Pamela Rose, the series: How do we create the illusion of the United States in the Paris suburbs?

The American illusion on French soil: the ingenuity behind Pamela Rose

It is striking to note that the typically American universe of the series Pamela Rose comes to life in the heart of the Parisian suburbs. The investigations carried out by the protagonists, played by Kad Merad and Olivier Baroux, seem to take place in the United States, when in reality they were filmed not far from Paris. Gladys Garot, the artistic director, reveals that the challenge lay not only in simulating an American setting but also in evoking the clichés of modern television series from the United States.

The recipe for an Americanized decor

To create this mirage, careful exploration was undertaken. The team scanned the streets of Washington and Philadelphia via Google Earth for architectural inspiration. The great difficulty lay in identifying places in Ile-de-France that could evoke these distant landscapes. Fortunately, the architectural style of William Levitt, present on the outskirts of Paris, made this task easier by offering homes that evoke the American residential aesthetic.

The FBI headquarters: an architectural feat

Choosing the perfect setting for the FBI headquarters was a colossal undertaking, requiring visits to nearly thirty different buildings. The production team ultimately opted for former Nestlé premises located in Noisiel, offering the necessary space to recreate the famous open spaces of federal offices. Visual authenticity was ensured by low ceilings and structures visible on camera.

Interior decoration “Made in USA”

• Furniture: The office furniture already present on the site was preserved and decorated with FBI logos to accentuate the American atmosphere.
• FBI Exteriors: Lacking a matching backdrop, the team had to resort to using stock footage to represent the exterior of the headquarters.
• Visual tips: The interior design borrows from American stereotypes to reinforce the illusion, and even the vehicle fleet has been selected to stick to the expected aesthetic.

Filming the American way

The final touch to perfect the illusion of a series produced in the United States lay in the filming technique. Ludovic Colbeau-Justin, the director, specifies that they adopted a style which includes cameras positioned lower, similar to usual practices across the Atlantic, and used a true cinemascope format to reinforce the impression of immersion.

In short, the Pamela Rose series is the result of a clever mix between careful investigation of settings, artistic adaptation and cutting-edge cinematographic techniques. It is this subtle combination that allows spectators to be transported to the heart of an American universe, while remaining at the gates of Paris.