M ontreal’s Felix & Paul Studios have redefined what’s possible in immersive entertainment with their latest Emmy-nominated project, Space Explorers: The ISS Experience.

The four-episode series, produced by Felix & Paul Studios in association with TIME Studios, gives a 360-angle view of the experience of eight astronauts on the International Space Station and is the largest production filmed in space. The first episode premiered on Oct. 22, 2020, and the studio is currently in production on the final two episodes.

The series is nominated for Outstanding Interactive Program for the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards and marks the sixth Emmy nomination for Felix & Paul. The studio won the same category in 2017 for The People’s House, which gave an interactive view of the White House while U.S. President Barack Obama was in office.

Co-founder and creative director Félix Lajeunesse shares his insight with Playback Daily on his past Emmy experience and how they’ve leveraged their relationships with U.S. partners to stand out with voters.

What were some of the most unique or surprising challenges that came with creating Space Explorers: The ISS Experience?

Félix Lajeunesse: The process of making the largest production ever produced in space required us to work in tight synergy, from ground to space, with 10 international astronauts from NASA and four other international space agencies over the past 3 years. While we carefully planned the vast majority of the shots on the ground days or weeks prior to filming in space, the astronauts would also sometimes create shots, taking their own initiative, and it is sometimes weeks before we get to review on the ground what the crew has captured in space. This process led to the capture of truly unique and unexpected moments which made it into the first two episodes. We have no doubt that other unscripted moments from the Astronaut logs will make it into episodes three and four as well.

What can you share about your campaign strategy?

We don’t strategize too much when it comes to awards, especially given that we are constantly in the midst of production. In this case, we are heads down on the remaining two episodes of The ISS Experience  – which is being filmed entirely in Space right now – so the logistics are quite intense. The ISS Experience is the result of an international effort involving a vast amount of people, from astronauts to space agencies to ground crew, and of course all of the talented camera technicians and software developers in our studio.

This nomination definitely feels like recognition for the extraordinary work that everyone on our extended team had to pull off to make this project a reality. Since our very first immersive project, our awards strategy has always just focused on producing the best possible work that demonstrates and leverages the power of immersive storytelling to truly make viewers feel like they are part of a story, whether that’s touring the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama [in The People’s House], or being on stage with acrobats in a Cirque du Soleil show, or floating in micro-gravity aboard the International Space Station. Of course, we participate in industry events and interviews as we can, including the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Cannes XR and an upcoming SAG-AFTRA Foundation roundtable for Best Interactive Program nominees being held on Aug. 23.

As a Canadian company, what are some unique challenges to campaigning for a major U.S. awards show like the Emmy Awards?

We have a long history of being engaged in the U.S. interactive entertainment industry, as many of the immersive experiences we have produced to date have been financed and filmed in the U.S. and produced in partnership with leaders like Universal Studios, FOX Searchlight, TIME Studios, former presidents, and stars like LeBron James and Eminem. We have some close-knit relationships with entertainment industry players in L.A. and are represented in Hollywood by Verve.
The main challenge we see for a feature series like The ISS Experience is that while our story’s protagonists – astronauts David Saint-Jacques, Anne McClain, Nick Hague, Christina Koch, Jessica Meir, Luca Parmitano, Andrew Morgan and Victor Glover – are extremely well known figures in the Space industry, they are not necessarily known within the entertainment industry. Our focus is on highlighting the uniqueness and emotional power of this immersive series, created with the extraordinary collaboration of a group of astronauts who were willing to open the doors of the International Space Station like never before – with a level of access and intimacy that is completely unprecedented.

You won an Emmy in 2017 for The People’s House. What was the most memorable part of that Emmy experience?

Of course it is truly an honour just to be nominated, but for sure a great thrill to win and we have been lucky to win twice out of our prior five Emmy nominations. The most memorable aspect of winning was how much of a positive impact it had for our studio in the weeks and months following the award ceremony. That Emmy was one of the first ever awarded to a virtual reality production, and this distinction shone a light on the production, on our studio, and in a broader perspective, on the medium of virtual reality storytelling as well.

How has the competition for interactive programming evolved in the last few years?

From our perspective, the competition has evolved to encompass interactive projects of different shapes and formats – from interactive web-based projects, to story-driven virtual reality experiences, to augmented reality and cross-platform productions. It’s a dynamic and evolving category that reflects the ever-expanding creative and technological innovations you’ll find at the intersection of the entertainment and interactive industries. It’s really a thrill to be involved in this first chapter of the industry’s evolution and we love seeing all of the creative works being produced out there.

For more Emmy coverage, our Q&A with Yap Films’ Elizabeth Trojian and Elliott Halpern is available here.