Eurovision 2021: Postcards are almost complete

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 3,715 views

The filming of the 2021 Eurovision postcards is almost complete. The ESC 2021 crew has travelled throughout the Netherlands in order to film the postcards.

The Koppelpoort Medieval Gate in Amersfoort (Photo credit: eurovision.tv/ Stijn Smulders/EBU)

A total of 39 postcards have been filmed in thirty nine unique locations in the Netherlands, covering the country from east to west and north to south.

Gerben Bakker (Eurovision 2021 Head of Show) sheds more light on the filming of the postcards which is nearing its completion.

Gerben Bakker says:

I wanted us to showcase the most vibrant and unique locations our country has to offer. Somewhere like Veluwezoom is an impressive natural wonder, but we also wanted to show architecture and city life too.

Where possible we have tried to make a connection between the Eurovision artists and the location here in the Netherlands. So, for example, Montaigne from Australia is a soccer player, so we shot her postcard in the Sparta Rotterdam football stadium.

Go_A are all about nature and tradition, so we are here among the sheep, heathlands and sand drifts of our protected Veluwezoom National Park – one of the most beautiful places in the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcJ6CI_mGHI&t=9s

So far we some of the locations where the postcards have been filmed:

  • Westhoofd Lighthouse in Ouddorp
  • Evoluon in Eindhoven
  • The Natural Ice in Nannewiid
  • The Sparta Stadium in Rotterdam
  • Marker Wadden in the Markermeer
  • APM terminal Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam
  • Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam
  • The Market Square in Delft
  • The Veluwezoom National Park
  • The Koppelpoort Medieval Gate in Amersfoort

The concept behind the postcards

Schiphol Airport postcard (Photo credit: NPO/NOS/ AVROTROS)

Due to the current situation, it is currently not possible to have all participating artists travel to the Netherlands to record their postcard films. For this reason, it has been decided to introduce a new concept. With the latest digital techniques, the artists are visually presented in a tiny house.

The cottage is decorated according to the story and personality of the artist. In this way, all participating artists are presented to the public in a special place in the Netherlands.

Gerben Bakker (Eurovision Song Contest 2021 Head of Show) says:

Our country has so much to offer. We want to present the Netherlands as diverse as possible: from beautiful nature, architectural delights, to the most historic places. The selected locations all have a story and are cinematic to the eye.

Bakker adds:

Due to the COVID crisis, the house has become an even more important part of our lives. We now share everything via digital screens, directly from our living rooms with the rest of the world. The tiny house is therefore a symbol of the time in which we now live. The Eurovision Song Contest offers an open and warm home base for everyone.

Each postcard focuses on a so-called tiny house, which symbolizes the living room that has become such a central part of our lives last year. The participating artists are presented in this tiny house using the latest digital techniques. This house is decorated according to the story and the personality of the artist. In this way, all participating artists are presented to the public in a special place in the Netherlands.

The postcard videos are produced for the Eurovision Song Contest by IDTV.

The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam on 18, 20 and 22 May.

Source: AVROTROS/eurovision.tv
Cover photo: eurovision.tv/ Stijn Smulders/EBU