Paris, unlocked.

Shooting Locations in France

From Paris to the Alps

One country,
every
backdrop.

France packs more looks into one country than almost anywhere in Europe: a capital that has been on screen for a century, royal châteaux and forests an hour away, Mediterranean light, Alpine peaks and wild Atlantic beaches, most of them within a few hours of Paris by train. Here is an overview of what France has to offer, and where we’ve already shot. Wherever you shoot, we work with trusted local crews who know the region.

FRANCE CAN PLAY ANYWHERE

Your story doesn’t have to be set in France to be shot here. The Alps can stand in for Switzerland, Canada or the Rockies, Provence and the Riviera for Italy or California, La Défense for any business district in the world, and the industrial towns of the North for Brooklyn or Manchester. One country, one crew, one set of rules, and a whole world of looks.

PARIS

Haussmann boulevards and rooftops, bridges over the Seine, grand apartments, palaces and museums, but also concrete estates, brutalist architecture and 24-hour neighbourhoods. The icons are negotiated site by site; the best addresses are often private and never listed anywhere. We’ve filmed in a gilded palace gallery for Riot Games, in La Dalle for Louis Vuitton and under the glass roof of the Grand Palais for Rahim Redcar.

Parisian rooftops and Haussmann buildings at golden hour – Valorant Champions Paris

AROUND PARIS

Within an hour or two: royal châteaux, private estates, hunting lodges hidden in the forest, riverside villages and modern studios. Perfect when the brief says “Paris” but the shoot needs space, calm or control. For EA SPORTS FC 27, we shot in Napoleon’s former hunting lodge, deep in the Yvelines forest.

Grand salon of Napoleon’s former hunting lodge in the Yvelines forest – EA SPORTS FC 27, Barcola x Hunter

NORMANDY AND BRITTANY

White cliffs, endless beaches with huge tides, half-timbered towns and moody skies. Normandy’s coast is within easy reach of Paris for a day of exteriors.

THE RIVIERA AND MONACO

Mediterranean light, belle époque villas from Nice to Cannes, hairpin coastal roads, yachts and harbours: the natural home of luxury, fashion and automotive shoots. We handled production services for a photo shoot with Lewis Hamilton for Puma in Monaco.

Lewis Hamilton in a Puma jacket, black-and-white portrait – Monaco

PROVENCE

Lavender fields, olive groves, stone villages and ochre cliffs. Lavender blooms from around mid-June to late July: plan early, everyone wants it. Further south, Marseille adds the calanques, the open sea and raw urban textures.

THE ALPS

Snow from winter to spring, green pastures and lakes in summer, dramatic peaks all year round. Lyon, with its Renaissance old town and contemporary architecture, is the region’s urban alternative. We shot a campaign for Buff in the Beaufortain.

Production of the Buff photo shoot in the Alps.

THE ATLANTIC COAST

Surf beaches, the giant dunes near Arcachon, vineyards around Bordeaux and the Basque Country’s green hills.

AND WHEN THE LOCATION DOESN’T EXIST

Paris has world-class film and photo studios, from daylight studios to vast soundstages, and a backlot that recreates the city’s streets. For the rest, our network of partner studios opens the door to virtual production.

HOW BLOOM HELPS

We scout, secure and permit locations all over France, from public landmarks to private properties you won’t find in any catalogue. Send us your moodboard: we’ll come back with real places, real options and a realistic plan.

See how we work on commercials, music videos and fashion and luxury shoots, and read our guide to filming in Paris.