Mathieu Besset, initially from Clermont-Ferrand, has been dwelling in Los Angeles for 3 years. He managed to make himself often known as a director for tv. An American dream a little bit suspended as a result of COVID 19 disaster.
Lover of the USA, Mathieu Besset didn’t hesitate to alter the latitude to make his dream come true and change into a director of tv exhibits in Los Angeles. Installed for 3 years on the west coast of the United States, he started his profession in native tv in Clermont-Ferrand, earlier than making an attempt the massive leap. Mathieu is now 38 years outdated. He tells : ” Clermont 1st (Clermont-Ferrand local chain. Editor’s note) was my first experience with TV. It allowed me to do a lot of things, both production and direction. The second stage was Orléans TV. At one point, I wanted something bigger, more ambitions. I went to Paris. I spent 10 years there doing a bit of everything: news, sports, music. After 10 years I had the feeling that I had taken the tour. The problem with Paris is that there is a lot of inter-personal contact, there is a bit of cronyism and it is not necessarily work and merit that pass above the rest. I wanted to see how things are going in the United States, Los Angeles and New York. I went on a scouting, I met people and saw if there was a possibility. I realized there was one. From the moment you work and invest, by mixing effort and passion, you have an answer in front of you and people who say that you will give me my chance. This is what happened here “.
Everyone is behind you to encourage you and it is nice
The little Frenchy has succeeded in making himself often known as a director. In the USA, the whole lot appears potential. Mathieu explains: “ Very quickly, I will never forget, there was a producer who is 82 years old who looked at me from the top of his 2 meters and who said to me: “You, you are available tomorrow to produce the show. ? “. In my head I was telling myself that I couldn’t do this and to the nerve, I said “OK. I go “. I found myself in another world. I also think of another time, for “Home and Family”, a morning talk show that takes place in a house, at Universal studio. I had to shoot in the living room. I ask if we can move the camera back. The guys ask me if it’s the wall that bothers me. I said I didn’t want to disturb them. And there 4 guys tumble down and dismantle the door! It’s a whole different world but at least when you have a vision and a desire everyone is behind you to encourage you and it’s great “.
Regular collaborations
But his path was strewn with pitfalls. “ It really started here for me 3 years ago. I had been preparing the ground for almost 10 years. I came, I met people, I sent emails, I went on sets. It has really been built over the years »Confides the director. Now recognized for his work, the Clermontois has managed to work regularly for chains. He underlines : ” Here I worked for the Hallmark Channel, which is a cable channel, for the Home and Family show. Most of my work has been for Fox. The group asked me a year and a half ago to help them launch a new channel, Fox Soul, dedicated to African-American audiences. We did 4 live talk shows a day, including a late show with live performances, music, dance, stand up. I also had projects with Netflix and CBS. Even if I remain freelance my most recurrent work was done with the Fox group. I came back to France to adapt “” Carpool Karaoke “for TF1. The channel gave us carte blanche. Before the first show, Camille Combal came to Los Angeles and we shot an episode with James Corden who is the host here . It was great because we really had fun. We shot the first episode in France with Gims as a guest. We launched “Nailed it”, a pastry competitors for Netflix, in Spain. I additionally helped with german model “.
In a compilation, here’s a montage of his achievements in 2020.
A “french touch”
Mathieu introduced a French contact to the best way he produced exhibits. Know-how that paid off. He specifies : ” With Fox, once we began these discuss exhibits, they mentioned to me, “This is the studio. What do you want to do ? “. I gave them the means I needed and I explained to them what I wanted to do, while staying within the budget. In France we use a lot of portable cameras, we are fun with a little movement. In the USA the talk show is very square and it’s basic: someone talks and we stay on it. I tried to bring some movement. I do not hide that at the beginning, I was taken for a bit crazy. But once again, I was trusted. I was told to go and after a while people loved it. It’s refreshing, it changes them and they see that I’m doing this not just for my CV or to make myself happy but because I think it is in line with the proposed project. From there it’s all good ”. He appears fulfilled in his work: “ In my job, I really like the inventive side. I like with the ability to have a imaginative and prescient, and that is what I lacked in France. We are there to have a inventive and inventive object, which will likely be distinctive, and which, from the manufacturing assistant to the producer, swimming pools skills, to supply one thing nice. This is what’s nice and that is what appeals to me. There are additionally clearly the conferences. It’s nonetheless a staff effort: we’re all collectively and everybody brings concepts “.
Mathieu Besset signed the difference of Carpool karaoke with Camille Combal in France.
•
© Mathieu Besset
The well being disaster
But for the second, its exercise has been slowed down by the well being disaster. Mathieu explains: “ Here the TV industry is very much controlled by the unions. When COVID arrived in March 2020, studios had started to anticipate this and a lot of filming was halted. It is inconceivable to endanger employees. If someone catches COVID on set, there will be a trial. From March to September, they put in place a protocol between unions, studios and production companies, to ensure the safety of employees on filming. I believe the file was 30 pages long. Everything was at a standstill for a long time. Now it is picking up, but on very large productions. It is necessary to add 10 to 15% of budget per production. All small and medium-sized productions were postponed or canceled due to lack of budget. For the moment I continue to work but more on development. I work on remote recordings and on shows supposed to start next school year “.
I think I saw myself living my American life since I was 8
With this new life, the Clermontois seems to have realized a childhood dream. He admits : ” 15 years ago, I dreamed of this American life. I think I saw myself living my American life since I was 8 and watched Mag Gyver on TV. Kid, I watched the American series and I told myself that I wanted to do that. I always had this desire “. Holder of an “o one” work visa, he plans to use for the well-known Green card at some point. Even if he comes again to France repeatedly, particularly for skilled tasks, his life is now in Los Angeles: ” I met my spouse right here once I began to calm down 3 years in the past. We reside collectively. She is American and Francophile. She was raised by an Irish father who speaks completely good French. We work in the identical department as a result of it’s a producer. I like the life-style, the climate – it is good 95% of the time – the ocean close by. I prefer it much more right here than in Paris. There is basically a number of work. We additionally spend a number of time with one another to see one another. Here you are able to do no matter you need: parks, ocean, seaside, browsing, golf. Everything is feasible and that is what is nice. You also can go snowboarding 3 or 5 hours away by automotive “.
I ate a lot of pasta and rice
Based in California, Mathieu feels like he’s living his American dream. However, he qualifies: “ The American dream works in a certain context. If you are passionate and give yourself the means, the doors can open. If I had to compare 100 emails sent to Paris and 100 emails sent to Los Angeles, I got a lot more responses in Los Angeles. There is no photo. Here, they are really looking for talent and creativity. The other side of the coin is that the American dream is not what it used to be because you don’t come to Los Angeles with $ 20 in your pocket to make a fortune. It’s very complicated. It is better to have a little bit of money aside because the rents and the living are super expensive. It’s very hard. I struggled for easily a year, a year and a half, before things really set in and I could lead a normal life. I ate a lot of pasta and rice “. He concludes : “ You have to hang on to be passionate and give yourself the means to achieve your ambitions. I never let go, even when I was in the bottom of the hole, depressed and it didn’t work out, I never stopped. You have to meet people, not ask questions and answers, show that you are passionate. You have to take everything you can as professional experience. I think work, passion and merit someday pay off “. The director is at present engaged on recordings in London and on exhibits for the 2022 presidential elections in France. He hopes that the horizon will clear on the well being plan to completely resume his actions. He desires his American dream to proceed.
