Adrien Larouzée, Head of Digital Project Management at Arte
A 2007 graduate ofthe Licence professionnelle Project Management in Communication and Graphic Industries , Adrien Larouzée first founded "La Buanderie", a communications agency, before joiningARTE 's Digital Developmentdepartment in 2015, where he is nowHead of Digital Project Management.
You graduated in 2007. Can you tell us about your career path?
I was part of the first class of the Licence professionnelle (vocational diploma) in Project Management in Communication and Graphic Industries. The course prepared me for project management in the graphic industries in the broadest sense. That's where I met Romain Desmé , who later became my partner. We founded " La Buanderie ", a communications studio specializing in design creation and consultancy, straight out of school.
Romain came from a graphic arts and print background, while I had a digital background. Rather than go our separate ways as freelancers, we decided to work together. We ran the agency for 10 years.
In 2015, I felt like breaking new ground and joined ARTE France as a web project manager. At the time, it was essentially a matter of producing bimedia or transmedia devices designed to accompany the programs broadcast on the air to delve deeper or delinearize a subject on other screens.
The business has undergone a significant transformation, and today we tend to produce stand-alone works.
In 2022, I became head of digital project management. I coordinate a team of project managers who support producers, studios and authors of digital creations throughout their projects.
We work as much on in-house projects, such as ARTE radio, as we do on interactive experiences or auteur video games proposed to us. " Type: Rider ", one of the first video game projects to be supported by digital development, was created by GOBELINS alumni.
Once we've co-produced and supported the authors, we put them in touch with the public, which is what we call publishing.
"To Hell With The Hugly" - game co-produced by ARTE France and La Poule Noire, 2023
What does your job involve?
Within Arte's Digital Development department, we produce programs for other platforms (Youtube, social networks...) as well asinnovative or R&D programs. We explore new uses and innovations to enable ARTE's editorial line to be expressed on screens other than TV.
When I started out, my job was above all tosupport producers, authors and studios in the design of their projects, making sure they met ARTE's quality objectives, schedule and budget... relatively classic project manager missions applied to highly protean projects (mobile application, service website, events, video game, linear virtual reality experience...).
ARTE is well known for its documentaries, but the channel also produces a huge amount of fiction, all of which reflect an auteur vision. Our aim is to guarantee the quality of this editorial line in all our productions, whatever their destination platform.
I now also coordinate theediting and distribution of interactive works. In response to changing usage patterns, we are constantly learning how to distribute our content on new platforms.
For example, when Tiktok or Twitch became popular in France, we immediately started thinking about programs that could be adapted to the uses and grammar of these networks.
Similarly, when we put a video game online, it's not just a matter of posting it on the ARTE website, we also have to offer it on the most widely used purchasing platforms.
We take great care over the user experience.UX is what makes our team so expert, and what enables us to guarantee our public service mission: to reach users.
"Gloomy Eyes", animated VR film by Fernando Maldonado and Jorge Tereso, 2021
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Each project challenges our knowledge and habits. Platforms, uses and grammars are constantly evolving, as are user paths, and this has an impact on the way we design and distribute projects. It's a very exciting job because it's different every day.
I'm lucky enough to work on very creative, innovative projects. Each of the projects I work on is meaningful. Users come away from the experience with a new outlook on the world, on art, on an author... I think that's what public service is all about, offering experiences and stories that benefit the community.
How has the MPCIG degree helped you in your career and in your current position?
The original idea behind the degree, at least for the first two classes, was toaccompany change in the graphic arts industry. For the printers' unions, offset printing was going to have to adapt very quickly to the changes brought about by digital printing if it was to survive. So a large part of our courses focused onchange management.
I often find echoes of the license in my work. In the digital development department, we're constantly having to think about and adapt to changes in usage.
Supporting a European public service TV channel in its digital projects and helping it to become a reference in the publishing of auteur video games, that's change management!
The degree also taught me project management , and of course it was at GOBELINS that I met my partner. It was a real springboard for my entrepreneurial adventure.
Some video games co-produced by ARTE
What projects are you working on?
We currently support various types of project:
- Events: we organized a Game Jam at the beginning of the year, for example, which brought together students and video game professionals for a week-end.
- Research and Development" projects, leading us to explore the uses ofAI in audiovisual and public service applications, or metavers...
- XR and video game projects , such as the 2D adventure game " To Hell With the Ugly " , which we released in May. We have 8 video game productions and virtual reality experiences in progress.
We have nearly 20 projects in our catalog, which we edit and animate by taking part in festivals and markets, and by meeting students in schools...
"To Hell With The Hugly" - game co-produced by ARTE France and La Poule Noire, 2023
What is the game plan that has impressed you the most?
I could talk about our latest project, " To Hell With The Hugly ". It's just been released on all video game platforms at the same time, a first for Arte. It's available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch... it's the broadest and most ambitious version of the publishing activity I've created at Arte, and it's a kind of achievement in itself.
The game is artistically very sophisticated. It opens a new chapter for ARTE, and the productions currently in progress are more or less in the same vein.
It's also a highly original project, adapted from a novel by Boris Vian. It's the first time a video game has been based on his work.
You're also a musician. Can you tell us more about that?
It's basically a hobby, I've always made electronic music and recently I started producing music for video games. My hobbies and my career end up mixing a bit.
I think that's why I like working at ARTE so much. We have a lot of freedom, we can let our creative juices flow. I'm a project manager, but I'm really committed to creation, and I can show that off.
Do you also produce podcasts?
Yes, I'm part of the "Vaisseau Hyper Sensas" collective, an associative group of podcasts with a common editorial line. We pool our resources, our audiences, our know-how...
I'm mainly a producer and director, notably on " Comic Outcast ", a podcast about comic book culture.
We operate mainly thanks to the support of our community of listeners. Participatory financing enables us to develop our business, cover certain technical costs and, above all, rent a studio.
What advice would you give to a recent graduate?
Stay curious! Methods, tools and practices change very quickly. When I recruit someone, whatever their background, that's the first thing I check.
Our professions are constantly evolving, so you have to stay on top of things.
Interview by Sophie Jean
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