NFB, ARTE France launch ‘Bar Code’

October 6, 2011 by Kelly Anderson

ARTE NFB

With ‘Bar Code,’ an innovative webdoc platform, the National Film Board of Canada and ARTE France are presenting 100 films from 30 Canadian and European directors, which aim to provide a new spin on everyday objects.

Billed as the first mobile and interactive webdoc, the international and trilingual (English, French and German) interactive audiovisual work has users scan or search an object around them, which launches a short film that may change the way people look at that object.

‘Bar Code’ was created under a copro agreement between the NFB and ARTE France, to create two interactive works in two years. It is available on both a website, barcode.tv, and via an iPhone app.

Over time, ‘Bar Code’ will expand as users contribute their own stories about objects.

“This collaboration was not born of financial or technical need but rather of a real desire to innovate,” said Hugues Sweeney, NFB producer, and David Carzon, head of ARTE France’s web department. “We asked the following questions: By sharing our respective expertise, how could we push the boundaries of the interactive documentary? How could we achieve a breakthrough in the genre? ‘Bar Code,’ whose form and content are one, transcends the screen by encouraging its users to look around themselves and see things differently.”

‘Bar Code’ is produced by Hugues Sweeney, Rob McLaughlin and Loc Dao of the NFB, and Joël Ronez, Marianne Levy-Leblond and David Carzon of ARTE France, with Dominique Willieme acting as project manager. Also involved are Juliette Guigon and Patrick Winocour of Quark, assisted by Dan Weingrod as line producer, Pascal Brouard providing direction and coordination, and Philippe Archontakis and the Departement.ca team handling art direction and programming.

Tags: Arte France, Bar Code, National Film Board of Canada, NFB