F4E explains fusion energy, ITER and offers a guided tour on the construction site

This year we took the decision to invest in audiovisual communication by trying to highlight two different facets of F4E’s involvement in the ITER project: first, the construction of the ITER site through monthly short films focussing on the PF Coils and the Tokamak buildings and second, through a series of clips taking a more interactive angle by interviewing F4E staff and contractors addressing specific themes such as the Europe’s contribution to ITER, the progress of construction and safety, the technical challenges of key components and buildings.

We set from the beginning as target audience those with a healthy interest in science but with little knowledge about fusion and the ITER project. We therefore had to integrate in the storyboard of each film clear technical narratives and blend them with visual animations and footage from the site to give a sense of the overall context. Our films were shot in two locations: Barcelona, the seat of F4E where our technical experts are based, and Cadarache, where the ITER project is being built under the supervision of the team responsible for construction.

This week we are releasing two clips dealing with the fundamentals of fusion energy, the scope of the ITER project and Europe’s contribution. We met with the crew in spring and completed the work in late summer combing indoors and outdoors shootings. “Bringing fusion energy closer”  opens in Cadarcahe with Ben Slee explaining the construction challenges of the Tokamak building, the heart of the ITER machine. Glenn Counsell explains what fusion is and how it is achieved and hands over to Marcello Losasso who elaborates on the ways that plasma is magnetically confined in the vacuum vessel.

“Delivering Europe’s contribution to ITER” begins with an analysis of the energy context and the expectations vested in the ITER project offered by the F4E Director, Frank Briscoe, who elaborates on F4E’s mission and delivery. Pierre-Yves Chaffard, unravels the international character of the project, the volume of different interfaces in the area of design and the databases being developed. The clip concludes with Laurent Schmieder, who gives us a guided tour on the site and shares with us the critical construction turning points.

The new clips are now available the F4E website multimedia section and the F4E YouTube channel.