This is the trailer we launched along side our IndieGoGo campaign if you have yet to check it out. Has some greats of space, geeks like us, and a celeb or two. Just sayin’ 😉
Blog Archives
2015 In Review: Sky’s Calling – and 2016: Chasing’s Completion
Hello Chasers!
2015 was one of the most incredible years for our project. (I have been remiss in updating all of you. I will speak more about my absence at the end.) Each year that we have worked on the film, I look back and think “well…it can’t get any more amazing!” This past year, the film’s themes became clearer, we shot more incredible interviews in awesome settings (like the Enterprise), and I felt the most emotionally connected to the project than I ever have. We found our focus in 2015. When we first began Chasing Atlantis, the film was a story about going to see a space shuttle launch and understanding the shuttle’s technological legacy. Now, four years and change later, I see that the film is really a story about WHY I wanted to see a space shuttle launch. Outside the facility where Atlantis now resides is a quote by Carl Sagan “The Sky Calls to Us.” But how? Why do those shimmering lights in the night captivate us? This is what Chasing Atlantis has become for me; a journey to understand that call and to connect with those that hear it as well.
Carl Sagan’s quote outside of the Atlantis Facility at the Kennedy Space Center
Epic Close to 2014! And Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Chasers!
The last few months have been absolutely amazing as we have headed into closing our primary videography for Chasing Atlantis. In October, we shot an amazing interview with Star Trek’s Rod Roddenberry, and more recently, through November and December, we “caught” Atlantis in her new home at the Kennedy Space Center as well as witnessed the historic launch of the Orion capsule.
Matt and Paul with Shuttle Atlantis in the Background
Grand Opening of New Atlantis Exhibit
Hey Chasers,
Today marks the Grand Opening of the new Atlantis Facility at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
In November of last year, Paul and I joined a media circus in watching Atlantis as it moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building from the last time and began a full day journey to the New Atlantis complex at the Visitor Center. At that time, the Atlantis Facility was only partly completed. One entire side of the building was intentionally left open so that Atlantis could be rolled into the building. The structure was completed by literally building it around the Atlantis Space Shuttle.
Earlier in February, Dr. Ryan Kobrick, one of our interviewees, and Executive Director of Yuri’s Night, sent us the photo below of Atlantis as the world’s largest shrink wrapped space craft.
Atlantis In Shrink Wrap being prepared for New Facility cr. Ryan Kobrick Feb 2013
Two days ago, another of our Florida space friends, Ryan Horan, was able to get early access to the facility. The shot is from a very similar angle and demonstrates a great “Before and After”
Next Stop: The Canadian Space Agency and NASA
Hey Chasers,
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Following our last post, which found us in Toronto, we headed over to Montreal to film at our own Canadian Space Agency. The CSA has been in the news a great deal lately with Chris Hadfield’s launch to the International Space Station in December. Paul was able to capture the launch celebration at the CSA with Jenny Chan, one of our associate producers. At the event, Paul met several key CSA personalities, and we thought it fitting to make a return journey to do some interviews at the CSA, and learn more about the role that Canada plays in the exploration of space.
A shot of the Canadian Space Agency. The building is amazing. I wanna have an office there.
Toronto and Clara Mooney: Our First North America Tour Stop
Hey Chasers,
Today was the first day of our epic North America tour. We were able to sit down with Toronto Grade 1 student, Clara Mooney and her family. Clara is one of the brightest young people I have ever met. She spent the morning with us talking about her love of space, her Chemistry science fair project, her favorite episodes of start trek, and all things geek.
I was really glad to be able to meet Clara. She reminded me of where I started my space adventure at a very young age also watching episodes of Star Trek and having planet models adorning my room. We have had several opportunities to speak to those who have worked for decades in the space program and have even since retired from NASA. Many of them spoke of a childhood inspiration which guided their careers toward the stars. If we could go back in time and interview these individuals as a child, myself included, I think they would all share a great deal in common with this extraordinary young girl.
