On Wednesday, July 1^st we had the chance to assist to a very particular event: the creation of an Image Cluster. Set up in the middle of the Nord- Pas de Calais region, the Image Pole unites cinema, the audiovisual, gaming and virtual worlds, today representing around hundred companies, a dozen schools and six laboratories, in other words more than 2500 often highly qualified personnel.

Moreover, the set-up is one to make us dream, since it brings together three cities by playing the complementarity card and connects three regions: the Nord-Pas de Calais, Wallonia (Wallimage) and Flanders (VAF).

Vincent Leclerq, like any seasoned conductor, welcomed the various guests for a presentation which was timed to the second in the historical Fresnoy hall. “Six months ago, we noticed how many players were present on our territory and active in the field,” explained the CRRAV director. “We were also talking about going from 2 to 5 screens. Today, several facts prove that we did not take a wrong turn by betting on the convergence of media and the necessity of rethinking the production models.” Two examples: The new I-Phone which allows the filming, editing and sending of a small piece directly to platforms like Daily Motion or YouTube; and TF1, previously the uncontested market leader for television, encountering their first audience loss while the broadcasters around TNT get nearly 30% of the ratings.

Nord-Pas de Calais is far from the first region to launch an image cluster. But they do have a different approach. First of all, the NPDC Image cluster plays the card of convergence and connection of digital media by banking on the mixing of genres. Secondly, all will not be set up in one place but in three: Lille Métropole, Valenciennes Métropole and the Agglomeration of the Porte du Hainaut, a tripod structure which, after a year and a half of work, puts this project into place. Aside from the complementarity of the cities, there is also a resource sharing between various bodies coming into play: the CRRAV, Digiport and the CCIV (The Commercial & Industrial Chamber of Valenciennes) got together about an economical policy for cultural development. Finally, the cluster is also inter-regional since two of the founding members are Philippe Reynaert, dynamic director of Wallimage and Pierre Drouot, director of the VAF, both from our country.

“We had 4 challenges to take up,” continues Vincent Leclerq. “Support new writing, offer new and cheaper production models, invest in new formats and associate research even more.” As an answer to these challenges, 4 priority broad outlines were drawn out:

• Launch of the new internet site, a platform made to encourage exchanges and create a dialogue, with a part open to the public and a part reserved to members. Debates about several themes will be set up and hosted by a work group. Among the subjects we find French-Belgian co-productions, web documentaries, etc.

• Launch of the virtual platform (scheduled for September 15^th ).

• Creation of an attractive environment for businesses by using the tools set up by Digiport (notably by having a business engineer available) and CCIV. In the same line, international canvassing missions are (and will be) organised. Among these are events like MIFA, the upcoming European Media Event (which is partnered with TWIST), etc.

• Setting up of a call for projects: the objective here is to push innovation to the same level as creation with an original financing of €1.85 million, in which the following organisations participate: CCRAV (€600.000), DAE (€400.000), CCIV (€350.000), Wallimage (€250.000) and VAF (€250.000).

  • With a unique and simplified set of rules, this fund is set to support 6 genres:

    • the Serious Game

    • Animation series pilot episodes (a common fund with Wallimage, CRRAV and VAF, each contributes €250.000, so a total of €750.000),

    • local documentaries

    • web documentaries

    • short fiction series (for, f.e., series of 30 3 to 5 minutes episodes)

    • video games (with casual games)

Finally, Vincent Leclerq insists on the importance of spreading the news. Therefore, other than the internet site, other events will be organised such as, for example, the 'Nuit des 5 écrans' ('Night of the 5 Screens').