logo

Ariane, Le Défi Français

  1. And Counting Sylvain MOREAU 6:03
  2. ARI - new launch 5:26
  3. ARI - pulse tension electro 01 c 0:31
  4. ARI - pulse tension electro 03 0:44
  5. ARI - pulse tension electro 04 0:18
  6. ARI - pulse tension electro 05 0:42
  7. ARI - pulse tension electro 06 1:17
  8. ARI - pulse tension electro 07 0:27
  9. ARI - pulse tension electro 08 1:20
  10. ARI - pulse tension electro 09 0:46
  11. ARI - pulse tension electro 10 0:47
  12. ARI - pulse tension electro 11 0:46
  13. ARI - pulse tension electron 12b 1:31
  14. ARI - pulse tension electron 14 2:15
  15. ARI - pulse tension electron 15 1:23
  16. ARI - reservoir 2:34
  17. ARI - satellite 2:40
  18. ARI - surveillance 1:48
  19. COI2 - ARI - BOOSTERS 1:58
  20. pulse 1:12

For this film, Laurent Mini had a desire from the very beginning to integrate sound into the documentary in an original way to present the rocket from a new perspective. So, I joined the team to go to French Guiana to capture the sound for the live shots of the film, but also to record the unheard sound universe around the rocket and blend it with the ever-present jungle atmosphere. I was able to record a library of ambisonic (360°) sounds for an immersive experience at the heart of Ariane.

I prepared several sets of microphones ready to be destroyed by the launch, which we mounted on batteries to be armed hours before the launch since the entire area is evacuated. I had to set up multiple simultaneous recordings at different locations, the launch center, the firing zone, and at the same time, go to a hillside to record the launch from a distance, as our request for a second launch was denied.

The film is based on the countdown of a launch campaign at the Guiana Space Centre, the largest spaceport in the world. The entire campaign is orchestrated according to a very precise script: the arrival of the rocket's components by plane and ship, the delicate transport of the convoy to the site, the assembly, the transfer to the launch pad for D-Day, the launch, and the satellite's placement into orbit. Then, for the 'final countdown,' the countdown of days turns into hours, then minutes, then seconds. The ultimate moment, each launch is a culmination. The focus is at its peak before a vibrant, sonorous, and visual spectacle begins.

We recreate the thrill of the launch like a thriller, with real-time management of mission contingencies. Because every Ariane launch is a high-risk adventure, a bet of around 150 million euros. How do they rehearse the event? How do they perform the final checks? How do they pilot the rocket? Throughout this timeline, we discover the most important pieces of the puzzle of this sprawling enterprise.

Music / Sound Recording / Sound Design / Mix : Sylvain MOREAU

In Portfolios