The new film studios of Saint Denis (by kerouac2)
Sept 23, 2012 11:12:39 GMT
Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2012 11:12:39 GMT
There are several small film studios around Paris, but it was lacking a big film studio like Pinewood or Shepperton in London. For years, the director/producer Luc Besson has more money than he knew what to do with, so he decided to take care of the problem. It took several more years than planned because film fortunes are fickle, but "La Cité du Cinéma" was finally inaugurated on September 21, 2012.
It has huge office space (23,000m² of which 19,000m² is used by Europacorp, Luc Besson's film company) and 9 sound stages, which now ensures the Saint Denis area its crown as the biggest audiovisual pole on the continent, since it already has 50 television studios and 14 other movie sound stages.
Anyway, nobody invited me, but I at least wanted to see it from the outside, so I took the metro there yesterday. The central building is an old power plant which was closed in 1981. That was late enough for the various authorities to understand that one just does not tear down this sort of building anymore -- you have to recycle it into something impressive. But it was so big that it was hard to come up with a plan for anything -- until Luc Besson bought it.
Frankly, I had trouble figuring out where the damned thing was at first, because it is too new to appear on address lists and just about everything on the internet was vague about the exact location. It was by tracking down the old power plant "on rue Ampère" that I was able to determine where to go. Once I got close to the place, there were some signs to help.
The complex also includes a film school which is free of charge and which requires no diplomas to qualify, just talent. This is because Luc Besson had no money and no diploma when he started and he had to work his way up the hard way -- and he thought it was too hard.
I do hope that they start giving tours to the general public before long, because I would like to see the inside.
It has huge office space (23,000m² of which 19,000m² is used by Europacorp, Luc Besson's film company) and 9 sound stages, which now ensures the Saint Denis area its crown as the biggest audiovisual pole on the continent, since it already has 50 television studios and 14 other movie sound stages.
Anyway, nobody invited me, but I at least wanted to see it from the outside, so I took the metro there yesterday. The central building is an old power plant which was closed in 1981. That was late enough for the various authorities to understand that one just does not tear down this sort of building anymore -- you have to recycle it into something impressive. But it was so big that it was hard to come up with a plan for anything -- until Luc Besson bought it.
The building dates from 1933.
Frankly, I had trouble figuring out where the damned thing was at first, because it is too new to appear on address lists and just about everything on the internet was vague about the exact location. It was by tracking down the old power plant "on rue Ampère" that I was able to determine where to go. Once I got close to the place, there were some signs to help.
It's not even all that far from where I live -- I live at the little blue circle, and it is where the bigger circle is.
It is definitely brand spanking new.
The sound stages are just big boxes of course, like anywhere else.
I walked around to see the back side along the Seine.
Numerous groups of notables were getting their private tours.
It is definitely brand spanking new.
The sound stages are just big boxes of course, like anywhere else.
I walked around to see the back side along the Seine.
Numerous groups of notables were getting their private tours.
The complex also includes a film school which is free of charge and which requires no diplomas to qualify, just talent. This is because Luc Besson had no money and no diploma when he started and he had to work his way up the hard way -- and he thought it was too hard.
I do hope that they start giving tours to the general public before long, because I would like to see the inside.
I just followed the Seine to downtown Saint Denis and took the train back to Paris.