I’m stoked to show the very fun and very cool interview that Clara did with us. She will be joining the many other amazing crew we have had the privilege of meeting during our chase of Atlantis and will be among the film’s interviews. In the meantime, Clara’s “Chasing Atlantis” tagline!!
Chasing Atlantis Team on Florida Local 840 Radio Today
Hey Team!
Paul and I will be doing a radio interview on Local 840 Radio “Your Local Space Coast Connection” at 5:10 EST today. You can stream the broad cast here:
http://www.local840.com
Cheers!
Matthew
An Awesome Time for Space Geeks Like Us
Hey fellow Chasers,
Earlier this week I have been reflecting on the time in which we live. It is an amazing time for space geeks like us. 15 years ago the capabilities on the internet weren’t nearly as expansive as they are today. Heck, five years ago it would have been close to impossible for us to pursue such an out of this world film project because the production tools weren’t as easily accessible as they are today. Even the term Social Media was just some buzz word that we didn’t really understand. But now, with all of these advancements in our culture we are in a very literal sense able to chase after Atlantis.
Things have been going extremely well for us at Chasing Atlantis. If you haven’t heard, our last trip down to Florida to attend the Atlantis Roll-out at the Kennedy Space Center was fantastic. We interviewed astronauts, engineers, and even an astronaut candidate . As a result of our trip, new opportunities are unfolding before us and now it looks like we’re taking our production to Seattle, Vancouver, Houston, Washington DC, and of course back the Cape. In light of these new developments we have launched a crowd funding campaign on IndieGoGo to generate a budget that will allow us to purse these interviews. Stay tuned, we intend to put short teasers about these interviews up on our site as we get them.
With all of this being said, this last week has been a whirlwind. If it wasn’t for the marvels of email, cell phones, the inter-webs, and social media I don’t really know where we would be right now. Just this past Thursday CBC radio connected to both Matthew and I (in Vancouver and Toronto) through our cell phones for a pre-recorded interview. Hopefully they’ll make us sound good when the interview airs sometime this week. Then there has been the interviews and articles by the blogging and web community. Then on Friday author, blogger and good friend, Geoff Micks posted an article after conducting an interview with us about Chasing Atlantis and the inspiration that started it all. You can read his wonderful writing here.
Then there is the fantastic news that I read in my inbox 15 minutes ago. Earlier this week I was interviewed by New-Startups.com, a website that shares “bright new ideas from around the globe with the intents of keeping you up to date on incredible emerging businesses, offering our reviews, and providing a platform to engage in discussions.” Well, this article has been added to their website this morning. I am excited and humbled by the fact that there is a community of people who are rallying behind us. I tend to think that it is not just because of the communal interest in science, technology, and fantasy, but because there is a human interest story that is embedded at the very roots of Chasing Atlantis; a story that in my mind gets to the heart of why we as individuals and communities put so much into chasing our own Atlantis – whatever that dream may be.
To read the New-Startups.com article, click here.
– Paul
Beneath Her Wing
This past Friday, Paul and I stood beneath the wing of the last space shuttle to fly a mission to space. I could actually read the serial numbers on each of the thermal protection tiles as Atlantis hovered above me on its carrier.
Beneath the wing of Atlantis during her final roll-out
Atlantis Comes Home as We Launch IndieGoGo Campaign (NEW TRAILER!)
Hey Chasers!
We are only 3 hours from heading to the Kennedy Space Center to see the start of Atlantis’ journey to its new home at the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex. In anticipation of this historic event, we have launched our Chasing Atlantis IndieGoGo campaign. The campaign is a way for us to secure critical funding for us to complete the film as well as generate awareness. We believe in community building. That’s what space is all about…exploring the universe as a means of exploring ourselves. We want this campaign to be a way to build that community as we work to complete Chasing Atlantis.
We invite you to visit the IndieGoGo Campaign page where you can check out our latest NEW TRAILER as well. Please forward the campaign to those who would be interest in helping this vision become reality!
We will see you following Atlantis’ roll out! Be sure to check out the live coverage on NASA TV
Chasing Atlantis 