Towering mountains, spectacular white dunes, crystal blue skies, stunning sunsets, and magical moonlit nights—all of these unique features form the amazing landscape at White Sands National Park. Half a million visitors from all over the world enjoy this beautiful place every year. If you watch TV, it is likely that you have seen White Sands! Hollywood has filmed more than 20 major movies here since 1950. Hundreds of commercials, music videos, TV shows, and documentaries have also been filmed here. Researchers from all over the world come here to investigate the unusual animals and geology here. History of Filming
Motion Pictures
Documentary Videos & Television Shows
Music Videos
A Land In Motion Produced by Henninger Productions in 2011, A Land in Motion, White Sands National Park’s 17-minute orientation film, captures the brilliant beauty of the white sands through stunning cinematography and captivating storytelling. The film crew made three trips to the park in 2010 to record the landscape in a variety of seasons. They filmed in the spring to capture the fierce winds that are common from March through May and are a key part of the dune formation story; then, in early summer, to work with researchers and understand the confluence of science and nature that has earned White Sands the nickname, “the Galapagos Islands of North America;” and finally, in late August, to film the summer monsoons to illustrate the critical role of water in this ecosystem. Staff had one goal for the new orientation film: to share the beauty, wonder, awe, and scientific and cultural significance of the world’s largest gypsum dunefield with visitors. Using a mix of cinematography techniques and time lapse photography, the film guides viewers through the many moods of the dunefield and highlights the profound richness of the both natural and cultural resources of the white sands. A Land in Motion is played every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour in the park’s visitor center during business hours. The film may also be purchased in the bookstore. If we have achieved our goal, this film will motivate you to get out and explore, understand, and be inspired by your national park. |
Last updated: April 22, 2022