A "collector" future!

Five video publishers met to discuss the challenges of physical video publishing and its current constraints. Together, they take stock of a sometimes mistreated market.

On Sunday, October 16 at 2:30 pm, the MIFC DVD Marketplace brought together publishers Carlotta Films, Extralucid Films, Arcadès and Gaumont Vidéo for a round table discussion moderated by Hugues Peysson of L'Atelier d'images, representing Appel des 85 (an association of independent publishers), to highlight their profession and its importance in the transmission and preservation of cinema, at a time when the consumption of VOD or SVOD platforms seems to be winning over the physical medium. 

"We are a small community, but we are important," declared Hugues Peysson to open the discussion, leaving the floor to Carine Bach from Extralucid Films to present the steps of video editing. A methodical work, which starts with a goal, and includes the search of film rights and bonuses, the validation of technical (in case of restorations) and legal teams, the graphic creation and the press of films in DVD, Blu-Ray, UHD or 4K formats, before their referencing and promotion. "The days of editing a film solely for video are over," explains Sylvain Perret of Gaumont Video. "When we restore, it's because there is a purpose afterwards. Not necessarily video, because often these restorations are intended for television or festivals". At the same time, companies like Arcadès can support publishers by providing them with advice on the market upstream of the production process, and help with referencing and logistics. "We represent the first look at the titles that work and at the evolution of the market," explains Patrick Belz, its president. In addition, we will focus on the editorial support of films that are put on the market. This is an opportunity for the guests to affirm the importance of the physical medium, which is not opposed to the dematerialized format, but rather complementary. "I fully believe that one serves the other, and vice-versa," said Vincent Paul-Boncour of Carlotta Films, adding that the primary objective is to develop knowledge of a work and its understanding, with the ultimate development of cinephilia. An idea supported by Sylvain Perret, for whom the supplements of the physical editions must "serve the understanding the film". 

A will questioned today, while the desire to offer editions that are "more than the film" is still present, but the constraints are accumulating. In addition to the negotiations that can be difficult with the rights holders, production rates are constantly increasing, with regularly modified estimates. The supply is also not left out, and imposes new logistic constraints to the publishers. "Being on the physical object is a challenge," says Vincent Paul-Boncour. "We are all very passionate, but we need to be even more so". Nevertheless, the speakers remain optimistic about the future of the profession, with the growth of the market for high value-added media (collector, Blu-Ray, UHD) and the collector market up 20%, according to figures from Arcadès. These values testify to the "love of cinema" that persists in France, thanks to institutions such as the CNC or television players such as the Arte or France Télévisions channels, which affirm French excellence in cinema: taking the example of director Kinuyo Tanaka, to whom the Lumière Festival dedicated a retrospective in 2021, Vincent Paul-Boncour explains that "it's thanks to France that the filmmaker was rediscovered in Japan".