"A SI Grand Sun": behind the scenes of the impressive stock of decorations from France Télévisions

The studios of such a great sun in Vendargues, near Montpellier (Hérault), are home to a huge Ali Baba cave.On giant shelves, patches inherited from the old factory that lodged here, are stored with countless furniture and objects of all kinds.The statue of a soldier, the brand of a police station, the panel of a town, a tricolor fire, or lighting, dishes and meals in mess.

This is where the France TV Studio team finds all the elements that constitute the sets of France 2. But not only.This place, unique in the south of France, is also open to other productions of the group, such as Cassandre, Mongeville or Alex Hugo.And, of course, more beautiful life.Everything is stored here, once the shoots are finished.And, regularly, trucks loaded with finds leave Vendargues, direction Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), to build new sets for the daily soap opera of France 3.

This stock, it is still difficult to quantify it.But his manager undertook his specific SEO.Soon everything will be accessible on a database.With details that are important, such as size or weight.Simpler, to respond to the requests of the decorator chief.And also for shooting teams, who can do their shopping, like a real online store."I took 1,400 furniture in photo, and I'm not even half of it," she says.It can be estimated that there are about 3,000.And accessories, there are thousands of them, no doubt.But he always has needs.We lack modern, for example, at the moment.Then to enrich the stock, the French Televisions teams crisscross the flea markets and garage sales, the Emmaüs, or use it directly in the stores.

"I swore refrigerators"

The other part of Laurence Astier's job is the Retape.In her workshop, with her team, she repairs and transforms lots of objects."I tighten, I pick up, I repain," she says.I recently made a jeweler's workbench with an office.I cut furniture, too, on the back, often, to let a camera pass.Or I swore refrigerators or washing machines, so that they weigh less.»»

In her office, Laurence Astier houses some treasures.Fetish, fragile objects, which do not sleep on the huge shelves of the hangar, like the others.In particular very old cameras, which she loves.And she readily entrusts it, if she was not there, behind the sets of such a great sun, she would be ... flea market.