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Revision as of 21:57, 29 December 2007 by Gabriel Surette (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For a definition of the phrase "tête à claques", see the Wiktionary entry tête à claques.| Type of site | Humour website |
|---|---|
| Available in | Quebec French |
| Owner | Michel Beaudet |
| Created by | Michel Beaudet |
| URL | www.tetesaclaques.tv |
Têtes à claques is a French-language Canadian humour website created on August 16 2006. Over one million short videos are watched per day, making it one of the most popular francophone websites in Quebec and Canada. As of October 2007, there are 60 videos, the most popular include Le pilote, Le Willi Waller and Halloween.
The creator, Michel Beaudet, has expressed surprise at the popularity of his site, and has said it has reached a size he would never have dreamed of.
Description
The skits feature characters sculpted from modelling clay that are fairly simplistic. Michel Beaudet creates the figures himself, and superimposes his own moving eyes and mouth on their faces using a computer. This gives them their characteristically disproportioned appearance. In addition, Beaudet has a box of fake, grotesque teeth, which he puts in while his face is being filmed. The phrase tête à claques translates loosely as "a face you want to slap."
The site has also become very popular in France, not only because of the intentional humour and wit, but also because of a stereotypical Quebec French pronunciation, which differs greatly from pronunciations used in France, as well as the frequent anglicisms (English words or expressions inserted into speech).
History
Beaudet has said that "Têtes à claques was an accident." He was originally trying to make a series using stop motion animation, but quickly discovered that "90% of the time it takes to animate is spent moving the eyes and mouth." He tried doing it the regular way, but because he was "too lazy" he decided to film his own face and superimpose his eyes and mouth on the figurines.
Every day, Beaudet receives new offers from telephone companies and television stations. Incidentally, the first offer was from a French, not Canadian company. The popularity has surged to the point that he has employed two other people, Simon Parizeau and Hugo Caron, to help with the production at his home in Boucherville. Work is underway to convert Têtes à claques to formats viewable on cell phones and iPods. Beaudet has recently admitted that making English versions of the comedy shorts is in his "game plan". Currently, Vertigo Candy is using Beaudet's animation and voice talent as advertising on its front page.
On November 12 2006, the creators appeared on the Quebec television show Tout le monde en parle (Everyone's Talking About It) hosted by Guy A. Lepage. During the interview, it came up that the site has become so popular that many employers have blocked their employees from accessing it. It has also been censored in numerous schools across Canada.
On February 1, 2007, Têtes à claques announced a partnership with Bell Canada to provide videos and other media on Bell Mobility, Sympatico and ExpressVu services
For the 2007 Christmas season, Têtes à claques has started pre-sales of its Region 1 DVDs. The DVD includes the first 45 clips, the history of Têtes à claques and character bios, as well as English and French subtitles.
References
- Michel Beaudet (2007). "FAQ". tetesaclaques.tv (in French). Retrieved 2007-01-08.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|1=and|2=(help) - TVA (2006). "Michel Beaudet Interview". Interview (in French). Retrieved 2007-01-08.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - Guy A. Lepage, Michel Beaudet (12 Nov 2006). Tout le monde en parle (TV-Series) (in French). Boucherville, QC: Radio-Canada.
- "Bell Canada first to give Canadians a laugh with the Têtes à claques phenomenon". 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
- Têtes à claques. "Boutique Têtes à claques DVD-Volume 1" (in French). Retrieved 2007-10-16.
External links
- Template:Fr icon www.tetesaclaques.tv The official site
- Template:Fr icon The creators of Têtes à claques on the show Tout le monde en parle