Spotlight on Jean-Philippe Dion
Well-known as the man with a thousand and one ideas, a TV host and Productions Déferlantes co-owner, Quebecer Jean-Philippe Dion never imagined he’d be working so hard during a pandemic. “At first, I thought the industry would grind to a halt,” he said. “Turns out we had our best year ever!”
Over the past few months, Jean-Philippe and his team put their ingenuity and innovation to work in creating two huge event-based programs at a time when viewers were locked down in their living rooms and just itching to be entertained. The biggest challenge was doing the shoots while respecting ultra-strict social distancing measures.
The first show Jean-Philippe produced was for Télé-Québec and TVA. Une chance qu’on s’a featured some 80 Quebec celebrities paying tribute to those working on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. With support from MADE | NOUS, Une chance qu’on s’a raised $2 million for Little Brothers and SOS violence conjugale.
Jean-Philippe also produced Star Académie daily episodes and galas for millions of fans to enjoy. Tons of young viewers tuned in because they could easily identify with the highly diverse range of candidates taking part. “We’ve been able to show that our content can go toe to toe with the big American streaming platforms and win,” said Jean-Philippe. The CMF is a major funder of this TVA flagship program.
Jean-Philippe is now focusing on producing and hosting Season 4 of La vraie nature. Episodes are being shot in a new chalet located in his original stomping grounds, the Eastern Townships. He and his partner are fostering a child under youth protection, so he also plans to spend quality time with his new family. “Being there for my 11-year-old foster son gives me the opportunity to get some balance between my professional and personal life,” he said.
