L5:First
City In Space Press Release
Firsts and Facts
L5: First City In Spaceis the first film to realistically depict
a future space city within our solar system based on actual
data from NASA and leading scientists. There are several compelling
facts about the production of this groundbreaking IMAX 3D film,
which boasts many significant firsts in the motion-picture industry.
Specifically:
- The
filmmakers of L5: First City In Space used data and research
gathered from NASA and leading scientists to create a realistic
approximation of a working city in space.
- IMAX
3D computer-generated imagery was used to bring "real-world"
data of space exploration to life on the giant screen.
- Actual
IMAX footage of the Russian MIR space station orbiting the
Earth was filmed in space by the astronauts aboard the U.S.
Space Shuttle.
- Viewers
can skim the surface of Mars at high speeds in a sequence
constructed from real images and actual data gathered from
the Viking space probe.
- The
filmmakers worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
to create a Mars flyover and Comet Shoemaker-Levy’s collision
with Jupiter.
- Real
images and data from space probe Voyager were used to give
viewers the first-ever look at the planet Jupiter in IMAX
3D.
- When
determining where to locate the space city, the filmmakers
were advised by scientists at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratories)
to position it at L5, an actual position in our solar system
(LaGrange Point 5) on the moon’s orbit around Earth where
the gravitational pull is close to zero. NASA's scientific
data and decades of research suggests that L5 is the best
location to support a self-sustaining space colony.
- The
film contains the first IMAX 3D footage of the space shuttle.
- The
film features a never-before-seen depiction of a space craft
landing on a comet surface.
- L5:
First City In Space marks a new departure for IMAX 3D -- the
use of the medium to create a "reality-based" feature
set in outer space.
- The
filmmakers used the research and theories of Princeton’s
world- renowned physicist Gerard K. O’Neill and involved
leading space artist Pat Rawlings in construction of a computer
generated representation of a space station/space city.
- The
combination of special effects and live action is known to
filmmakers as compositing. Always tricky, the seamless blending
of elements in L5: First City in Space are among the first
in IMAX 3D.
The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is the largest freshwater
aquarium in the world. Built with private contributions, this
non-profit educational organization is dedicated to the understanding,
conservation and enjoyment of the Tennessee River and related
ecosystems. Admission is $10.25 per adult and $5.50 per child,
ages 3-12. The Aquarium is open every day except Thanksgiving
and Christmas and is accessible to people with disabilities.
The Aquarium’s TDD number is (423) 265-4498, and FM assistive
listening devices are available on site. For more information,
call 1-800-262-0695.
