“Producing a film always involves a mix of the subject, the artistic vision and the impact you create in the market”, Antoine Playoust (EDHEC 2018), film producer
How do you get to be a film producer? How do you go from being a simple spectator to an expert in the mechanics of film production? In this interview, film producer Antoine Playoust (EDHEC 2018) discusses his background, his links with film and the realities of his profession. He also shares the reasons that convinced him to produce his second full-length film, Qui Brille au Combat, directed by Joséphine Japy.
Can you tell us a bit about your background, from your time at EDHEC up to your current role of film producer?
Right after graduating from EDHEC in 2018, I teamed up with Nicolas Tzpine (EDHEC 2015) and my brother to set up Cowboys, an advertising agency specialised in creating advertising films and photos for luxury brands. Building on this expertise, we then opened a cinema film department in 2021. Today I handle the operational management aspects, while also working as a producer. We started by producing six short films in 18 months, then followed up with our first full-length film, La Récréation de Juillet, while a second, Qui Brille au Combat, is currently showing in cinemas.
Does your interest in film go back to your days at EDHEC?
I’ve always loved film, but as a student at EDHEC my professional goal was more to set up something in the cultural field. The idea of film came later on, though naturally because my partners and I wanted to do something in that area, even though we didn’t know what it entailed in practice.
Has your vision of film changed since you’ve been a producer?
Yes, it’s gone from being a simple pleasure as a spectator to a profession! I’ve discovered the mechanics of film production and the complexity of making a film. It’s reinforced my admiration for film-directing, to the extent that it’s now hard for me to say anything bad about a film: I’m too aware of what’s involved in getting to a finished product. You’re constantly navigating between two visions, the spectator’s and the filmmaker’s.
How would you define your profession of film producer?
The producer is the only person who’s there right throughout a film project, from the idea stage to the film’s release in cinemas. First of all, we work on the artistic aspect with the writers and the director, so as to build a solid proposition that’s coherent with the market, After that, we raise the necessary financing. We need to make a convincing case that the film will find its audience. In some ways, I’m the film’s first spectator.
How do you learn to be a film producer?
The artistic part relies on instinct and taste, but the financing aspect is linked to my studies, i.e. analysing a market, identifying the strengths of a “product”, putting together a budget and managing a project. Making and producing films is an industry, with a pronounced legal and financial dimension. My studies gave me the tools to structure all these different aspects. Nonetheless, to be able to persevere in this artistic and sensitive universe, you need to be passionate about what you do. Experience also counts for a lot: you learn by doing. You start with shorts, then a first full-length film, followed by a second with a bigger budget. Each stage’s a baptism of fire.
Why did you decide to produce Qui Brille au Combat?
We were immediately touched by the subject: a rare illness and a difficult diagnosis, but especially a universal story about a family, sisterly relations, a couple and how a family evolves in the face of these challenges. The film also has a pronounced political and social dimension. It highlights the day-to-day reality of a family living with a child with a disability. It was important for us to show this story.
We were also attracted by the director’s vision. Right from the first discussions, we were aligned in terms of artistic ambition. Lastly, we were convinced the market would respond positively to the project. Producing a film always involves a mix of the subject, the artistic vision and the impact you create in the market.
What’s the key factor that makes you decide to produce a film?
Desire. You have to have a real desire to fight for a film over several years. Producing a film is a four-year combat. You’ve got to be 1,000%-convinced that the film needs to exist.
How do you see your future?
Continuing to tell stories, whether in the advertising field or through cinema films, and exploring hybrid formats. Funding originating from the traditional cinema ecosystem will no longer be enough to produce films. Our idea is to create synergies between our two activities, advertising and cinema, in order to devise new models and new formats.
Qui Brille au Combat, in cinemas since 31 December 2025
Directed by: Joséphine Japy
Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Angelina Woreth, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Sarah Pachoud, Félix Kysyl
