by Harold Valentin , published on 28.08.2009

At France 2, one of the first attempts at cross media in prime time fiction was done with a specialized agency on the second season of Clara Sheller, which started off with a double handicap: three years separating it from the first season and a completely different casting. The system was mostly based on promotion but rather fun: launch party for bloggers four months before the first broadcast – with six shows running from 7pm to 2am in the beautiful offices built by Renzo Piano for EMI, the label behind the soundtrack; creation of a website with anonymous interviews about the characters of the first season; a game around the theme “we are all Clara Sheller” and the creation of a digital wall with the faces of those who had answered; a game to win a sushi dinner party with the actress who would be taking over the part, Zoe Felix, etc… until the first two episodes were made available for free online 8 days before the broadcast (about 30 000 views).

Le blog de Clara Sheller

Six months later, for the launch of “Fais pas ci, fais pas ça” (“Don’t do this, don’t do that”), we had the intention of launching one webisode per week for two months before the broadcast… but unfortunately, time was not on the authors’ side… ; since ABC had bought the rights, we still tried – with relative success – to create a buzz around the launch of the series in the US, with English excerpts of the actors dubbing themselves… so French! In any case, we understood that next time, the cross media aspect must be thought out from the start, on the same bases, but with regards for the uses linked to each medium. How? Hmmm…to be continued. But one thing is for sure: faced with American competition, the aging of the audience and the de-linerization of consumption, French fiction must reinforce its connection with the audience: identification, attachment to the characters, emotional connection, dramatic art, length of the series but also the interaction with the audience; and this is where the cross media universe is very open. Collaborations will no doubt be necessary to change our work habits, and that can really be very exciting.