Comédie-Française
Théâtre à la table

Context

I have worked for two consecutive seasons, 2024 and 2025, as lead technical operator on filming for the Comédie-Française, in partnership with Kronos Productions, Clément Gaubert's company that handles all the institution's video filming.

Across these two seasons, dozens of performances have been filmed: the recurring Théâtre à la table programme, and each year Molière's anniversary broadcast live on the Comédie-Française YouTube channel. Salle Richelieu for the major events, Vieux-Colombier and Studio-Théâtre for the Théâtre à la table sessions.

Théâtre à la table, an unusual format

Launched in November 2020 by the Comédie-Française during theatre closures, Théâtre à la table has since become a fully fledged programme of the institution. Close to 40 productions to date. The principle: a cast prepares a play in five days, opening up the table reading work, the very first stage of rehearsals, focused on finding meaning.

As Clément Gaubert, the director of the format, puts it: "It's not classic theatre filming, we're making a film around a play designed for video." In practice, the codes of traditional theatre filming are reversed. The cameras are not pointed at the audience, they are placed all around the table to capture the exchange of glances between actors. The direction favours reaction shots (the faces listening) over the one speaking. Editing is done live, simultaneous filming and editing.

My role: lead technical operator

On these setups, Clément Gaubert is the director. My role is different and complementary: I am the lead technical operator. I make the entire technical filming setup work. Camera architecture, SDI distribution, production gallery, network management, on-site coordination of the camera operators. Everything that has to work technically so Clément can direct with peace of mind.

When the setup includes a live broadcast, as for Molière's anniversary on YouTube, I take on a second role: streaming operator. I handle the full encoding and broadcast chain, from the gallery output to the destination platform. Wearing both hats is what lets me work effectively on these setups: knowing both video filming and streaming is valuable when the two worlds meet live.

Constraints

• A national institution with demanding standards: the Comédie-Française is one of the oldest theatre institutions in the world. The expected technical standards match those of a professional production, not those of a typical event filming session.
• Live filming and editing: on the Théâtre à la table sessions, editing happens live during the performance. Every source has to be permanently stable and synchronised.
• YouTube live broadcast for Molière's anniversary: the institution's most high-profile annual event, broadcast live to tens of thousands of online viewers. The feed must hold end to end.
• Working with and around the actors: the company's actors are on stage. The technical setup has to be designed never to disrupt their performance, visually or sonically.

The setup

A team of around ten technicians

On every filming session, the technical team is made up of around ten people: Clément Gaubert directing, several camera operators, a director of photography and colourist (Tristan Brachet on many productions), a partner sound team, a stage manager, and myself coordinating the technical filming setup.

On this kind of production, human coordination matters as much as technical mastery. Every operator must know precisely what's expected of them at every moment, every source must be ready when the gallery needs it, every technical incident must be resolved without interrupting the shoot. It's a job of technical conducting.

Molière's anniversary, the highlight of every season

Every year, the Comédie-Française celebrates Molière's anniversary with an exceptional event bringing the entire company together on the Salle Richelieu stage. The evening is broadcast live on YouTube and on the institution's social networks. It is the most emblematic event of the annual calendar.

On this event, I wear both hats simultaneously: lead technical operator for the filming, streaming operator for the live broadcast. The pressure is high, the window is unique, but that's exactly what makes these evenings unforgettable.

Results

• Over two years of ongoing collaboration with Kronos Productions and the Comédie-Française, across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
• Dozens of performances filmed across the three theatres: Richelieu, Vieux-Colombier, Studio-Théâtre.
• Molière's anniversary broadcast live every year on YouTube.
• Online recordings on the Comédie-Française website and YouTube channel, freely accessible to the public.

What I take away

Working for the Comédie-Française means working for one of the oldest theatre institutions in the world, founded in 1680 under Louis XIV. The historical weight of the venue and the company can be felt at every filming session. And even after dozens of performances over two seasons, I still feel the same pride going up to the Salle Richelieu.

The most striking memory: at the end of one Molière anniversary evening, with the whole company gathered on stage for the curtain call, I slipped backstage and saw all the actors posing together facing the auditorium. That kind of moment doesn't show up on a service description, but it's what makes this work irreplaceable.

On this kind of mission, the lead technical operator's role isn't spectacular. It's in the shadows, by design. But that very behind-the-scenes craftsmanship, made of human coordination and anticipating needs, is what lets a director like Clément Gaubert focus on the direction and the actors play with peace of mind. That's the kind of discreet, demanding service for which institutions renew their technical providers from one season to the next.