Shooting Stars: How NASA Works with Film & TV at SXSW 2019 [Video]

What's your favorite space movie? NASA may have played a role in its production! This SXSW Featured Session talks through the numerous ways America’s space agency works with Hollywood to provide assets, locations, and technical expertise to select entertainment projects, such as Apollo 11 (2019 SXSW Film Festival selection), Hidden Figures, The Martian, and First Man to name a few. Take a trip with us from the Red Planet to the Red Carpet and back again.

Panelists for this session include Joby Harris, Veronica McGregor, and Stephanie Smith from NASA'S Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as well as Bert Ulrich from NASA HQ. In 2018 alone, NASA worked on 174 documentary projects, 58 notable television shows, and 15 feature films. Their involvement for each project can differ immensely, from a script or treatment to social media campaigns.

For example, when Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity was up for numerous Academy Awards in 2014, NASA took the film as a launch pad to discuss which parts of the film were fictionalized and used for entertainment purposes and what was real using the hashtag #RealGravity.

"Isn't it great to see what kind of bridge is built to the public? NASA works really hard to eliminate a lot of the confusion to really make sure this stuff goes back to you, it does belong to you...you a part of the family, you are NASA." – Joby Harris

Watch Shooting Stars: How NASA Works with Film & TV Featured Session and check out more videos from SXSW 2019 on our YouTube channel.

Watch Now

Dive into SXSW 2019 Photo Galleries from March 8-17 including sessions, screenings, showcases, and more. And as always, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News to stay current with all things SXSW.

Featured Session: Shooting Stars: How NASA Works with Film & TV - Photo by John Feinberg