Q
&
A
Marie-Laure Barrau, General Manager Northern Europe, Deluxe Deluxe
and
reopening, freight volume impacts and delays,
AFFIF (Association of Cannes Film Festival) in
localisation services for studios & local
provides
distribution
and a constantly shifting slate, we were able to
2021 as a board member. More recently, I have
indies, OTT platforms and content creators
quickly adapt and continue to provide services
been selected to be part of the Cesar Academy.
worldwide.
to our customers securely and efficiently. Our
I’m pleased to see that diversity in cinema, and
technology enabled us to operate remotely
especially technical services, is not simply a
CT: Please introduce yourself, your role for
when needed, and our global footprint allowed
buzzword, but that concrete actions are being
Deluxe and a bit about your background.
us to balance different workloads - having
taken and results can be seen.
As General Manager, I oversee our cinema
multiple facilities around the world meant we
operations in Northern Europe to ensure the
had the flexibility to pivot and move work
CT: What’s your favourite thing about
success of our customers’ national releases. We
around
working in the industry?
provide mastering and distribution services to
restrictions. This was a huge asset to our
I don’t have one single favourite thing, there are
distributors, ad agencies, sales agents and
customers, particularly when an emergency or
many, but I’d say, in a rough order: great people,
rights holders. With over 6,000 cinemas
a regional COVID-related crisis arose and we
great content, and lots of fun! I am not saying
connected to our global network, we are the
were still able to operate.
that there is no hard work, but we also have
during
the
changing
regional
leader in DCP electronic delivery (e-delivery).
many occasions to celebrate.
Our 13 globally-located facilities provide a
CT: What’s your proudest achievement to
managed service to our customers and local
date and why?
that we are never bored - each week, we have
support to cinemas.
For the past four years, I have been driven by
to prepare and manage dozens of new releases
the will to understand our customers’ needs
in each market. There is no other industry
I have spent most of my career in the audiovisual
industry.
To
sum
up
my
background, I have 20 years of experience in content production and distribution, an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for cinema, combined with a strong educational
What I find to be unique in this industry is
where you have such short and long life cycles,
“I’m pleased to see that diversity in cinema is not simply a buzzword”
background (HEC Paris). Four years ago, I
where you work on so many different projects and such a variety of content. Working in technical services we are in between the technical and distribution teams and we service distributors with the support of
joined Eclair Theatrical Services (ETS) as the
and make their lives as easy as possible. This
exhibitors. I see ourselves as a hidden but
Vice President of Sales which was my first job
was how I worked with my team on a live
essential link between both.
in the cinema industry. I joined the Deluxe
broadcast solution via IP, and this work we did
family after ETS was acquired by them in
was awarded the Innovation Prize from Cesar &
CT: What goal would you like to achieve in
November 2021.
Technique last January. It has been a long term
the next five years?
team effort to develop the infrastructure and
Cinema is evolving, and COVID has accelerated
CT: COVID brought about big changes to
workflow, and to source the right equipment to
changes in the way people watch movies and
the industry. How did it affect Deluxe’s
set up this service that enables us to stream live
consume content. As with many industries, the
operations?
content, either from a satellite feed or from IP to
business models of our industry are evolving.
IP in multicast.
Looking forward five years is difficult at the
Although
COVID
adversely
affected
the
industry for extended periods of time, it
Along with this great recognition from my
moment, but in this changing universe my
showed that cinema can evolve and it
peers, I joined the FICAM (Fédération des
goal is to stay focused on operational excellence
demonstrated the resilience of our operations
Industries du Cinéma, de l’Audiovisuel et du
and
and technology. With cinemas closing and
Multimédia) in 2020 as VP Feature Film and the
expanding our e-delivery footprint.
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customer
satisfaction,
alongside
www.cinematech.today
