Another Movie NASA Passed On (Update/Correction)
Early Buzz: Reactions from the First Test Screening for Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Gravity’, Slashfilm
“The expectations are sky-high for Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, the director’s first film since 2006s Children of Men. In fact, between the A-list cast (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney), its intriguing sci-fi premise, its ambitious long shots, and gushing praise from colleagues like Guillermo del Toro, we have plenty of reason to believe the film could be his most brilliant yet. On the other hand, this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been dead wrong about a movie this early on.”
Keith’s note: (sigh) another film that NASA decided not to cooperate with.
Keith’s update: NASA PAO paints a contradictory story to what other sources (quite reliable ones) have provided. PAO says that NASA actually reached out to the producers of “Gravity” on their own inititiative early on but that the studio desired no assistance or input from NASA.
As I understand it, this movie is about two astronauts stranded in their spacesuits after an on-orbit shuttle accident. Frankly, I would question NASA’s judgement if they did decide to co-market this.
I could easily see tabloids hunting down the families of the Challenger and Columbia astronauts to “tell the story” of how this has “reopened old wounds”, or some such headline grabbing tale of misery.
None of which is to cast a negative light on the movie itself. At first glance, it sounds like “Open Water” minus sharks plus vacuum, but I’m sure there’s an opportunity for a good story there. I just don’t see the wisdom in NASA officially cooperating with this venture.
Did you see “Armageddon”? NASA officially cooperated with that movie. Gross violations of every known law of physics, lots of people dying, vapid dialog and gross fabrication with regard to how space travel is accomplished. They also cooperated with “Space Cowboys”. While it looked more accurate, they made things up, people died, etc. NASA seems to pick the cheesy movies to cooperate with but not the ones that try and take a serious look at things.
I didn’t see Armageddon but Space Cowboys had several scenes they shot a KSC. If your going to run around Kennedy Space Center with a camera crew, you’re going to need NASA “cooperation”. Cooperation does not necessarily mean that NASA supplied any technical advice.
I can’t imagine why NASA would decline to cooperate with a space related film if they are asked by the producers. NASA doesn’t have to supply expertise for free, do they?
They also filmed at JSC. As for providing expertise “for free” yes, that is what is typically done. As to why they decline, there is no standard process. They make these decisions (badly) on a case by case basis.
don’t forget we let them film at JSC and KSC for Transformer3. heck they sullied the Apollo FCR with that abomination.
“Frankly, I would question NASA’s judgement if they did decide to co-market this.”
Providing some technical assistance does not equal co-marketing.
Whether the film is made or not has nothing to do with whether NASA cooperates. The only difference is that if NASA cooperates the technical details are more likely to be correct. In other words, by not cooperating, the general public will have a less-accurate picture of space travel.
I agree. But NASA rarely makes these decisions logically.
I can sympathize with your concern about tabloids. But if they were going to do that, NASA’s involvement would not make it any more likely. Rather the opposite, I expect.
I have no opinion on whether NASA should cooperate with the production company. Certainly it might make the film more technically accurate, and that’s all to the good. But that’s why the Science and Entertainment Exchange exists.
Here’s a link to their recent projects:
http://www.scienceandentert…
“(sigh) another film that NASA decided not to cooperate with. “
Keith, could you cite the source that shows that NASA made a conscious decision not to cooperate with Alfonso Cuarón? Have you considered the remote possibility that the reason NASA didn’t help out Cuarón is that he never asked for their help?
I cannot cite my sources – because I do not reveal my sources. NASA Headquarters was approached by the producers of this film and NASA declined their request to support the development of the film in terms of expertise, locations, etc. Call NASA PAO and ask them.
Per my correction there seems to be a totally different take on this story. Both sides are sticking to their guns.
See, this would have been good to put in your original post. I wasn’t trying to get you to cite your sources, it was that the information you posted originally didn’t make it clear that any interactions between Cuarón and NASA had taken place at all.
I reported what I knew based on what reliable sources told me. When I obtained new information, I added it.
I think it’s pretty stupid for NASA to turn down any opportunity to
correct misconceptions about any aspect of spaceflight. They shouldn’t
be deciding which movies are worthy and which are not, they should
simply be neutral sources of information for anyone who wants to more
accurately portray space.
They decided to support “Armageddon” which was just a goofy comic book but declined to support “Deep Impact” (filmed at the same time) which at least tried to be accurate.
“Deep Impact” tried to be accurate? Blowing up a huge asteroid will result in only one thing. A bunch more asteroids. So you take one giant problem and multiply it into a whole bunch of lesser, yet still deadly ones. A scientifically accurate thing to do would be to slightly hit it from one side to alter its course just enough for it to miss Earth.
Having worked in both industries, I have a hard time conceiving of two more dissimilar cultures than movies and NASA. I could easily imagine PAO minion and counterpart production assistant not reaching a “meeting of the minds” because they don’t share a vocubulary or culture. Not that there aren’t people on both sides who work hard and could make it happen, but the odds are pretty good that, selecting purely at random, you get impractical requests on one side met by institutional constraints on the other, with neither side really knowing how to move forward.
I’m sure that production companies that DO work with NASA do so because they have someone around who has done it before, and they know how to describe each side to the other in jargon and terms that they know.
Yes, this is an inexact science – NASA and Hollywood interactions that is. Sometimes you get interesting things such as the original Star Trek astronaut recruitment advertisements, the “Right Stuff”, “Contact”, “Apollo 13”. Other times you get inaccurate goofiness such as “Armageddon”.
I would think that NASA trying to pick which films to work with and which to pass by is very much a game of chance, since major changes in flavor, technology, message and even plot can take place on the cutting room floor. Only after the film is completely finished can you make an informed decision.
Steve
Lighten up, sports fans. The NASA support to Marvel Studio’s “The Avengers” provided a great opening scene in and under the Plumbrooke vacuum chamber. Great stuff!