Mt. Tam Movie Night - Hosted by Friends of Mt. Tam
Mt. Tam Movie Night - Hosted by Friends of Mt. Tam
Host: Friends of Mt. Tam
The Mt Tam Astronomy Programs are sponsored by Mt Tamalpais State Park, organized by the Friends of Mt Tam and Wonderfest the Bay Area Beacon of Science and are followed by star parties in the Rock Spring parking lot by the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers.
This season we will be screening the 2013 award winning film Gravity. Receiving seven Oscar® wins, Gravity stars Academy Award® winners Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) and George Clooney (Up in the Air, Syriana) in a heart-pounding thriller written, directed and produced by Oscar® winner Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men) set in the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. Bullock plays a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with Clooney as a veteran astronaut in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving the two completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth... and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. Full of Suspense and Thrills, this Sci-Fi Fantasy will keep you on the edge your rock! We'll provide the popcorn and snacks, but you might want to bring along something to soften our theater seating.
SPECIAL NOTE: One of the Oscar®awards was for special effects, and we have invited the head of the imaging team, David Shirk from Industrial Light and Magic, to give us some insights into the filming process after the film.
David Shirk studied film at NYC’s Pratt Institute. He worked over a decade in the New York market as a freelance digital artist, a demonstrator and production consultant for the software company Softimage, and eventually turned to commercial advertising production as head of animation for NYC’s Quiet Man, contributing to many award winning spots both as a supervisor and as director. He made the transition to feature film work in the early 2000s as a digital artist for Industrial Light and Magic. Since then, he has moved back to animation supervision and has overseen film work at several companies, including ImageMovers Digital, Framestore, Whiskytree and most recently for ILM. As Animation Director for Gravity, he received multiple awards including the BAFTA and Academy Award for achievement in visual effects. In addition to his professional pursuits, he is involved in local theater as both an actor and occasional designer. He currently resides in San Rafael with his wife Cathy and their cat named after Jacob Marley.
Meeting Location: Parking is free, but limited, at the Rock Spring parking lot. Please try to carpool. Directions here. . The amphitheater is a short walk from the parking lot. Dress warmly, and bring blankets, cushions and a flashlight. along with food and beverage of your choice. Astronomy programs are held monthly from April through October. More program information.