at base camp in Val Gardena (IT). Mathieu Echeverri, our cameraman, travels from Nice (FR), while Andreas and Werner will meet us directly from their homes tomorrow morning. It's a bit of logistics, but we're far from Hollywood productions; generally, on this type of project, we work in a small team because we move around a lot by bike, so you need to be able to ride a bit. After a good Italian pizza, it's time to go to bed; serious business starts tomorrow!
SATURDAY
Andreas and Werner join the team for breakfast. Day's program: shoot the 5 bikes statically in the fabulous setting of the Dolomites.
On paper, it's not the most complicated part, yet it can quickly take hours just to find a flat spot (it's easier in the Netherlands...). Let's be honest, spending a good part of the day on static photos isn't the most exciting part, so let's move straight to the riding!
SUNDAY
The group meets in the parking lot at 5 AM to take a shuttle to a spot high up in the mountains and capture the sunrise. Our driver drops us off at the foot of the slopes; we finish the ascent on bikes, which helps warm us up a bit because the thermometer is below zero and the wind is freezing. At 6:30 AM, the sun peeks out. We take some shots on the ridges, enjoying the light and the panorama unfolding before us – the kind of spectacle that's worth getting out of bed for, even very early!
We then tackle a small singletrack that descends through pastures, where we film technical sections. Our two locals quickly got the hang of the bikes, and they ride hard through the scree fields. That day, we moved from spot to spot, until we reached a refuge that looked straight out of an outdoor travel magazine cover!
We stop for a few minutes at the small chalet for a snack break and a traditional cappuccino before heading out to ride again until mid-afternoon.
MONDAY
Tonight, the team plans to sleep in a mountain hut at 2575m, which means it's best not to be a sleepwalker... The plan is to arrive up there by nightfall to shoot some night images before getting up with the sun! The day will be long, but we're all looking forward to reaching our next destination because the place described by Andreas and Werner sounds simply magical. We ride all morning with the guys until interrupted by a big thunderstorm.
In the late afternoon, the ultimate reward appears in the distance, perched high atop the mountain. The fog blanket, pierced by the sun's rays, reveals the valley stretching out beneath our feet/wheels. A small detail: dinner in the hut is served at a fixed time, so if we don't want to eat cold, we mustn't keep the chef waiting... With the guys, we decide to shoot images between the main course and dessert because the sunset doesn't wait either. At nightfall, we finally eat our share of strudel, one of the region's must-tries. This cinnamon-scented pastry with a filling of chopped apples and dried fruits is part of Austria's heritage. The double culture is very present in the Dolomites, which even belonged to Austria until 1919 – a little general culture aside. We return to our dormitory, which reminds me of youth hostels! Hoping no one on the team snores too loudly...
TUESDAY
This morning, the group wakes up early again hoping to catch the sunrise, but unfortunately, we have an overcast sky... No matter, the scenery is still breathtaking. On the edge of the void, we decide to take some drone shots to capture this extraordinary panorama and start our descent. The idea is to ride as much as possible before 11 AM because with the lifts open, the trails are then besieged by hikers. After a brief detour via the unmissable Cinque Torre, we rejoin the bottom of the resort from where we started the day before.
We already have quite a few riding shots on technical and rocky trails; ideally, I'd like to film some smoother paths to have a different environment. Andreas and Werner therefore decide to go to a new spot less frequented by hikers, with softer dirt trails – bingo! So we take the road to Cortina D’Ampezzo and set off to discover these new tracks. On these really flowy trails, the guys have a blast and completely let go of the brakes. Everyone is having fun because even though we're here for work, our job still has some very good sides... :)
As the afternoon draws to a close, it's time to return to Val Gardena for the last evening in Italy. No excesses, though, because a 10-hour drive awaits us tomorrow to get back to the office... We're exhausted, but the job is done, and it was still pretty cool.
On the way back, Manuel and I review some photos from the shoot, and we're sure of one thing: it was totally worth it! These first photos are stunning and truly make you want to ride a bike. We hope it's the same for you... ;-{D
