Behind the Eurovision Song Contest Postcards
On May 17th, 166 million viewers watched the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) and the 37 films that introduced the different acts in between.
Winning the pitch and getting the green light in December 2024, the production company Dynamic Frame had only two and a half months to shoot all of the short films, also known as postcards, before post-production started. “It was amazing but crazy mayhem to plan this project,” says executive producer and partner Luzius Fischer.
When the Swiss singer Nemo won Eurovision in 2024, it was confirmed that the next ESC would take place in Switzerland. “It's funny because we had dinner with one of the two creative directors, Jen, in the fall last year and were chatting about Eurovision. She was saying maybe some project will come from this.” He initially didn’t think it was likely, but they got invited to pitch for the project two months later. “Working on something that means so much to people and brings people together is amazing.”
The 69th Contest, staged in Basel, Switzerland, reached more than 166 million people across 37 public service media markets and increased its viewership by three million more viewers compared to 2024. Since the first ESC in 1956, the Contest has built up cultural significance. A 2023 Brand Impact Report called Eurovision the most popular non-sport event, generating €795 million.
Ultimately, they produced 37 45-second short films introducing the artists before their live performances. The shootings took place at a variety of locations all across Switzerland: from the snow-capped peaks around Matterhorn to small village squares, and surprising everyday settings. Additional Swiss ambassadors represented Swiss culture, diversity, and cultural depth.
But if we rewind, how did Dynamic Frame bring this mammoth project to life?
It Takes a Village
It not only takes a village to raise a physical child, but also a creative one. The production team knew how challenging it would be to get this project off the ground. The producers Theresa Berres and Jeanna Koba say, “It's like you have to plan 37 commercials in a feature film scope, but in a very short time frame. Which does sound a bit crazy.”
To tackle this, the key to success was having clearly defined roles and responsibilities. “That structure kept communication flowing and ensured everyone stayed focused and aligned – essential for pulling this off.” Executive producer Luzius adds, “We banked on collaboration from the start.”
This can be seen in the many credits of the project and the number of partners. “We got a bunch of production houses we're friends with to support the project. I think we also wanted to show that it's not only about the name of Eurovision but about bringing people together. We wanted to bring that spirit into the project.”
The design and animation company Vaudeville Studios designed the postcard illustrations for the short films. “They made them all by hand. No, AI involved,” Luzius stresses.
While shooting the different short films, Dynamic Frame made sure to have a lot of hands on deck. “We've got a large team of producers on board. We also had a team of seven directors and directors of photography. We had to spread the workload across several people to make the filming even possible.”
Vitamin C for Communication
Working with many creatives and professionals meant that communication was paramount. The creative directors Luca Zurfluh and Jen Ries say, “This early phase was crucial: it allowed us to build trust, establish a shared creative language, and fine-tune every detail, knowing that we would later need to divide responsibilities to manage the project’s scale.”
The team didn’t have much time to prepare – just two weeks for each film, to be exact. During that time, they had to cover everything from creative briefs and location scouting to casting, artist coordination, scheduling, recces, storyboards, props, styling, postcard illustrations, printing, and travel logistics. “And this wasn’t done for only one film at a time,” add Theresa and Jeanna. “We were prepping at least five films per week, continuously, for twelve weeks straight.”
The writers’ room was the heart of the creative production. Together with writer and filmmaker Gregor Brändli, the creative team ended up with more than 80 stories. Then the team had to narrow those down in collaboration with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRF) to the 37 stories they wanted to produce. After that, the team shot the pilots. Luca Zurfluh and Jen Ries say: “This was extremely helpful in identifying what worked and where adjustments were needed.”
Planning with Uncertainty
Before the ESC finale, each country goes through local contests to decide which artist will represent their country in the international rounds. That was a problem for Dynamic Frame, executive producer Luzius explains. “Planning the shoots was the most challenging part because there were three artists fixed of the total 37.” The team had to plan the storyline and shooting details as much as possible and wait for the candidates to be finalised after their national contests. “Then we had to arrange for the individual artists to come to Switzerland and film with us. Only then could we match the story and fully confirm who shot what.”
“We also had to decide on the whole project look,” he adds. The style had to be “water-tight” to make it all look coherent with seven directors and DOPs.
Representing Switzerland
The team wanted to tell meaningful stories and ensure that the films were not just beautiful. “Switzerland is full of breathtaking locations, and in the early phases of development, we found ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of visually stunning options. But early on, we understood that beauty alone wouldn't be enough. The concept behind the ESC Postcards was about connection and purpose. Each film needed to tell a story where the artist steps into a unique moment, experiences something real, and interacts with a local ambassador.”
Luzius says, "The idea was that these artists are invited to Switzerland to experience a small part of Switzerland.” The matching process was thoroughly thought through. While some artists perfectly fit into the Swiss scenery, others were an intentional contrast to the storyline of the short film and the artists’ personality.
The drawn cards were another essential part of the Swiss and other countries' representation. The colours were specifically chosen for the contestants’ countries and matched the location and story.
“And then the ambassadors in the films were always actual people from those locations,” Luzius says, explaining how they would ask people at specific locations, like the botanical garden, if they would be interested in participating. “They all really enjoyed the whole process. And the moment when the artist and ambassador hug and greet each other is as close as you can get to [being] real.”
One of his favourite postcard films is with Finland’s Erika Vikman. She is well-known for her extravagant presence and performed at the ESC with her song Ich Komme, which is German for ‘I am coming. Luzius says that her playing cards with old-fashioned Swiss men was a “total clash” and a “lovely interaction” between them.
Once in a Lifetime
The whole production team bonded deeply through this intense period of creativity and pressure. The creative directors Luca and Jen say, “Part of this project felt like living inside a fever dream of cinematic joy.” They add, “Just the fact that Eurovision was happening in Switzerland was already something to be proud of – and then to have the opportunity to tell these stories through our craft and share them with millions of people? Once in a lifetime.
“This was probably the only time we’ll ever work on a project that gets this much visibility – and the idea that our work could touch that many people, in so many countries, in so many languages, was profoundly moving.”
The producers Theresa and Jeanna have similar feelings. “It’s a project that crosses borders, opens doors, and brings joy both in front of and behind the camera. You can’t pull something like this off alone, it’s all about bringing people together and sharing the journey. It was a wild ride with a very happy ending.”
