After a prolific career punctuated by video reports for France Télévisions, commercials and music videos, Paul Hours welcomes you to the Connecteur video studio in Biarritz.
What is your career path in the audiovisual industry?
It’s very versatile, although most of my career has been with France Télévisions. I started out as a cameraman, then went on to edit television programs for a post-production company. After a while, I wanted to get out of the control room and I went back to images: I worked in advertising as a camera operator, I did multi-cameras and then live shots on Equidia…
What kind of videos did you produce?
I’ve really had a wide range of activities, from making institutional films and music videos to big-budget corporate films for general meetings. I also worked for Orange’s internal communications department for a few years. In 2010, I was lucky enough to direct a clip for Christophe Willem’s tour: we had to come up with a video to fill a gap while he changed backstage. We had to imagine a video to fill a gap while he changed backstage. The aesthetic was magnificent, and we had stretched white spinnaker cloths with an incredible lighting ceiling: he liked the result so much, he chose to leave the video running after he arrived on stage. Two years later, I directed his “Si mes larmes tombent” video. I’ve also done a number of reports, some 1,200 of them three or four minutes long, in a wide variety of fields: from an operating theater for a health story, to the Deauville Film Festival to interview Virginie Efira, to the Princely Palace in Monaco, in Prince Albert’s office.
What are you looking for in video capture?
I’ve always been concerned with aesthetics andimages. I love framing, but what drives me is to go and find the image that no one else would, to get down on my knees, on all fours or on my stomach. I like to master my subject from A to Z: constructing the synopsis, directing, framing and editing. My aim is to identify the client’s needs and expectations, determine the technical means and implement them to their full satisfaction.
What drew you to work in a video studio in Biarritz?
The truth is, I’d had enough of Parisian life. It had been thirty years and I really wanted to get closer to my roots – I’m Occitan. I discovered the Connecteur project on social networks and simply offered my services as an unsolicited application to manage the video studio in Biarritz. The word Connecteur appealed to me, because all human contact begins with a connection. When I arrived here, I had a press kit waiting for me, which read “Work where you want to live”. I gave myself that chance and I’m delighted.
What equipment do you have at the Connecteur studio?
We have the tools and know-how to meet all your photo( people, product and eventshoots ) and video needs (Steadicam for motion video, photo-boxes for outdoor coverage or multi-camera on-set, and of course microphones, headsets, stands…). Not forgetting backgrounds in different colors, to meet the needs of a product shoot, an inlay or an interview, for example.
What are your strengths?
My address book and my agility! (Laughs.) If, tomorrow, you need technical or human resources (a make-up artist, a graphic artist, a Red camera…), I have the necessary network and operators in place. After that, it’s all a question of cost, but in general, we have a quality/price ratio that defies all competition in Biarritz and the Basque Country. At the studio, I have all the tools I need to make beautiful videos and products, and with my experience, I can immediately target people’s needs and what they want to say.
Are there any steps to follow when creating a promotional video?
Of course it is. It’s a bit like meeting someone you don’t know. The most important thing is to ask the right questions to understand the customer’s needs and desires, while preserving the company’s identity and message. Together with the customer, we determine what he needs in terms of technical and human resources to set up the shooting and post-production. From a long version of two or three minutes to a more compact version for Instagram of no more than forty-four seconds, the Studio’s offer is adaptable and different sets are possible: we can create small TV sets either as high tables with stools, or as low tables with more cosy armchairs. We also have three 96-inch screens to broadcast video content, Powerpoint, logo, looped video or a fake set. On the control side, we’re equipped with a mixer and a remote for all cameras, so we can control them remotely. So, welcome to our future customers!
Are you short of material?
Don’t have any ideas for a script?
Does testifying in front of a camera freeze you?
Or do you simply prefer to leave it to the experts?
Our photo and video studio has been designed to meet your needs.
For more information, contact Paul at [email protected].
This article is an extract from our second Audace Magazine online, or you can find the paper version at Le Connecteur or in our distribution outlets.