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InterviewsEdge of Space: Jean de Meuron (Director) & Charles H. Joslain (VFX Supervisor VFX LA)By Vincent Frei - 22/01/2025 Hailing from Switzerland, Jean de Meuron started his journey in the film industry by producing branded content and TV commercials. He later collaborated with top-tier Hollywood studios such as Paramount and Universal, producing acclaimed short films like Megan. After producing his debut feature, Tides, with Roland Emmerich as executive producer, he now turns his attention to directing. He discusses his newest project, the short film Edge of Space.With a career spanning various projects such as The Bear, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Upon Walking, and The Creator, Charles H. Joslainco-founder of VFX Los Angelestalks to us about the unique demands of creating VFX for short films.Jean, your journey in the movie business has taken you across various genres and formats. What inspired you to create a story about the NASA X-15 program?Jean de Meuron (JDM) // I have always been fascinated with space exploration. When I worked for Roland Emmerich on Moonfall, where NASA was a partner, I traced the agencys beginnings for research purposes because there is no future without the past. I of course had watched The Right Stuff, Apollo 13 and First Man all movies I love so I was familiar with the cinematic history of NASA.Edge Of Space is set in 1961 during the height of the US-Soviet Union space race and explores those crucial early days, while paying homage to the brave pioneers who sacrificed so much and risked it all. As far as the vision is concerned, I aspired to cinematically depict the struggles and conflicts of those who, as per President John F. Kennedy, took a clearly leading role in space achievement.Could you share how your personal experiences or interests influenced the vision for Edge of Space?JDM // Since the film is inspired by actual historical events, Tom Wolfes book The Right Stuff, and its film adaptation by director Philip Kaufman, which detailed the heroic exploits of test pilots turned astronauts, was a major influence. From a filmmaking point of view, Terrence Malicks cinematography was an influence, as we shot most of the film using available light during golden/magic hour.Charles, what drew you to this project, and how did your background prepare you for the challenges of visualizing this era of aviation history?Charles H. Joslain (CHJ) // Well, like Jean, I grew up in Europe with the constant appeal of one day joining the American Dream (however clich this may sound), and there was not one part of what I like to call peak America (i.e. the 1990s) that I didnt like. But from Michael Jordans exploits to Bruce Willis in Die Hard, I always kept a very special place in my heart for the achievements of NASA & the US military; I am of the belief that when America gets its act together and uses its might for discovery/pushing the boundaries of engineering, the world is a better place.So, with that preamble out of the way, having always marveled at the X-15 (and the SR-71), this was a childhoods dream to get involved and bring/expand my humble knowledge of aviation to the table.How did you research and ensure historical accuracy while crafting a compelling narrative for this story?CHJ // We went through a thorough process of analyzing all archive material that we could get our hands on, from a simple Wiki page to the 40+ hours of grainy footage NASA graced us with thanks to Jeans persuasiveness. We went as far as measuring shadows from top-down photographs of the Edwards Air Force Base to figure out the correct height and positioning of buildings Truly, no stone was left unturned.JDM // As Charlie stated, we researched and studied actual archival footage from Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space missions, which was provided to us by NASA. This way, we not only ensured historical accuracy, but also had an authentic approach on how to visualize the aerial sequences. Pertaining to the compelling narrative, at the heart of the story are ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations during an era of scientific innovation and human perseverance. Our film embodies the American dream and spirit, namely courage in the face of adversity, and hope while overcoming impossible circumstances against all odds. We think it is an uplifting message that people united for one shared goal and common purpose.Was there a specific moment or story from the X-15 program that convinced you this project needed to be made?JDM // It should be stated that the X-15 program was one of the most successful as far as research in aviation is concerned, making significant contributions to the exploration of space. There is one flight in particular that convinced us, namely Neil Armstrongs X-15 test flight in 1962. He not only carried out the longest mission of the program, but also achieved his highest altitude. On his return to Earth, Armstrong inadvertently pulled too high an angle of attack, causing him to bounce off the atmosphere. Remaining calm under immense pressure, he was able to safely come back. Armstrong, who became the first person to step on the Moon, brought extensive knowledge of engineering and hypersonic flight to further advance Americas space objectives and essentially realize JFKs promise to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.Could you walk us through how you approached the balance between practical shots and VFX?CHJ // We are of the opinion that good VFX work helps move the story forward & bend the characters arcs; those concerns must always be at the forefront of any filmmaking effort. If the VFX wont move the emotional journey of the audience, then they are not needed. With this principle as a starting point, we extended the use of principal photography as far as we could, even capturing beautiful drone footage for some of the aerial sequences or shots_such as the backdrop used for the B52 elevating itself into the frame or the landing sequence in the desert. We also captured various HDRI/lighting references as possible to retain as much of the overall cinematography as possible within our VFX work.JDM // We aspired to film in camera on location aside from the space sequences of course as I like real texture. My DP and I wanted to shoot as practically as possible, so we storyboarded the film. When we were on set, we knew exactly what we needed in terms of VFX plates. For me, visual effects elevate the story in terms of epic scale and ambitious scope for instance in our case digitally adding set extensions like Edwards Air Force Base.What were the most challenging sequences to shoot or recreate, and how did you solve these challenges?JDM // It was challenging to film during magic/golden hour because of the limited time available. We overcame it by being very organized, prepared and efficient, knowing exactly what we wanted to capture.CHJ // From our standpoint, creating the entire Edwards Air Force Base and populating it with MOCAP extras and a variety of tools, vehicles, stated airplanes, adequate markings on the tarmac or the runway, etc That was not easy. Recreating the Arlington-style cemetery was also quite challenging, with having to design individual tombstones and line them up according to Pentagon