Friday, October 13. It’s 6:34 PM. Olivier Orsini is smiling. He has just finished the piece assigned to him: the game and its peculiarities on this Friday the 13th. Six minutes later, Sophie records the weather. The journal is finally complete. It will be broadcast at 6:50 PM. The day has been very long for Olivier and Jacques, his junior reporter. Besides his report, he must present the journal. A double mission.
A little flashback. It’s 9:05 AM. The editorial meeting begins. Olivier is already smiling, as he often does. Happy to be there and happy to have to do what he needs to do. This profession is his passion. He is only on a temporary contract, but it doesn’t matter. Today, like the day before, he will go on a report and deliver a little piece of information to the viewers in Nice.
Véronique Lupo-Manuguerra, on her part, is already in the field to introduce the piano tuner of the city of Nice. Olivier and Valérie Munch await Malik’s proposals before suggesting their ideas. Three reports in the field and four briefs need to be assigned. The news is not abundant. The weekend is approaching. The city council is happening nearby, but by editorial consensus, it won’t be useful to attend. Olivier takes charge of the “recurring topic” of the day, in this case, Friday the 13th. Véronique will soon report back on her piano tuner story. Malik suggests for Valérie: either the law on the recognition of the Armenian genocide or the Hard Rock Festival at the Nikaïa Hall 700, while staying ready to head to the town hall just in case. Hard Rock will win, even though Valérie isn’t really in favor, but the chief managed to be persuasive.
With the “meeting” over, it’s time for the journalists to think about their angles, find the authorizations to enter and film inside the casinos. Olivier writes his journal and introductions.
Olivier and Jacques head to the basement, pack the equipment into the Clio, and rush to the pedestrian street. The brief parking hardly masks their urgency. Jacques chooses his angles, and Olivier rehearses. The conditions are not easy. The duo has to brave the hazards of a busy street. Some impromptu laughter from passersby disrupts the presentation, but with some effort, the journal is in the can. Destination: Casino Ruhl. Pierre Compagnon, the Marketing Director, briefs them. A series of prohibitions are stated: no filming the jackpot, no interviewing clients who, anyway, refuse to discuss their vices. The two journalists sense a trap. With diplomacy, courtesy, and smiles, with the camera aiding and the prospect of some publicity, everything will be allowed. The director agrees to an interview, exceptionally opens the gaming room, and answers all questions without pretense. Two Italian players and two elderly people become spokespersons of this exploration into the gaming world. In the end, despite how complicated everything seemed, Olivier Orsini has largely achieved what he hoped to find. In the afternoon, at another casino in the city of Nice at the Palais de la Méditerranée, the head of communications will do everything possible to ease the task for France3 reporters. She finds Georgette and Elisabeth, chatty clients playing along. The ticket is a winner and adds a supplement and complement to the morning sequence. It’s 3:30 PM. Two shots, of clovers and a canine droppings in the garden below the venue, illustrate the report effectively. The topic “Friday the 13th at the casino” is complete.
Perfectionists, they decide to go to La Française des Jeux. The manager, Olivier Nérac, has just responded to M6, the competitors. “The boss will be happy!” exclaims Olivier Orsoni. He gathers interesting figures to fill the “statistics” theme. A player shares her tale of the day: her daughter was born on Friday the 13th, and she buys 13 tickets. Olivier and Jacques cover a few meters and head to the offices. It’s 4:30 PM. Jacques’s day is over. Olivier must now piece together his topic, which will be edited by Thomas. Unfortunately, not everything is that simple, and journalism proves once again to be the job of the unpredictable. The Opposition has stirred things up at the city council. Valérie Munch was present.
The report on the piano tuner is replaced. Olivier must redo his journal. He goes up to the terraces of the building and starts his presentation again. “It happens one time out of two,” reassures Malik.
No comfort for Olivier, who won’t be able to dawdle to finish his subject. He has over fifteen minutes to watch. He selects key phrases and impactful ones that will catch attention and provide information. Thomas chooses images that will align with the voice-over. They must match Olivier’s speaking rate. Thomas is used to it. After three attempts, the topic is finally wrapped up. It’s 6:34 PM. It was Friday the 13th. Neither a day of luck nor misfortune. Just an ordinary day for a France3 Nice reporting team.
The France3 Nice blog: [https://blog.france3.fr/france3nice/index.php/2006/10/19/39577-the-france-3-nice-team-offers-you-today-Thursday-October-19-2006](https://blog.france3.fr/france3nice/index.php/2006/10/19/39577-the-france-3-nice-team-offers-you-today-Thursday-October-19-2006)
The journal of Friday the 13th
[https://videojts.francetv.fr/regions/popup.php?id=l06a_locale&video_number=3](https://videojts.francetv.fr/regions/popup.php?id=l06a_locale&video_number=3)
