The unique perspective just a few astronauts have ever seen of Earth from outer space, and the way in which it impacts them, is known as the Overview Effect. Now, specially built theaters and a new film will bring the same experience to the masses.
"Experiencing the awe and wonder of our planetary home from the extraordinary vantage point of a spaceship is life changing," says Nicole Stott, an astronaut with nearly 30 years with NASA that included two spaceflights and 104 days aboard the International Space Station. "At a human level, in all the complexity of spaceflight, the simple lessons we learn from spaceflight are the most compelling to me – we live on a planet, we are all Earthlings, and the only border that matters is that veil thin blue line of atmosphere that blankets and protects us all."
Stott is one of the narrators for a new film called "Orbital" now being produced by filmmakers Planetary Collective and Cosm, a media company that specializes in building unique venues that immerse viewers in multi-sensory content.
The film aims to deliver a "meditative experience that takes audiences on a journey into space to encounter the profound beauty, inner workings, and mysteries of Earth to inspire a greater appreciation for our shared, living planet," said Cosm. It will do so through stunning visuals including never-seen-before footage from previous Apollo missions, as well as previously unheard interviews with 38 different astronauts and cosmonauts.
But even more ambitious than the film's lofty aims are the theaters in which it will be shown.
Cosm is building 65,000-sq-ft (6,039-sq-m) theaters in Los Angeles and Dallas that will each house a dome measuring 87 ft (26.6 m) in diameter. The dome is capable of 8K resolution on what, according to Cosm, is the world's first software-defined display. The system consists of the company's CX Display technology, a suite of digital display software programs that can also integrate with Unreal Engine, the open-source 3D graphics creation tool.
Unlike other theaters where all viewers sit in chairs, in the Cosm spaces, patrons will be free to also walk around and enjoy food and drink while watching the show unfold around them. The L.A. venue will be able to house 500 seated patrons and another 700 standing.
Cosm has already brought some pretty impressive spaces to the world including an installation at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum and the Grainger Sky Theater at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, so the odds are pretty good that its two new domed theaters are going to deliver the "wow" as well.
Planetary Collective has equally impressive chops, having already released two well-received films: "Overview" – a short film that first touched on the idea of the Overview Effect as first conceived by space philosopher Frank White, and the SXSW release "Planetary," another film that aims to shift perspectives by looking back at Earth from space. The teaser for that film can be seen on YouTube to get a better idea of what you might expect from the new movie.
The release of "Orbital" and the corresponding opening of both Cosm venues is slated for 2024, with the L.A. venue opening first, in the local spring. Ground has already been broken in both Los Angeles and Dallas.
Source: Cosm