specifications.But I personally had the most fun with a couple of shots using ultra-long telephoto lenses, around 4000-5000mm Those were truly tricky in terms of reverse-engineering the correct speed of the pan as the camera (all done in CGI in this case) tracks an object moving twice as fast as a bullet, and adding an adequate amount of clouds in the background to give that sense of daredevil speed. Those two are my personal favorites.How did you ensure that the films VFX complemented the story rather than overshadowing it?CHJ // By always keeping in mind what this story is at its core: the extraordinary challenge that a married couple faces when the hope of their nation turns to them for leadership & sacrifice. Hence why each shot has been designed, at storyboarding stage, to enhance the danger the husband faces, or to increase the sense of isolation his wife must endure, etc etc Each angle, each beat, each parameter that makes a film worthy of the name, was conceived with the intent to build the emotional tone between the two of them; VFX included.Could you share an example of a key collaboration between the director and the VFX team that shaped a pivotal moment in the film?CHJ // Ah! A perfect example would be when the lead protagonist fires up his booster after being dropped from the B-52 Without drowning everyone with tedious details about the X-15s necessary flight path, and why the plane operated the way it did, just keep in mind that the booster is ignited with such power that it can propel a 40-feet-plane from a vertical drop using only gravity, into a steep J-curve ascension towards the heavens at mach 6.57 Yes, you read that right: nearly 7 times the speed of sound!Now, you can imagine that equates to a lot of power. And annoyingly if I dare say, we realized during our research that the X-15 booster only acted a sort of blowtorch, producing a unique-looking elongated flame with diamond shapes within it, but no real explosion so-to-speak. Nothing like a Saturn rocket which we are accustomed to see in movies and documentaries.So, Jean wanted to opt for realism but after a lengthy discussion and the sharing of various examples, I convinced him to allow us to create some sort of fire breathing/spitting ball, coming out of the engine as a way to really help cinematically visualize the immense power of the X-15. The final convincing argument I made, I recall, was to say: Our VFX will sell it, but the sound design will make it glorious. And rest assured that Jean heard our rationale and opted for said flames/explosion as a way to embody the awesome thrust of this beautiful aircraft. This is what a good director does: he puts his ego aside and makes the best decisions for the sake of the film.Were there any specific references, either historical or cinematic, that guided the aesthetic and technical choices for the VFX?CHJ // The vision for Edge of Space was to render an homage to classic American epic filmmaking la Spielberg and therefore make sure to craft the VFX with that same balance of technical accuracy, but emotional tonality also. To give a concrete example this would mean creating a CGI shot with the X-15 as it glides just over the atmosphere, and enhancing a little bit the air particles coating the plane to give a better sense of speed; as well as a more cinematic look. Another great example of that process was how we tweaked very slightly the dials on the altimeter/gauges (we added red numbers and a hard line) to give a sense of impending doom when our lead character reaches the near limit of the X-15s flight abilities, making sure the audience would visually understand that once the threshold of 360k feet would be crossed, he would break away from Earths gravity and be lost in space forever. So, that sort of elegant design, between what was scientifically accurate vs. what served the story best, is what we engineered carefully throughout the film.As a short film, budget and resources are often limited. How did you prioritize your resources to achieve the most impact on-screen?JDM // By making sure that most of our resources were in front of the lens on screen to guarantee the biggest cinematic impact.CHJ // I will add by planning nearly down to the pixel what was truly required by the script versus what would only be a bonus or nice to have.What were the biggest compromises you had to make during production, and how did you adapt to these limitations?JDM // Orson Welles once famously said that the absence of limitations is the enemy of art. So rather than compromising, we embraced our challenges, solving them creatively. As a team, we worked very fast and I blocked/staged the scenes in a way that we could use much of the master shot in the edit. We had a very kinetic camera with lots of movement in front of the lens within the frame. Basically actors walking with the camera following them, capturing the action.Charles, how did you manage to create high-quality effects on a constrained budget?CHJ // By creating an insanely precise scope-of-work up front. Lots of filmmakers and artists try to find their way towards a design/VFX that they feel works for their film, and if you have that luxury of budget/time, good for you! In our case, with 137 shots on our plate, we had to be extremely precise with what specific angle would require what specific asset(s) (3d plane? particle simulation? MOCAP extras?), and therefore how Jean needed to direct/frame each shot to make sure that later on in post, there wouldnt be some horrible surprise along the lines of: Oh crap Now we need 3 more shots with Edwards Air Force Base when we only had budgeted 4. Or: Should we pan all the way to that mountain over there, where we will have to erase the highway, or can we stop before that? And then you repeat that process times the number of shots in the film until the shotlist matches your budget perfectly. So just very meticulous planning, down to the lens & camera motion for each angle. And thank God, Jean is the kind of director who can both articulate his vision with real clarity yet compromise on the details when required.Can you share any creative solutions or hacks you used to bring this ambitious project to life?JDM // Being passionate, persistent and believing in our vision from beginning to end. Our dedication, determination, focus and sheer will enabled us to convince many to join us on this incredible journey, which was so rewarding.What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers and VFX artists tackling similar ambitious stories on smaller scales?CHJ // Well, the fundamentals never change so first of all: tell a story that means the world to you; dont try to impress, dont go for the likes or the trend of the moment Say something that you deeply believe in. Always.Secondly: reverse-engineer. Analyze carefully what you can afford to put in front of the camera and prioritize that. VFX should only compliment and elevate the story & the characters; never be the center of attention.Finally, have fun! Smell the roses. Youre in for pain and wounds so, smile along the way and try to achieve the greatest film of course but dont hyper focus on the end result. Enjoy the journey, because thats really all you get.A big thanks for your time.// Edge of Space Trailer// Edge of Space VFX Breakdowns VFX LA Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025
