There is a special place in the mountains of Andalusia. While the nearby coast is often covered in clouds or sea fog, the sky here – less than ten kilometers from Málaga airport – is bright blue 300 days a year. Set amidst a mountain range, Calvert Studios’ 400-acre private property is secluded, protected from prying eyes.
From concept to reality
The team of Opel marketing specialists, photographers and creative people retreated here in February to create the iconic key visuals. The motifs and moving images that accompanied the world premiere of the new Opel Grandland at the end of April. These are the first pictures that the public has seen of the Rüsselsheim flagship SUV, a car that brings the design ideas of the Opel Experimental concept car to serial production life.
In order to capture the clearly structured and flowing design of the flagship SUV designed and engineered in Rüsselsheim, the marketing and social media team relies on the skills of Frederic Schlosser. The Frankfurt photographer knows how to capture light and proportions and perfect the interaction between the vehicle and its surroundings.
Digital perfection and craftsmanship
Frederic Schlosser already drew attention to his photographic talent as a student. Today the 30-year-old is one of the most renowned car photographers in the world. He has a long-standing, trusting partnership with Opel. In addition to digital perfection, the photographer also relies on real craftsmanship: the copper-colored foil that he drapes over the headlights ensures that the launch color “Impact Copper” of the top-of-the-line SUV is authentically shown off in the final shots.
The location of the shoot is as spectacular as it is surreal. The white backdrop against which the flagship SUV can be seen in the photos was not created in post-production on the computer. It’s real. The so-called daylight studio on the site is a 17 by 35 meter pool. Six-meter-high walls line the area. Everything in pristine white. The first photos of the Opel Astra and Opel Corsa were also taken against this extraordinary backdrop.
Long days in the pool
These are long, tiring days for everyone involved. It’s cold in the morning, but by midday it’s already hot in the pool, even in February. But the team spirit is right. While Frederic Schlosser perfects the photo motifs, the film crew from the Munich film production Inmotion captures the moving footage. The model Justin Pezzoni, elegantly dressed in black, moves gracefully in front of the camera lens and takes a seat behind the steering wheel. All work, settings and details are meticulously orchestrated by those responsible at the creative agency Jung von Matt, the lead agency for Opel since 2023.
And when the sun disappears behind the mountain range, the work is far from finished. The light of dusk is the perfect backdrop to showcase the 3D Vizor with the Opel Blitz illuminated for the first time. Likewise, the innovative Intelli-Lux Pixel HD lighting system with 51,200 light elements. The iconic shots that Opel released for the world premiere, which have already been published thousands of times in magazines and websites around the world, mark just the beginning.
First pictures go around the world
The key visuals, which were created in southern Spain, will accompany the market launch of the newcomer over the coming months. More shots and details will follow – especially dynamic driving shots. With the second generation of the Grandland, Opel is not only bringing an attractive and elegant flagship SUV onto the market. The car manufacturer is keeping a promise: every vehicle with Blitz is now available with an electric drive.
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GRAND news: The moving images and photo motifs created in southern Spain accompany the world premiere of the all-new Grandland.
May 2024
Photos: Christoph Adam