Behind the Lens: On-Location in The Azores
Travel with our team on-location for a behind-the-scenes look at our latest campaign! Get an exclusive glimpse into our storytelling process, discover some of our experiences ‘behind the lens,’ and learn more about the incredible people and destinations that we’ve gotten to explore.
Destination: Azores, Portugal
The Azores has been leading the charge in Portugal to fully embrace sustainability practices in all economic sectors of the region, including tourism. The Government of the Azores has implemented a Sustainability Charter to support the goals of the UNSDGs/2030 and to address issues critical to life on an island archipelago. Using community-led tools, leaders, education, and hands-on workshops, the Azores makes the case for businesses and organizations to embrace sustainable practices. Working under the Government of the Azores and the Regional Secretariat of Tourism, the Azores DMO’s primary function is to coordinate sustainability initiatives that will act as a stimulus for the development of sustainable tourism with public and private sector partners.
GLP’s video campaign will seek to draw responsible travelers to the Azores by highlighting the archipelago’s gastro and adventure tourism offerings, as well as by connecting viewers to the island’s cultural practices and demonstrating travelers’ role to make a positive contribution to the local community. Our head of production, Matt Weatherly, recounts his experience during GLP's filming expedition in November 2022:
Photo by GLP Films. A vineyard on Pico with the stone walls protecting the plants.
“I always find some degree of enjoyment in the destinations that we film, but sometimes I’m surprised by how well we connect with them. With our trip to the Azores, we immediately had a rocky start because of a weather delay while trying to fly out of Terceira to São Jorge. Dealing with schedule changes is part of the process, but here we were set back nearly a day. So in my mind, I was preparing for some long and stressful make-up days ahead.
Photo by GLP Films.
However, that stress never materialized. We quickly learned that Azoreans are masters of rolling with the punches. Since they are situated on small islands in the North Atlantic, they really have to be. It’s evident in the attitudes of the locals living there, and throughout the architecture, like seeing the tightly packed stone walls on Pico, to protect their vineyards from saltwater spray.
Photo by GLP Films.
I thought about how often elements are out of our control when trying to film a story, but for these guys, it’s just another day at the office. On São Jorge, our guides Dina and Jorge were constantly re-routing, re-organizing, and making adjustments. Thanks to their efforts, we filmed some incredibly beautiful scenery, ranging from rolling fog burning off into a bright sunrise, to impossibly high flowing waterfalls emerging from the lush green forests. Similarly on Pico, our guide Claudia was able to shift quickly and effortlessly to put us in the best position to capture the essence of the island.
We’re used to filming material on the fly, and trying to capture compelling footage no matter what situation arises, but our friends in the Azores are the experts on making the best of it. This resilience is embedded in them, through generations of hard work and dedication to make a meaningful and thriving life on these incredible islands.”
Interested in working with GLP's award-winning team to help tell your destination's story? Reach out to us here.