La Datcha · Shot List A Legacy of Discovery · Ep.01 · Confidential
A humpback whale fluke before La Datcha in the polar sea
Shot List · v1.0 · Living Document

The Shot ListSvalbard.

Per day, per location — and the vessel that has to be the hero of every frame.

Onboard Jun 30 – Jul 4, 2026 Arrive LYB Jun 29 Anchor Hornsund (2 days)
Crew / Camera Key DOP Etienne & Bruno · Directors / DOPs A Tommy · Camera B Willie · Camera Drone Stein · Exec Producer Stills rotating — all switch off

Every shot serves one of four ideas.

01 · The Frame
The Juxtaposition

The 11-star cocoon inside, the raw Arctic out the window. A figure at the glass, a glacier beyond. This single frame is the film.

02 · The Differentiator
La Datcha + Ice

The vessel among bergy bits in a calving-glacier amphitheatre. What cruise ships can't do.

03 · The Proof
Capability

The engineering and amenities that prove she's the centerpiece — "anything beyond glaciers and staring out the window."

04 · The Spine
Kevin's Journey

The most decorated voice in yachting crossing the one frontier he's never touched.

Constraints — they shape every setup.

24-hr daylight. Shoot any hour; best light late evening / early morning. Two settled days = we wait for the moment.
Drone: legal in the unprotected gaps (no permit, ~99%). West-park exemption pending — bonus, not dependency.
Hard no-fly: 5 km from airports (LYB, Ny-Ålesund) · 500 m from bird cliffs (Apr 1–Aug 31) · protected areas w/o exemption · Ny-Ålesund 20 km zone.
No heli flying (Svalbard ban) — but we shoot the heli raised on deck. No sub use. No glacier walking.
Yes: kayak, SUP, zodiac, trail hikes near glaciers, telephoto to compress glacier + human + vessel into one frame.
Rifles mandatory ashore — itself a unique on-camera beat.
Wildlife (honest): bears not promised (a gift) · walrus reliable · reindeer + fox best roadside out of LYB.
Russia rule (Ben): the captain appears visually (bridge / bridge-wing) but defaults to NO voice. Don't read "too Russian."