Today was one of those days where what I did get to do today was great – but then there was a cacophony of bogus shit that was a bit unrelenting from the moment I awoke. Yesterday, because I knew I was seeing two horror flicks, I wore my Freddy Krueger Nikes that I bought when they were released. Replacing the shoe in my size on Ebay would currently set me back $5000, which means – I’d never replace the shoe. So discovering that Mr Peanut Butter tore one of my two shoes up pretty bad… and they’re amongst my fave shoes… Well, that was an uppercut of suck.
Then, my hair only would do a BIG BOY cartoon curl thing on my head… which I was dissatisfied with. Then, when I get down to the convention center early and I get in my wheelchair, I discover that one of the wheels’ bolts were backed out and was making a loud grating sound.
My single duty of this year’s SXSW was to host THE FILMMAKER’S EXPORATION OF SPACE panel that IMAX was doing with Toni Myers (she’s behind all the IMAX Space films) and Marsha Ivins, an astronaut, engineer and pilot through 5 Space Shuttle missions and some 55 days in space. To me. It doesn’t get cooler than doing a panel like this – and I took the panel quite seriously. In prep I watched all of the Toni Myers IMAX Space Docs: HAIL COLUMBIA!, THE DREAM IS ALIVE, BLUE PLANET, DESTINY IN SPACE, L5: FIRST CITY IN SPACE, MISSION TO MIR, SPACE STATION 3D and HUBBLE 3D… She and Marsha were coming to SXSW to discuss the film they both worked on, A BEAUTIFUL PLANET, a bit of a spiritual sister to BLUE PLANET all those years ago, but oh my… I’ll get into that more later.
The panel concentrated upon Toni talking about training Astronauts to work with the IMAX equipment… a number like 144 Astronauts have learned from her and used the IMAX equipment. A BEAUTIFUL PLANET is the very first Space IMAX film of hers shot digitally – but that brought a whole lot of hurdles all its own. First, they had to do things to make the camera versatile and usable by Astronauts, like giving it all the necessary hand holds and what not. Prior to this film – they’d get very little footage from the missions, due not to the weight of the IMAX Film Stock, but the Volume of Space it took up. IMAX film… as we all know… It gets big quick. It also required getting it right every time on the first and only take. There just wasn’t footage space to try things and experiment. That changes now.
Now apparently the actual film negative would have Space Radiation issues – and that hasn’t changed with DIGITAL – the cards can also get affected by radiation causing pixels to get messed up – which they’d have to fix in post. But they’d isolate the damaged pixels by rolling before removing the lens cap, making Post easier.
Meanwhile somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was missing meeting Burt Reynolds in person, which was killing me! BURT REYNOLDS was in town. Sure yesterday, I was bummed about missing seeing Obama yesterday, and yes – he’s a President I adore… but BURT REYNOLDS!!! BURT REYNOLDS!!! Sure I got to talk with him for 2 hours via a magic globe for my show, but not only was I missing meeting him, but there was a Doc playing called BANDIT that was about Burt and Hal Needham… OH MAN! That’s just the kinda of OH MAN, that sticks with ya.
So after the packed panel, my plan was to seek out the full size Tie Fighter from the First Order that landed in Austin. But I really needed to get my chair back to the house to fix it. So I had to do that, but before that I learned that A BEAUTIFUL PLANET was showing a work print at the Bob Bullock IMAX – and after the panel, there was just no way I could miss it. Hearing that the sensitivity of the IMAX digital cameras was so great, it could see the coral reefs in the Bahamas with just natural moonlight to illuminate them. I HAD TO SEE THAT!
But that also meant, I’d have to miss MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, which I weighed in my head. It’s coming out next week, so I’ll see it then, but A BEAUTIFUL PLANET won’t hit theaters until the end of April. Plus… IMAX SPACE IS MY BAG BABY!
After fixing my chair with my mad mechanical skills… FatherGeek and I had dinner at the fabulous THREADGILL’S – then we arrived at the Bob Bullock IMAX. We were there an hour early, because… well… it is how we roll. There were a series of flags denoting badge type – and nobody was here in line yet… Yup first in line for IMAX SPACE wearing my SPACE shirt and STAR WARS shoes. Heh. Yup, still Headgeek. Then… I get tapped on the shoulder and who should I find but the Astronaut Ron Garan, 177 Days in Space – and an absolute metaphysical badass! He was a part of a space feature length doc called PLANETARY – and at that screening last year, he gave me his book about the Orbital Perspective… and I love that he remembered me. I was twitterpated. This guy has spent over 27 hours on EVAs outside of crafts and the International Space Station! And he came back profoundly changed by spending that time in space. Seek him out. He’s amazing!
