From in front of the camera to behind the camera (while remaining in front of the camera): Frédéric Pierre's successful gamble
Article presented by Mondel, l'Atelier du Cinéma
Interview by Bellande Montour
With 32 years in the business, Frédéric Pierre is a well-known actor and comedian among Quebec audiences. After a brief foray as co-writer of 2 hilarious sketches, Police de repentigny and En audition avec Siméon, presented at Bye Bye 2020, Frédéric got the green light from Radio-Canada to produce his own series depicting the daily life of a Haitian family. It's a dream he's cherished for over 20 years! His wish was for all the main roles to be played by black people (because of the Haitian family), but he soon realized that to make the most of his project, the production would also have to be directed by a member of that same community. After careful consideration, he accepted the challenge of producing Lakay Nou himself, and enlisted a solid team to accompany him on this adventure. Frédéric wears many hats in this series: executive producer, lead writer and actor (lead role). How did he manage to bring this project to fruition? Find out in this interview!
What was the process of going from actor to writer to producer for your first TV series?
I've been an actor for a very long time and I've always worked to advance the cause of diversity in my profession. I've often been the only black person on a film set, and I've always wanted to change that sad fact. I've sat on a number of committees bringing together many players in the audiovisual industry. Together, we tried to find solutions to ensure a better presence of under-represented communities on screen and behind the scenes, but always with mixed results.
Although things have evolved, I realized that as an actor only, I would never have the influence over my stories that a screenwriter can have. What's more, decision-making power would never be in my hands, as it is as a producer. The desire to be accompanied by mentors in these two fields of expertise was therefore a necessary step in the evolution of my career.
I'd read tons of screenplays in my life, but I'd never written one! Thanks to Catherine Souffront, Angelo Cadet and Marie-Hélène Lebeau-Taschereau for their contribution to the writing and rewriting of Lakay Nou. Being criticized isn't easy... It's the same with the producer's role, I understood its importance, but to be in those shoes, it's another level that I had to learn with twinning and on-the-job coaching. I'm very happy to have made this journey, because the series wouldn't have had the same energy if all these elements hadn't been led mainly by people from the community.
Why was it so important for you to have a set (in front of and behind the camera) made up of a majority of black people?
From the start of the project, I knew that the series had to have a unique feel, and to do that, I needed to be surrounded by the best in the black artistic community. I wanted to create an optimal environment for the actors and give diversity professionals the opportunity to work behind the scenes. In total, we managed to have over 100 black people on the team, including the cast and extras. Of this number, 15 to 20 people worked on the set behind the camera. A first in the Quebec TV industry, and I'm very proud of it!
In my opinion, the first important positions to be filled were the magic trio: hairdresser, costume designer and make-up artist. You pass through the hands of these essential people before you're ready to shoot. It's our own little moment of relaxation, and if the energy of this team isn't ideal, the actors' days don't get off to the best start. A little anecdote: in my entire career, in terms of make-up artists, I'd only found one black make-up artist, Joe Pat, who was able to do my make-up without making me gray or orange (laughs). I hadn't seen her in 17 years, but I absolutely wanted her as my chief make-up artist, and she took the job! All the actors could then be themselves before the camera turned on. They didn't have to explain the particularities of their skin, hair or body. An atmosphere of brotherhood and letting go was sealed right from the start of the adventure.
What's more, having Angelo Cadet as assistant art director alongside Christian Légaré, he was able to bring a precise eye to the angles I wanted to give the series, preventing it from becoming folkloric or caricatured.
Do you encourage the young and not-so-young in our community to get involved in technical professions behind the camera?
Yes, 100%, especially if the person really feels it's a vocation they see themselves undertaking. In our communities, wanting to become an artist or work in the field is often perceived as a job... it's not serious enough, but quite the opposite! We have laws, unions and benefits to protect us so we can make a living from our passion. I myself had to stand up to my father to become an actor, because he didn't think it was an interesting career choice. I'm glad I persevered, but it's obvious that we're lagging behind in terms of experience in this industry, since we're often under-represented and under-qualified compared to the Caucasian majority who've been in it for many years.
So, yes, these professions are valid and very relevant if we want to change the future for generations to come. I'd also encourage parents to be more open to these professions, and to allow their children to explore professions other than doctor, nurse and lawyer (laughs).
With Productions Jumelage, our goal is to help professionalize people of diversity with effective matches that accelerate our talent's learning curve. There's nothing like learning alongside mentors and professionals who want to see you succeed!
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Lakay Nou
The Lakay Nou series is available on ICI TOU.TV EXTRA and will be broadcast on ICI TÉLÉ.
To see the series: https: //ici.tou.tv/lakay-nou
Mondel, l'Atelier du Cinéma
Are you interested in the technical professions of cinema and television? Discover the training courses offered by Mondel, l'Atelier du Cinéma: https: //mondel.ca/