MPAA: Films for the 10th anniversary of the House of Amateur Artistic Practices
Five films to affirm the identity of a Parisian cultural institution, MPAA (House of Amateur Artistic Practices).
House of Amateur Artistic Practices (MPAA)
Places for musical, theatrical and artistic rehearsals in the broad sense of the term, places for artistic practice workshops, performance and exhibition venues, MPAA has five sites in Paris and has existed since 2008.
Ten years of existence and a new dynamic
September 28, 2018 was the tenth anniversary of the creation of MPAA by the City of Paris. The paradox of MPAA is a very strong use by amateur artists but a poorly defined identity. I was asked to make five films to support the new dynamics of this institution, led by its new director, Sonia Leplat, and a team of 38 highly motivated people.
The movies
Five films for five themes, five axes:
- “MPAA is it? ”: the first film, “global”. MPAA has 5 sites in Paris, it is important to visualize them, to perceive the global spirit and the specificities of the places. Film shot entirely with a drone to feel the movement.
- “MPAA, place of rehearsal”: rehearsal rooms at very low cost, very well equipped, it is the backbone of the MPAA.
- “MPAA, place for creation”: MPAA allows and authorizes artistic encounters, creative dynamics, the existence of projects that would not have been possible without it.
- “MPAA, place for shows”: MPAA is also a technically perfectly equipped performance venue, which gives meaning and purpose to the projects that are being built there.
- “MPAA, open space”: there are many partnerships and openness is in the DNA of MPAA.
Film 2 : la MPAA, lieu de répétition
Film 3 : la MPAA, lieu de création
Film 4 : la MPAA, lieu de spectacles
Film 5 : la MPAA, lieu ouvert
Dissemination strategy
These five films were screened during an evening event to mark the 10th anniversary of MPAA, on 28 September 2018, combined with institutional presentation and live performance moments. I was present during the evening to broadcast the films, display on the screen a dress of the evening (the names of the people intervening on stage in particular) and broadcast live during the public installation of the photos taken in the reception hall. These films have therefore been designed to be able to participate in the entertainment of the evening.
In addition, these films are shown on social networks and film 1 is shown on a loop in the halls of the five MPAAs, so that users too are aware of the place in which they are located.
Work method
MPAA has a new mediation and communication project: staff grab video cameras themselves to make films promoting events, workshops and calls for projects. So, apart from the first film for which I shot the images myself with a drone, the images of the other films are mainly images shot by MPAA employees. The project is really participatory, appropriate.
Concerning the narrative threads of the films, however, the images themselves were not enough to “tell a story”. I therefore suggested to MPAA staff that they record together, in voice-over, their personal experiences of their work, its meaning and its concrete incarnation. It is from this material, very sincere, that the narrative of the films was built.
Then, for the editing, a large number of successive versions were produced, with feedback from MPAA management team (thanks to a private streaming platform). Thus the films are the result of a real collaboration on the substance between the production and the sponsor. I use so-called “agile” methods, which, because of their technical protocols, allow a lot of flexibility and possible modifications, to achieve the result as close as possible to expectations.
- Film 1 : la MPAA c’est où ? (MPEG4)
- Film 2 : la MPAA, lieu de répétition (MPEG4)
- Film 3 : la MPAA, lieu de création (MPEG4)
- Film 4 : la MPAA, lieu de spectacles (MPEG4)
- Film 5 : la MPAA, lieu ouvert (MPEG4)
We produce commissioned films and their possible projection devices, tailoring the service to the exact requirements. We invent the working methods, often collective, that will enable the project to meet its objectives in the best possible way, in terms of content, budget, and artistic and technical requirements.
A film must meet its objectives, and be part of a well-thought-out video content strategy; so we work with you to establish a precise link between objectives, resources and strategy. In some cases, a “classic” corporate film will be the most appropriate content, while in others, it may be more effective to train people to make short videos on their own, for broadcast on their networks, for example.
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