Behind the scenes of “Skam France”, the series with 100 million views

The director of the 5 seasons of the “Skam France” phenomenon, David Hourrègue explained to “20 Minutes” how he goes about “never filming like a film”.

"20 Minutes" was on the set of seasons 5 and 6 of "Skam France". - A. Demoulin / 20 Minutes

The first episode of the 5th season of Skam France will be available this Friday at 6 p.m. on France.tv Slash.
This season is a world first, since the original Norwegian format stopped after only 4 seasons.
The first 4 seasons total over 100 million views, and the teen drama has established itself as a real social phenomenon.
Sets, music, production, staging ... The director and production manager of this success have entrusted 20 Minutes with all the secrets of making this success.

While the first four seasons of Skam France have garnered more than 100 million views, the first episode of the 5th season will be available this Friday at 6 p.m. on France.tv Slash. "It is a completely French creation", since the original Norwegian version stopped after its 4th season, recalled Delphine Ernotte, during a hearing before the Cultural Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday. While the 6th season is in preparation, "we are in discussions for the 7th and 8th," added the CEO of France Télévisions. " Skam is a real editorial upheaval," said the leader.

20 Minutes was able to discover some of the manufacturing secrets of this phenomenon, "major among young people around 16 years of age", and "not so much perceived by adults".

"Arthur and the invisible handicap"

3 ... 2 ... 1 ... #SKAMFrance season 5 pic.twitter.com/j7xunRz1Ce

- francetv slash (@francetvslash) December 31, 2019

Like the original Norwegian format, Skam France relies on an innovative transmedia device for broadcasting, around the everyday life, after all banal, of a group of Parisian high school students. Each season focuses on a character and a specific issue. The first season centered on Emma addresses assertiveness, the second on Manon, cyberbullying, the third on Lucas, homosexuality, the fourth on Imane, faith. Season 5 focuses on "Arthur and the invisible handicap", summarizes David Hourrègue in the direction since season 1.

"We are expected at the turn because we are the first"

“For seasons 5 and 6, we start from scratch. The writing work was much more important than in previous seasons, which were adaptations, ”says Benoît Auriol, production manager of Skam France. As with any web series, the budget - not communicated - is "a limited economy". The production benefited from a larger envelope for these seasons 5 and 6: “We are expected at the turn because we are the first to do this. We were the first to adapt, many followed. We are the first to launch new seasons. We are one step ahead of everyone, it's good pressure because we want to hit hard, ”says the production manager.

"Forty days of shooting spread over nine weeks"

This small budget requires a tight schedule and an organization on the line. "There is a real work of rationalization", underlines Benoît Auriol. To optimize costs, seasons 5 and 6 were developed and filmed simultaneously. The writing started in April, the casting and the location scouting in June, the shooting took place this winter: "Forty days spread over nine weeks". On the set, on average 35 technicians and 2 to 30 actors. "For the party, and there are many in Skam , which traditionally concludes each season, the entire cast is present," said the production manager.

"We pray that it won't snow"

Skam France is distinguished above all by its mode of distribution which makes it possible to follow the life of the characters in real time. "When the heroes of the series go to a party on Friday, the video of the party is posted on Friday," explained Marianne Furevold, producer of the Norwegian format at the Série Series festival in 2016. "Sticking to this reality of time is the great difficulty of Skam. We know precisely when each sequence will be broadcast and the more we advance in filming in winter, the more we advance in the series towards sunny days, so we pray that it won't snow, ”confesses Benoît Auriol.

“Filming and authors dedicated to transmedia content”

Short sequences, posted daily on France.tv Slash, form a full episode each Friday. "I arrive very early on in writing, which must work episodically weekly and daily," says David Hourrègue. At the same time, Internet users can follow the life of the protagonists on social networks. "It's all gymnastics!" The transmedia contents are made on the set once the sequence is finished. We also have shootings and authors dedicated to transmedia content, ”says the production manager.

WHERE TO FOLLOW #SKAMFRANCE:

- France • tv Slash: https://t.co/QxuZoJ2dep
Clips throughout the week + full episodes on Friday at 6 p.m.

- Instagram: https://t.co/TYjS9TEkfs
Messages between the characters in the story.

(How to watch Skam France ~ English below!)

- SKAM France (@SkamFrance) February 8, 2019

"Too much highlight in an episode is counterproductive"

According to the director, the main challenge consists in "managing the highlights". At the same time, the final editing of the daily sequences must remain “coherent” and ensure that those who follow the series daily want to watch the rest. "Life is not made only of cliffhangers, and it is sometimes necessary to accept deceptive moments to highlight emotionally more powerful moments", details David Hourrègue, who assures that "too much highlight in an episode is counter productive upon arrival. "

"The school is a real pillar of our organization"

The Dorian high school in Paris is the main backdrop for Skam France . “We are really welcome there. A real trust has been established, ”says Benoît Auriol. The shooting takes place during the school holidays. “We must thank them because it is a real pillar of our organization. We do all our preparation and rehearsals there, ”explains the production manager. The aerial shots which generally open the Skam sequences are made upstream, by drone. “In Spain, we never cut corners on the sets and costumes budgets that create magic and illusion on the screen. We are trying to respect that, ”explains the director, who likes to surprise the actors by showing them the sets at the last minute. “There were lots of sets that I hadn't seen before arriving on the set. That conditions us to be already in the thing, "testifies Robin Migné, who camps the hero of season 5.

"Music is thought from the start"

Music contributes to the success of the series. It fits perfectly with the situations experienced by the protagonists and sometimes makes it possible to dispense with dialogues. In season 3, when Lucas leaves a party with a crash, we hear The party of too many Eddy de Pretto. The work on the soundtrack begins as soon as the writers and the director evoke the themes of the season. “Labels send me hundreds of music around these themes. I then spend days walking around listening to them. Those that remain in my head after a month or two, I make them listen to my children and if they are also taken away, I keep them. If the music seems to stick so well to situations, it is because it "is thought from the start" well before the shooting.

"I try never to film like a daron"

While the Norwegian version has chosen a somewhat “roots” documentary aesthetic, Skam France is banking on “magnified realism”. While seasons 1 and 2 were filmed with an Arri Alexa camera in "a classic television format", "as of season 3 and 4, we opted for a much more sensitive camera, especially in low light, because that we realized that our adolescents sometimes live in chiaroscuro and that is the whole subject of adolescence, ”explains David Hourrègue. And to continue: “I try never to film like a daron who looks at his children, but to be the closest and connected to the feelings of a teenager in his sufferings, his joys, his desires, his favorites. And it is this proximity that makes so many teenagers find themselves so much in Skam France .

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