Tuesday April 4, Cédric Klapisch produced the clip for singer Aliocha in Ville d’Avray, in the Paris suburbs. A day of filming to capture the first track from the artist’s new album, “Avant elle”, which will be released this Wednesday.
“Hello, come in, welcome!”. All smiles, the young blond artist Aliocha opens the door of the huge villa where he has given us an appointment. It’s 10:30 a.m. and filming has already started several hours ago. Cameras and floodlights are in place and pointing towards the stairwell. The singer is about to play one of the sequences of the clip: in the role of the chilled lover, he hesitates to knock on the apartment of the girl he loves. “Shall we resume? Silence, please”exclaims Cédric Klapisch, installed behind the camera closest to the steps. “Engine. Music”. Teams only have one day to make the video for Alyosha’s new song, before her. Months of preparation and days of editing went into making the clip.
Team work
Behind the singer, several people are busy so that the day goes as well as possible and does not fall behind. A chief operator assists the director, manages the number of takes and monitors the clock. She ensures the smooth running of the shoot and has to adapt to last-minute changes. “I have an idea to submit to you”launches Aliocha to Cédric Klapisch with a knowing look. “As I try to see through the peephole in the door, someone might pass behind me with a suitcase or a bag in their hand. What do you think?”. The proposal is validated and the teams rush to put it into shape. A handful of minutes later, an assistant improvises herself as an extra. “This kind of day is quite relaxed”entrusts us the producer of Cédric Klapisch. “It’s done in a good mood. Overall, we’re all used to working together”.
The shooting is divided into three sequences: the first shows the protagonist wandering in the lobby of a building. The second is a breakup scene in an apartment. Finally, the third features a big party with friends organized in a large living room. For the sequence to be fast and efficient, several weeks of preparation were necessary. We had to find a place that could accommodate these different atmospheres. The production was responsible for this mission and the purchase of the sets. “We also needed about twenty extras”adds the producer.
For the choice of outfits, the costume designer also went through a series of steps. “I spoke with Cédric to find out what he wanted to say. Then I sent him moodboards with the combinations of styles and colors I had thought of”, tells us the costume designer. “Some of the clothes that are there come directly from Alyosha’s wardrobe, or from my stocks. In a clip, there is not as much budget as in a film: we rarely collaborate with brands and we buy fewer clothes”.
Double hat
At the origin of this day of filming, a series directed by Cédric Klapisch: Greek salad, released on Prime Video, April 14. Alyosha plays the main role, that of a young man who goes to live in Athens. “It’s great to be able to do this clip project with Cédric, I feel like I’m in the family. I’m comfortable with his team and we understand each other well”, explains the artist who spent more than a year with them. Aliocha has already released two albums, the last of which Naked was released in 2020. In this new disc, scheduled for next fall, he sings for the first time in French. “It’s a real challenge!”
Like his brother Niels Schneider, Aliocha also has a long acting career. He notably played for Quebec television and in the series of films by Christian Laurence, Aurélie Laflamme’s diary. This is the first time he has collaborated with Cédric Klapisch, with whom he is now a friend. It is in this capacity that the latter wished to help him for his clip. “I haven’t done many, it’s maybe the 4th or the 5th”says the director. “It’s also funny as an exercise. Because we are in the service of sound and yet, we film without noise”. After this intense day of filming, a month of editing was necessary for the clip to see the light of day. A result to watch and listen to right here: