portrait
No, this isn’t the title of a biopic. That said, Julien Noble ‘s story bears an uncanny resemblance to a success-story screenplay. And he’s been cast in one starring role after another. Walt Disney Studios Starting in 2010 at Walt Disney Studios as international director of publicity and online strategy, he moved up to be vice president of international digital marketing. Then in 2015, he nailed his audition for 20th Century Fox and was quickly promoted to executive vice president of digital marketing on a global level. More challenges were to come, and in 2019 he found himself at a casting call for Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. as executive vice president of international marketing. Today, Julien Noble has taken on the role of president of international marketing at Universal Pictures: a career trajectory that could serve as inspiration for more than a few screenplays.
Today, Julien Noble has taken on the role of president of international marketing at Universal Pictures : a career trajectory that could serve as inspiration for more than a few screenplays.
Retrospective
If we rewind the projector a bit, nothing in Julien Noble’s background indicated that he would march off to conquer the American cinema industry. After a baccalaureate with a scientific focus at the agricultural high school in Hyères,he enrolled in the University Institute of Technology for a degree in environmental engineering, then moved to The UFR Sciences and Techniques of Toulon where he completed a two-year program in biochemistry. Work as a researcher? Perhaps. Give up his passion for cinema? Never.
And so there was a change of focus for this film fan, who signed up for another two-year diploma program in BTS in Business Communication in Aix-en-Provence, and followed up with a master’s degree in Marketing and Communications at Sup de Pub Paris.
“I come from a modest background. I grew up in a large family in Solliès-Pont, fig capital of the world, in the south of France…very far from the world of communications. But I had a dream, and I worked very hard to achieve my objective.”
Right brain & left brain
Julien Noble loved his math classes and when he got into higher education, he really enjoyed his courses in strategy. The essential elements of a solid base for a career in marketing…and creativity!
While he was still studying at Sup de Pub, internships in television (France Télévisions) and radio(NRJ) helped him open his eyes and ears before embarking on his career path in the film industry. Two enriching experiences where he was able to shuttle between his creative and logical selves.
“I knew that I wanted to work in the film industry. But I wanted to mature professionally before starting out. I didn’t want to show up totally green and inexperienced when I got my first job,” he explains.
Some of his best memories of Sup de Pub, were the contests. Students had one week to create a 360° marketing campaign, based on just a brief.
“A great simulation exercise where everyone encouraged each other. This exercise allowed me to be more at ease when speaking in public, and above all, to meet amazing people, with whom I’m still in contact today!” he says.
Even now, this committed alumnus does not hesitate to share his experiences and reassure students who have any doubts or questions.
Entering the Magic Kingdom
Before taking a stroll down the Walk of Fame, Julien Noble was lucky enough to meet a couple of fairy godfathers, Denis Amar or Xavier Albert. The first taught him everything he needed to know about digital marketing when he was an intern at 20th Century Fox, , and the second opened the doors to Walt Disney Studios, where he was marketing director at the time.
His job interview for the home of Mickey Mouse went very well. But as he was saying goodbye to Xavier Albert, Julien Noble realized that the head of digital marketing position was based in London. And he didn’t speak a word of English.
“It was a golden opportunity! So I offered to work for free for three months in exchange for intensive English lessons. If after that, he wasn’t happy with me or if I still didn’t speak English, he was free to fire me,” he recalls.
Once he was on site, Julien Noble found a conversation teacher who made him walk up and down all the aisles of Harrods to improve his vocabulary and watch the films of Tom Cruise in English (which he already knew by heart in French). Like a high-level athlete, he didn’t miss a single practice session. And then one day, while he was talking to friends as they were leaving a movie theater, he realized that he couldn’t say whether the film had been in French or in English.
On the big screen
If there is one place that Julien Noble loves, it’s a darkened movie theater, “especially during the 10:30pm show, when everything is quiet outside,” he confides. Now that he supervises all the marketing departments at Universal Pictures, everyone knows that this inveterate cinephile has been perfectly cast in his role.
In fact, films have been present in every important moment in his life. Already, when he was little, he watched the classics with his grandfather, and at 12 he dared to sneak into theCannes Film Festival. It was during this cameo appearance that he first met Quentin Tarantino. The director gave him a signed Pulp Fiction poster, which still serves him as a good luck charm. Later, when he was a teenager, he told the director of the Pathé in La Valette-du-Var movie theater, where he was a habitué, that he would write a review of all the films he’d seen on a dedicated website in exchange for an unlimited access card. A wonderful way to quench the thirst of an avid film fan!
His advice: “Keep dreaming!”
“It is important to always dream about what you could do tomorrow. I think that everything is possible. I’ve done a lot of dreaming, but above all, I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today,” he affirms.
Believing in yourself is essential, and if you don’t, no one will do it for you. However, to make sure the film doesn’t get tangled in the reel, it is necessary to take the time to learn, to grow, to develop and to respect others. A true workhorse, Julien Noble seems to have been following his own business plan for some time now He throws himself into his work and takes the risks necessary to get to where he needs to go. But the end of his story is not yet written. Produce a film? Write a screenplay? Work for the French cinema industry? Looking over the storyboard of his career path, one thing is certain: we can’t wait to see the next episode!
“Il est important de toujours rêver à ce que vous pourriez faire demain. Je crois que tout est possible. J’ai beaucoup rêvé, mais j’ai surtout beaucoup travaillé pour en arriver là”, affirme-t-il.
Julien NOBLE
ALUMNI SUP DE PUB