08/10/2009

Since 2002, the Namur International Francophone Film Festival has been looking at the major changes brought about by new technology in the audiovisual sector.

After focusing on the emergence of digital and the development of VOD last year, the FIFF chose this Monday to put the spotlight on Walloon companies active in the field of post-production, from 2D to 4D.

The Walloon audiovisual and multimedia sector includes over 150 businesses, and represents almost 10,000 indirect jobs. In 2007, these businesses generated €850m in turnover.

Some of these companies are sought-after internationally and are key players in their field. Flying Cam, for example, is the world leader in aerial shots using pilot-free helicopters. These miniature aircraft are flown by remote control, which enables them to fly over otherwise inaccessible locations.

Recently, Flying Cam has worked on Hollywood mega-productions, including G.I. Joe and Harry Potter. Festival participants were treated to a spectacular behind-the-scenes glimpse of the shoot for Zhang Yimou’s latest film, The Forbidden City.

Meanwhile, Digital Graphics creates virtual sets, mainly used in television, but which open up extraordinary possibilities for the big screen, and above all, lead to significant savings. The use of 3D, for example, makes it possible to remove anachronisms from the screen in period films, thus avoiding set design costs, and making it easier to find locations.

At the other end of the sector, XDC is a European leader in digitalisation, and has installed over 500 digital screens in ten European countries. Moreover, its laboratory has processed over 600 films since its creation. XDC offers a complete follow-up service in digitalisation, from the dematerialised print to projection.

This day of meetings, organised at the initiative of Wallonia Brussels International as part of the European Union Open Days, thus enabled participants to discover the range of Walloon expertise in the audiovisual post-production sector, through dynamic demonstrations.

(Translated from French)