ATM: What are some strategies you sought out to use in this film?

Alain: It was not only from a business point of view when deciding to do the project. It was also more because we liked the project. It was the first time we were going to work production in Canada. It was quite a big challenge. We were planning to shoot it in Canada and make the post-production here in Europe. It is quite interesting doing a production between Canada and Belgium about a subject related to the United States. The script was very great. We fell in love with it. I was familiar with the director before.

ATM: Does the trading behavior in America in any way correlate with the trading behavior in Belgium?

Alain: Hybrid trading comes from America. But the action could take place in America, Europe, and all over the world. America is the capital chain. If you want to relate it to the movie, then you have to relate to Wall Street. It is the kind of thing people think all over the world. Wall Street is known all over the world. I heard recently the high trading frequencies infrastructure in the film are now in Belgium too. So, you could have done this film there if you wanted to.  

ATM: A lot of people want to get into the industry. The entertainment industry is all about imagination. The people who are aspiring to break into this business need to understand the film business from all aspects. They need to understand marketing, public relations, legal, and finance. The business and administrative makes you understand how everything is done. So, an analogy is looking at the production as blue-collar work and the administrative side white collar work but different than the conventional 9 to 5 blue-collar work.

Alain: I see. So, the way we produced this is considered both. We are focused on the artistic side, but also on the financial and legal side. This is one part of the job, and then it is artistry. You must secure the financing and the legal sides. After you do this, you have to look after the artistic side. We have some good directors to take care of the artistic side. As the producer, if you hire the best people who are the heads of departments, then you can secure the artistic side.

ATM: What could be considered stressful and time-consuming while working on the legal side of the film?

Alain: It is a 13-million-dollar budget. So, it is stressful having all these people putting the money together. They are doing a big closing. They must make sure all the money is there. It takes a very long time to make the closing. The main producer of the film is Canadian. He has 80% of the IPs. It was stressful for him because he needs the funds to start the shoot and the actors were already attached on the project

ATM: Ok so. . . Wait are those clouds behind you on the wall?

Alain: Yes. I am leaving for the holiday tomorrow morning. It is already night here in Europe. I am not in my office. I am just in this room because of the computer.

ATM: But why are there clouds on the blue walls?

Alain: I have children, and they used to sleep in here.

ATM: You turned their room into an office?

Alain: Yes. They sleep upstairs now. I do not usually work down here.

ATM: Be expected for someone always to ask.

Alain: When I started, I was like she is going to notice it.

ATM: This is a way to use your imagination.

Alain: Are you going to say I am drinking wine?

ATM: No, I am not. Wait, are you drinking wine?

Alain: Yes. I am drinking wine. It is Friday night here. I am leaving on the Holiday tomorrow morning.

ATM: What kind of wine are you drinking?

Alain: White wine from Italy. It is a nice wine.

ATM: What year is it?

Alain: 2017. It is a young wine. It is Friday night only. I do not drink on the job.

ATM: I know you do not drink on the job. I never thought this.

Alain: It is called Winter Holiday here. So, do you all have the same holiday?

ATM: No. Just a regular Friday in America. Why are you now crawling on the floor?

Alain: I just need to charge my phone. My phone was just on the plug. Here is my daughter.

ATM: Hello. What is her name? I do not want just to call her “daughter.”

Alain: Cleo.

ATM: She looks just like you.

Alain: Her name comes from Sofia Coppola’s movie Somewhere.

ATM: So, in the finance and legal perspective how do you use your imagination?

Alain: We use it a lot. You have to frame a contract and legal structure. When you need to produce a film, it never turns out how you want it to on the finance side. You have to play with Belgium, Canadian, and other rules to make sure it goes on screen. ATM: How does the legal and financial side intertwine with each other?

Alain: I am not sure I understand.

ATM: Ok. You have two shirts on right now. They are connected. So, at what point does finance and legal connect like your shirt.

Alain: Oh, I see. They connect all the time. You can even think about them as twins. When making legal decisions, it has an impact on the finance side all the time. When you connect with an actor or providers, it has legal decisions. The legal has a deep impact.

ATM: Is there any difference as to how the legal and the finance is moderated in the film compared to the commercial industry.

Alain: There is a huge difference. When I am working on commercials, we were talking about euros. Here we are talking about a project of 13 million dollars. It is much more than a one- or two-day shoot.