Patrice Ouimet has a visual signature that sometimes flirts with kitsch, comics or retro. As a former editor, he has retained his sense of rhythm. He mastered comedy and directed three seasons Without appointment and the second ofSquad 99. He interacted with the youth (Vrak attack, Crazy pig, impressively) and the magazine (I eat, The situation is serious) and we owe him the expenses of The mammoth evening between 2017 and 2022.
A place where he made connections with Pier-Luc Funk, with whom he wanted to develop a new kind of party… for television.
Photo provided by Télé-Québec
The structure ofWe'll pick up tomorrow differs from usual talk shows and variety shows. How did you come to create this party?
I have done variety shows and youth projects. Pier-Luc and I did “The Mammoth Evening” together. We wanted to create something different. We both developed in fiction, we have this imprint within us. We didn't want to create a change for the viewer, but rather to take him into our universe, into a new, hermetic and captivating atmosphere. The language of fiction allows for a more direct relationship with people. We told ourselves that we don't have to break the fourth wall with direct interventions in front of the camera. The film language is more realistic. Aesthetics and light too. A lot of work was done on the lighting. The party atmosphere is bonding.
Tell me about the house where you film.
We had no doubt that we wanted a real house, one on a human scale. We had wishes, but there were also the constraints of the reality of filming. We wanted lots of open areas and interesting geography for the staging. There are a lot of sequence shots (continuous, no cuts), movement. The envelope of the house was a favorite. She was for it. It was painted and furnished between 1990 and 2000. As for the swimming pool, we joked that we wanted one, but when we saw it it was a big surprise.
How do you manage to integrate the sketches well?
In brainstorming we all have real party anecdotes. We are not in a situation comedy. We wanted it to appeal to people. A conversation in the bathroom is possible. We play with the convention that the truth is not 100%, but it is authentic. Pier-Luc is a figure of himself in the sketches.
The guests who appear in the sketches are not the ones being interviewed or singing. How is the Ticketing ?
For the sketches, we first ask ourselves who would be invited to the party in a version of themselves. We don't cross the border. Then we have musical guests. Since the disappearance of MusiquePlus there has been a shift in television towards music. We wanted to give him his place back to have a nice party. Then we think about people we would invite to a weekend dinner and provide a context for them to engage in a less formal, low-pressure way. We just want to let things live. We just want the chemistry between them to be right.
The show lasts 1 hour (approx. 45 minutes of content). How long is the party?
A show takes 12 hours of filming time. We shoot in sections so no one is there from start to finish. There is music on set to get people in the mood. We want them to have fun and stay natural. All segments are displayed on the screen. You don't miss anything. We do it for the viewer.
► We'll pick up tomorrow Thursday 9 p.m. on Télé-Québec