How does Occitanie manage to attract so many TV series?

Aurore Delplace on the set of the series Un si grand soleil -

• In Occitania, three of the four daily series broadcast on TV are filmed.

• It is in particular the financial support of the region which caused this massive influx.

• The charm of the region and its talent pool also have something to do with it.

Three of the four French series broadcast every day on the small screen are shot in Occitania, in the former Languedoc-Roussillon territory: 

t (TF1) and

(France 2) in the Hérault, and

(TF1) in the Gard.

Only 

, in Marseille, escapes the sirens of the region.

"So many series on such a small perimeter, it has never been seen, nowhere in France", confides Maxime Beaufey, in charge of hosting shootings at the Occitanie Films commission, the agency responsible for pampering production teams in the region.

And that's without counting the other TV dramas,

(France 2) or

(France 3) in the lead, who have also set their cameras in the east of Occitania.

A boom in filming days in 2019

The region is now the second in France where the number of shooting days is the most important, after Paris: 2,399 in 2019, a boom of 41.5% compared to 2018. Thanks, mainly, to the series

and

, which alone represented more than half of the days of filming.

By way of comparison, five years ago, there had been "only" 465 days of filming in Occitnaie.

How has the region, particularly the former Languedoc-Roussillon, achieved the feat of attracting so many soap operas in recent years?

It is, undoubtedly, above all, a question of big money.

Communities, the Occitanie region in the lead, each year put their hand in the portfolio to attract the production teams.

"We were able to count here on elected volunteers and enthusiasts", had slipped Delphine Ernotte, the boss of France Televisions, in March 2018, visiting Vendargues, near Montpellier, to inaugurate the studios of

.

The Occitanie region has thus committed a budget of 4.2 million euros in 2019 to support audiovisual creation, including series, and 4.7 million euros in 2020. For Maxime Beaufey, this is "fundamental".

“The aid is an extremely good incentive for productions to anchor their series in the region,” he notes.

Local authorities are also doing everything to make the task of production teams easier.

This is the job of Occitanie Films, but also of the filming office in Montpellier.

The actress Mélanie Maudran in the dressing rooms of the series Un si grand soleil - N. Bonzom / Maxele Presse

Between 30 and 35 million euros in economic benefits

But the region is getting its money's worth, and the establishment of soap operas is a veritable virtuous circle.

The economic benefits of filming are very significant, between 30 and 35 million euros per year, according to estimates by Occitanie Films.

And with several million viewers each evening, the series are notably an accelerator of tourism.

“It's a postcard from Occitania sent to the French every evening,” notes Maxime Beaufey.

Several communities have also set up unique measures to satisfy these addicts to soap operas: in Montpellier, a leaflet offers tourists to go for a walk on the filming locations of

, and in Sète, the little one. train always stops where

is made

.

The map produced by the Montpellier tourist office which brings together the filming locations of Un si grand soleil - N. Bonzom / Maxele Presse

But if Occitanie attracts the cameras, it's not just a question of money.

It is, also, thanks to its charm.

“In terms of sets, it's a great playground for these series, continues Maxime Beaufey.

Within a fairly small radius, the Occitanie region has a truly exceptional variety of landscapes, the coast, the Cévennes, medieval villages, modern districts, etc.

"

There is another factor that works in favor of the region.

One series attracting another, a veritable pool of actors, technicians (and even extras!) Has been formed in Occitania.

TSF, a major actor in filming, and Cours Florent, for example, opened a branch in Montpellier in 2015. Since then, other comedy or audiovisual schools have emerged, creating a "very favorable environment", notes the receptionist for Occitanie Films.

The actors and technicians work in Occitanie, whereas they often had to “go up to Paris” before.

And that is good for the job in the area.

A virtuous circle, we tell you.

Television

"Askip": I was featured on the set of the France Télévisions teen series

Culture

Hérault: "DNA", "Un si grand soleil" ... The figuration in the series, a good way to "make ends meet"

• Languedoc-Roussillon

• Filming

• Such a great sun

• Series

• Television

• Montpellier

• Toulouse

• Tomorrow belongs to us