PORTRAIT – Pioneer of French YouTube and co-creator of Studio Bagel, the videographer stayed behind the camera for a long time. Published Wednesday on his YouTube channel, his investigation “In the shadows” exceeded 500,000 views in less than 48 hours.
Odéon district, noon. Ludovic is sitting in a corner of the covered terrace of a Parisian café. Beige cap matching his sweatshirt, computer open, he taps frantically on the keys of his keyboard. “ Since the documentary came out yesterday it’s been crazy, I haven’t stopped”, he says. Released on YouTube on Wednesday, his investigation “In the Shadow” has accumulated more than 500,000 views in less than 48 hours.
A 36-year-old videographer, Ludovic is one of the pioneers of the video platform, created in 2005. “ I always filmed everything. I love telling stories. When I was little I filmed my Playmobils. Afterwards, in 2007, I opened my YouTube channel. I was 18 “, he remembers. With his friend Ludovik, they parody the music video for “Gare aux cons” by singer Koxie. He is behind the camera, always. “ This is how we got our first subscribers » he explains.
Architect of each video, he took the pseudonym Ludoc and was quickly spotted by Universal and various TV channels. “ I learned my trade on my own and the internet gave me visibility. The first contracts fell at that time “. Filming for television and advertising, or producing clips for Snoop Dog, Akon or Lily Allen, Ludovic continues projects with his audiovisual production company IDZ, which he co-created in 2009. The latter will be acquired in 2017 by Webedia , and this year produced the event documentary “Kaizen” by YouTuber Inoxtag.
Co-founder of Studio Bagel
« But my first love remains YouTube. I started to get frustrated because in TV we don’t have control over the entire creative process. While on the internet, we are free “. He found this freedom in 2012 with Studio Bagel, a collective of Youtubers of which he is one of the founding members. “ I came up with the name. I even designed the logo » he explains.
With Natoo, Kemar, Mister V and Jérôme Niel, Studio Bagel is taking off and becoming one of the first French YouTube channels to offer sketches that feature emerging web stars outside their bedrooms. “ We did a bit of all the roles, we had more resources but it remained homemade “. The recipe worked so well that Canal bought the collective in 2014, until it ran out of steam. “ It was a bit of a gas factory and after a while we all wanted to develop other projects » he explains while sipping his sparkling water.
Resourceful and curious, Ludoc defines himself as “ self-taught » and always finds the right techniques to create illusions and add effects to his videos. A real “cinematic eye» according to Manuel Diaz, founder of the content creator agency Influx, which represents Ludoc. So much so that his friends nicknamed his many tricks “ Ludoc’s hacks “. In 2020, he decided to release a book in which he revealed his advice, “ The videographer’s survival manual “. He took the opportunity to launch his personal YouTube channel. “ For a long time I worked for others. I had imposter syndrome. I didn’t like being in front of the camera. I launched my channel to be able to give my advice on editing and producing videos that would complement my book. ».
Little by little, Ludoc’s channel is gaining subscribers. “ I realized that people could follow me for me” he explains. “He has difficulty putting himself on stage. He’s a shy person. We worked a lot with him to make him comfortable in front of the camera.» says Manuel Diaz. Little by little the videographer gains confidence.
The genesis of the documentary
So, with growing notoriety and a YouTube channel of his own, the creator decided to take things a step further. “ In February, I launch my documentary project “. In truth, the project entitled “ In the Shadows – How I tracked down and arrested a child molester » begins in 2014. While he is traveling, a certain Pascal, 58 years old, contacts him on Skype. Ludovic is already an adult but has a drawing as his profile photo which could suggest that he is a child. Pascal writes to him, asks him his age. Ludovic replies “ 14 ans “. Then the predator becomes insistent, makes sexual propositions to her and calls her on video to film himself masturbating.
With the aim of denouncing him to the juvenile brigade, Ludovic plays his game and films everything to collect as much evidence as possible. A hunt lasting several years begins. Ludovic manages to locate the child molester. His arrest by the police allows the identification of two victims, real children this time. Pascal will be found guilty and sentenced in 2018. “He wanted to respect the time of justice. Once the case was judged it was a sea serpent in his head, he wanted to talk about it but wait until he was mature to do so. This project is like giving birth to itself», explains Manuel Diaz.
In this documentary combining investigation and prevention work, Ludovic looks back on his experience and details the modus operandi of these child criminals, even revealing the existence of a manual circulating on the dark web explaining how to rape children without leaving any traces. “The challenge for him was to make a public contribution to a problem that affects everyone» underlines Manuel Diaz.
“I would like this documentary to be seen by parents”
Screened in preview at the MK2 Bibliothèque cinema on Tuesday December 17, the documentary is now freely available on YouTube. “ The risk is that YouTube bans the video for under 18s because the subject is sensitive. That would be a shame because I especially want to talk to young people », underlines the videographer. In the comments, a majority of Internet users welcome a film “ of public utility ». «I would like this documentary to also be seen by parents, who are not always aware of the risks of the internet » adds Ludovic, flattered by the positive feedback.
“In the Shadow” was directed, written, shot and edited entirely by the creator who paid 20,000 euros out of his own pocket for the film to see the light of day. No regrets. “ When you’ve tasted cinema and you’re trying to create useful content, you can’t stop. The machine is launched ». «In the Shadows will be broadcast on international television channels in 2025», Confirms Manuel Diaz without wanting to say more at the moment.
« Now I’m going on vacation » explains Ludoc, laughing. “ My eyes are dark and I only slept three hours last night. I will come back without knowing what projects I will develop. What is certain is that I managed to touch people, and that is gratifying », he concludes.
