The Art of VFX | A Love Tale: Laurent Creusot – Production VFX Supervisor

As Luc Besson revisits the iconic figure of Dracula through a romantic and sensory lens, Dracula: A Love Tale stands out as a visually ambitious film, marked by a highly graphic direction and meticulous attention to detail.
To bring this vision to life, the teams at MPC Paris crafted environments that range from epic and gothic to intimate—working closely with the director every step of the way.

In this interview with The Art of VFX, Laurent Creusot, VFX Supervisor, takes us behind the scenes of this singular production—blending hybrid sets, invisible effects, stone creatures… and a timeless castle:

A unique collaboration with Luc Besson

“In nearly 30 years of career, I’ve never worked with a director so precise and knowledgeable. […] He wrote the film, he’s behind the camera every day, and he’s also producing it. Having all those roles on the same project—it’s quite a feat.”

Dracula’s castle: between romance and menace

“We spent a good amount of time figuring out the right topography for the castle and its surroundings. […] The goal was to blur the line between what was physically built and what was already there in the landscape.”
“The lower part of the facade was built on set—everything else is a digital extension. […] We recreated a vast 360° environment in 3D.”

The illusion of the ‘Pré aux Loups’

“We shot a few days in Lapland to capture outdoor elements, then continued the scene in a Paris-area studio—in the middle of summer. […] Almost all the studio snow had to be replaced with 3D snow.”

Gargoyles: stone creatures brought to life

“From the start, it was clear they needed to be portrayed by performers on set. […] Our job was then to turn them into stone gargoyles.”
“The faces are completely still. All emotion comes through body language alone—it’s a real stylistic exercise.”

Hybrid sets and seamless transitions

“The film mixes natural locations with studio work. The challenge was to make the transition invisible, so the audience stays immersed. […] For example, we had to reshoot part of the fairground sequence in a studio due to an unexpected storm.”

MPC’s VFX approach

“We started working on the VFX while the shoot was still ongoing. […] The film includes over 650 VFX shots.”
“Whenever creatures are involved, we’re often the ones who get the call.”