From the oldest interviews I made to the latest one, find out in this page one of my favorite passion: Making people talk and film them while they are speaking.
These interviews were made before smartphone’s birth, with a digital camera, apart the latest one with a phone and without a professional mic or light (sometimes we need light, sometimes yes).
Fabrice Delobette’s interviews
I have always loved taking photos since I was 13 years old. I invested my savings in buying a 24×36 Nikon photo camera and took part of the photo club in Janson de Sailly high school wherein I had the opportunity to discover black and white prints. When I was graduated, I spent half summer to work as a cashier in a supermarket in south of France and invested in a black and white lab.
In the 90’s, it was quite tricky to make personal videos which lead me to keep taking photos until I had the opportunity to get a traineeship in 1996 at MCM, the French music channel in Paris. My life literally changed at this moment. I learnt how to shoot with a camera and above all how to edit which means how to direct interviews and televised short documentaries. A passion was born. A passion for image and interviews of people that I never forsake.
I spent two years during my law studies working for MCM and I decided to finish my studies rather than droping out my studies. I had to wait until 2006 to invest in buying a digital photo camera and a digital HD video camera, just before going to Cape Verde. I directed a 52′ documentary film (auto-produced), short videos, a demo for an actress, etc. and lately I advised a company as an (informal) artistic director for both how to communicate and how to direct interviews for social media and Youtube.
Eventually, I realized that I have always spent time with or close to journalists (for instance when I worked for the French TV news) or editors (TV press agency or cinema production company), which always inspired my personal work in directing or making interviews.
I had the chance to conduct these interviews on behalf of MCM, with a local cameraman from France 3. I was so proud, then I edited this news which was broadcasted, it is one of my first videos. Can you hear my voice-over?
This interview of this guy from Morocco was fun because he actually started in Arabic but eventually it was easier for him to make it in French. I’ll try to release the rushes.
This interview of Boujmaa Guilloul is litteraly for me a perfect balance between the need of the interviewer – I was expecting his reaction – and the generosity of its answer, relating what he thinks and what he sees at the same time.
When I met Matchu who is sat next to his father João, I naturally and instantly felt that this teenager was totally passioned by his favorite water sports (windsurfing and surfing) and his home spot, Ponta Preta.
When people trust you they can confide, such as announcing his dream, being world champion of his beloved sport, kitesurfing. And you know what? He became world champion! You can see an interview of him a few years later.
Sometimes people need to talk and give messages. My mere question was to present themselves and what the contest represent for them. The answers are astonishing and so deep for pretty young guys.
I loved the idea to manage to interview all the people who knew the trio of last video (Mitu Monteiro, Djo Silva, Titik Lopès).
Sometimes it’s great to get personal feeling of acquaintances, what they think of people in a genuine way. And I obviously appreciated my decision to interview all my “guests” in their native language.
There was no real question, it was freestyle, this guy from Brazil just wanted to talk and already knew what to say.
This interview of Match was prepared, with precise questions, and as I knew him for a long time, there was no stress during this shooting, Match was really easy going and he was so happy to talk in front of a camera, which is a very important point when you are with a video camera, you have a kind of power and you definitely attract people (at least those interested in being in the center of the situation).
This guy is one of my best friends, nevertheless he completely hates interviews. I insisted in making this ITW in his home and at the end he had a good flow, with a little of work though, which means that everybody can make it in front of a camera given that the person speak with his heart.
This video was made during the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, while I was presenting the Desertification Fresko, this guy participated at the fresko and show us his work that he made in his home country Mali, I ken he had a lot of things to say. I proposed him to make a short video for social media, even though I had no professional equipment such as a microphone (by the way, sound is as important as image, it is a basic rule in video making) or a good smartphone or light because it was totally cloudy and we can see the cold light on his face.
Written by Fabrice Delobette