He was just here to support the film and Marsha Ivins! Very cool. Also his filmmaking partners on PLANETARY were here and we all discussed the current insanity sweeping the U.S. Profoundly disturbing behavior all over the place. Crazy.
Then it came time to watch A BEAUTIFUL PLANET in 2D IMAX, which assures I’ll be back for the 3D IMAX experience which will be unbelievably stunning. Cuz the 2D is… and after the experiences of SPACE STATION 3D and HUBBLE 3D, I’ll never miss one of these in that format.
Now A BEAUTIFUL PLANET isn’t here to preach to us any message. It’s here to make us be in awe of the world we call home. That moonlit shot of the Bahamas from the ISS… wow. In fact all of the dark side of the Earth footage was just simply more stunning than any footage of our planet that I’ve seen. Jennifer Lawrence was narrating the doc – and she did a great job. Maybe not as great as Leonard Nimoy or Walter Cronkite… but then they carry a cultural identity to Space that no modern actor can really touch. Cronkite’s calling of the Moon landing and other space events in history – just makes that Austinite the best… except, SPOCK talking over space… in DESTINY IN SPACE… it just gave me goosebumps and Marsha Ivins admitted to going starry eyed over Leonard Nimoy – and when I giggled and said, “So you have a thing for SPOCK,” I got a big, “Ooooh Yeah!” I love how pop culture feeds the program!
We see the Andes, Mt Everest, the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, North & South Korea, the border between Pakistan and India at night – and it’s… a bit sobering about the problems there. We get to watch Astronauts eating for the very first time, food grown aboard the ISS, and it’s grown in a specific frequency of Pink light that the plants adore! There’s this scene of a Russian Female Cosmonaut helping a U.S. Astronaut get out of his EVA outfit – and it just continues to show how unrealistic GRAVITY was… It is not a one person affair getting out of an EVA Suit. It is also, hilarious to a point of tears to watch.
Through it all… you’re struck with the lack of politics. We need to get out there in space as a population, because it’s never been more clear than when you watch this film – we need to do this. Watching Elon Musk’s DRAGON bringing supplies to the ISS… just great. The shots of Earth’s deflecting of radiation in the form of the Auroras from space… at this resolution and clarity… wow. I also loved learning that they leave milk & cookies in the Airlock for Santa at Christmas!
After the screening of Toni Myers’ latest great Space doc, she and Marsha Ivins took questions from the audience… but for me, the last one – and the answer from our real life Astronaut – well… it filled me with wonder. The question was, “How different visually is seeing those Night Time shots of Earth from space, versus what her eyeballs perceived up there?” Marsha confirmed that what we’re seeing is exactly what she saw up there… the only difference… When you’re in the ISS, there’s that thing that you inherently know – and it makes all the difference in the world. When you watch this at an IMAX in 3D… you know you’re at an IMAX here on Earth… but when you’re up there, you realize completely that you’re off the planet – and that sensation is overwhelming. That’s when my flesh went all goose-pimply and a shudder of WOW arced my spine and made for the most wicked smile of… GOD I WANT THAT FEELING SO MUCH!
On the creepier side… the idea that zero gravity changes the shape of our eyeballs… kinda freaks me out. And also makes me infinitely curious about it all.
SO when A BEAUTIFUL PLANET comes out… Seek it out. Take everyone, the kids, the loved ones, the friends. Collectively, we all need to take a chill pill, relax. It isn’t the end of the world. Sure, we got problems, but just knowing we are all on this beautiful planet, that when we leave it to do more out there, it will be together and for all mankind. Oh yeah… it is also quite clear of the globular properties of our decidedly not-flat Earth!
Tomorrow, I get to see movies all day and night. I can’t wait! It was nice to dedicate this day to the majesty of our Space efforts and how Team IMAX presents them. Talking with both Marsha Ivins and Ron Garan… fantastic! Also chatting with Guy Reid and Steven Kennedy and learning that their tremendous doc, PLANETARY will soon be coming to NETFLIX was great news! OH – and apparently by October or so – the Bob Bullock IMAX could be getting the awesome IMAX Laser Projector! FINALLY! Oh man. So excited!
