Case Study V&A

V&A Museum Alice Exhibition Photography

Our Approach: From Studio to the V&A Courtyard

Executing a project of this scale required a seamless blend of studio precision and large-scale location production. We divided the project into two distinct phases to ensure every product received its moment in the spotlight.

  • Phase 1: Studio Still Life & Social Animation We began by capturing the full retail collection in-studio. To move beyond standard product photography, we built a bespoke "Alice World" set. This allowed us to create:

    • High-End Stills: For web and print catalogs.

    • Short-Form Animation: 15-second "snackable" clips for Instagram and TikTok.

    • Long-Form Narrative: A 30-second hero animation showcasing the breadth of the collection within our custom-built environment.

  • Phase 2: Location Film Production at the V&A Two weeks later, we moved on-site to the iconic V&A Museum. We transformed the museum courtyard into a cinematic set for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. The narrative follows Alice as she transitions from the modern museum reception into a surreal afternoon tea, overseen by a watchful Queen.

Case Study: V&A Museum Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser

Product Photography / E-commerce /Print & In-store Signage 2D Animation / Film / Social Media & Digital Ads

Brand Film / Website Hero & Exhibition Promotion

Behind the Scenes / PR & Marketing Collateral

Bringing Wonderland to Life through Multi-Channel Visual Storytelling

The Brief: Elevating Exhibition Retail To coincide with the landmark V&A exhibition, the museum required a comprehensive suite of high-end imagery and film to drive their retail campaign. The goal was to bridge the gap between the historical exhibition and the commercial products, creating a "Wonderland" aesthetic that felt premium, whimsical, and cohesive across both in-store and digital platforms.

V&A Alice Film

Location: V&A Museum, Cromwell Road, London UK

Crew Included:

Production: Matthew Beedle

Director, DOP

1st Camera Assist

Chief Lighting Technician

Lighting Technician

Lighting Trainee.

Models : Supplied by Nevs Models

Wardrobe: Lucy Mackay

Hair/Makeup: Natasha Lawes, Kamila Fornini, Jane Emily Arnold

Florist: JamJar Flowers

Photography and Assistant

The Production Process

A project of this complexity thrives on meticulous pre-production. Our workflow ensured the vision stayed on track and on budget:

  1. Concept & Strategy: Initial sketches and mood boards to align with the V&A's brand guidelines.

  2. Curation: Hand-selecting products to feature within the narrative storyboard.

  3. Logistics: Managing a full film crew, set builders, and talent for a high-security museum location.

  4. Delivery: Finalizing assets across multiple formats to ensure a consistent "look and feel" from the museum shop floor to social media feeds.

"From the first sketch to the final frame, we created a visual world that didn't just sell products—it extended the magic of the exhibition itself."Storyboard and Visuals

Storyboard and Production Ideas
Storyboard panels for "Alice in Wonderland" depicting scenes with Alice, Mad Hatter, and Hare. Alice moves through a courtyard, a maze, and waves a scarf. Other panels show Mad Hatter and Hare noticing Alice, with close-ups and kaleidoscope effects.
Storyboard from "Alice in Wonderland" showing scenes featuring Alice, the Mad Hatter, Queen, and hare. Includes a close-up of a necklace, a building, and a person holding playing cards.
Storyboard from "Alice in Wonderland" featuring a building's architectural detail, playing cards in the air, and "The End" in cursive at the conclusion.
Fashion mood board featuring a model labeled 'Alice,' vintage black shoes, oversized black hair bow, floral dress, blue socks, black gloves, gold key earrings, jewelry, and a checkered tote bag with 'Alice' theme, all associated with V&A Museum.
Collage of fashion items including a portrait of a woman in a white T-shirt, a colorful scarf, a black cropped jacket on a hanger, a graphic T-shirt, a black hat with a bow, gold floral necklace and earrings, and black platform shoes. Text: 'V&A Mad
Fashion collage featuring a black and white photo of a model, a decorative clock, a vintage ruffle shirt, earrings, tie, white pants, black patent shoes, and a white rabbit necklace. Text: "White Rabbit," "V&A," and historical fashion descriptions.
Collage featuring a model with gold hoop earrings, red gloves, black leather ankle boots, floral and brown puff-sleeve dresses, and a card-themed statement necklace. Text reads 'Queen of Hearts' with style descriptions.
Image of a historical building façade with instructions for a set location. Includes details on arranging a table, vintage furniture, and small items like books, clocks, and crockery. Various V&A merchandise items are displayed around the table area.
Collage of Victorian-style furniture and decor items, including chairs, lamps, a rug, and various china pieces.

Starts with a sketch

This was the initial sketch to get the conversation up and running with the V&A. From here we developed the look for the entire range with a colour-way that worked with the team

Concept Sketches for V&A Museum London Alice Exhibition

Animation

Moving image was a great way to showcase the product that ran alongside the Alice exhibition. This was a chance to have some fun with the surreal world of Alice by using a mix of animation and stop-motion to create a 30 second wonderland. Adding audio really brought the scene to life…

Floating patterned fabric against a sky and cloud background with a checkered floor.
A decorative glass bottle pendant with a cork and chain on a reflective surface, surrounded by pink peonies and green leaves.
Surreal scene with pink flamingo earrings hanging inside a golden ring, surrounded by roses, playing cards, and a glass sphere against a sky background.
A flat lay image featuring a red glittery heart-shaped pendant on a gold chain, surrounded by playing cards and pink peonies, set against a checkered blue and white background.
Floating colorful scarf with floral pattern against a dreamy sky background
Ornate necklace with playing card design and red flowers, surrounded by pink roses on reflective surface, with cloudy sky background.
Woman in floral and butterfly-patterned dress with a large hair bow sits outdoors surrounded by manicured trees, holding a flowing shawl.
Woman in vintage attire with top hat and colorful scarf, sitting on a vintage chair beside a table with a vase of flowers.
Model with curly blonde hair in a white blouse and patterned tie, posing outdoors in front of brick building.
Woman with long blond hair wearing floral patterned dress and black bow in elegant setting
Close-up of a woman wearing a gold key-shaped earring.
Woman in floral dress and large bow headband seated in wicker chair, surrounded by pink flowering branches.