Check out “To Space & Back”. 

Troy Whitmer, a Digital-Evolution’s alumni who graduated from Smoky Hill High School in 2006, was one of the main 3d and FX artists on Sky-Skan’s latest films, “To Space & Back”.  “Over a full year of 9-5 and then some, and we've finally finished our film, To Space And Back. It's a 25-minute fulldome show, all about how the discoveries made trying to explore and understand the universe have shaped our modern lives, enabled instant communications, major medical advancements and a myriad of conveniences. . . .  So far there isn't a theatre in America that can even display that high excluding our test setups, but we JUST secured CU-Boulder to upgrade to an 8K theatre, so come next fall I may be able to host a showing in the highest resolution theatre this side of the globe!” (Troy) You know we will be there for the opening day!

As a senior, he interned at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science planetarium and look where that took him.  That internship lead him to his first full-time job at Sky-Skan in New Hampshire.  I received an email from him a few months ago, describing his film and experiences and he ended the note with this, “This is still the dream-job I could only hope for and I owe you incredible thanks for helping guide me into this field. Keep rocking, Cornell and always take it to that next level!.”

I am sure he will visit soon and share his experiences. 

~Cornell

Here is an article about the “To Space & Back”. 

http://www.fulldomeshows.com/tospaceandback/index.html

Sky-Skan's "To Space & Back" 2D/3D planetarium show takes the technology of digital cinema where no other movie has gone before, to deliver a compelling lesson on space exploration

• World’s first full-length 8K 3D 60fps fulldome digital cinema production
• “Top Gear” host James May narrates

Nashua, New Hampshire USA – Sky-Skan's educational, 25-minute documentary, “To Space & Back,” which first opened in March to critical and public acclaim at the Fels Planetarium (The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia), will be re-released in September 2013 in a new version that, at 8K resolution, stereoscopic 3D and 60 frames per second (fps), pushes the technical boundaries of digital cinema to an extreme as yet unrivaled by commercial movie exhibition. To Space & Back was produced by Sky-Skan in association with The Franklin Institute.

• Visit the To Space and Back website
• Download the full press kit with image files

To Space & Back was created specifically for digital dome cinema (“fulldome”). The new release will deliver hyper-real, scientific visualizations in acute detail, clarity and depth without picture stutter or motion blur. It will premiere to the industry in 4K/60 fps/stereo 3D this September at the Fulldome Film Festival of 'Imiloa Astronomy Center (Hawaii), and subsequently to the public in 8K/60 fps/3D at Macao Science Center (China).

Sky-Skan President Steve Savage comments, “This new, ultra-immersive version of To Space & Back represents digital cinema at its absolute visual peak. There are a couple of 8K planetarium shows, but none at 60 fps. There have been high frame rate 3D movies, but not at 8K 60 fps. Storytellers and exhibitors will be inspired and empowered when they see what the medium is now capable of. Raising the bar for the industry is part of Sky-Skan's mission – while continuing to support customers at all levels. All fulldome exhibitors can select and show the optimal version of To Space & Back for their system - ranging from 1K to 8K, 30 fps to 60 fps, 2D or 3D, from one fisheye projector to 12 edge-blended projectors or more.”

Annette Sotheran-Barnett, producer/director/co-writer, comments, “To Space & Back uses the dome cinema space as an immersive environment rather than just a curved movie screen, and breaks new technological ground in terms of image capture and rendering. The night sky in 8K closely matches the detail and clarity of skies produced by optical-mechanical projection, providing a backdrop that feels close to the real thing – and setting a new benchmark for fulldome shows.”

For scenes that create the illusion of a hologram suspended in mid-theater, the Sky-Skan production team challenged itself to generate the highest-resolution 3D models ever made, including the International Space Station, Space X capsule, Saturn V rocket, and many others. Sotheran-Barnett adds, “The hologram scenes are especially powerful and convincing in high-res 3D – but they are breathtaking even in 4K mono because of the high production quality.”

Sotheran-Barnett continues, “8K rendering is challenging, as the detail required in models and textures can significantly slow down the workflow. We learned to line up the power necessary to overcome the obstacles. The results are worth it - and what we accomplished will be easier to do the next time and will enrich the format and move the industry forward.”
The concept for To Space & Back originated with Sotheran-Barnett, who collaborated with Derrick Pitts of The Franklin Institute to develop the story, write the script and visualize it in storyboards. Sky-Skan's internal team included artists Scott Wyman and Troy Whitmer. The science team included Pitts, Rob Landis of NASA, Jack White, Mike Sperry (DigitalSky 2), Martin Ratcliffe, Claude Ganter and Joanna Kimball. For a limited number of scenes, Sky-Skan tapped outside animation companies including NSC Creative and the acclaimed life science animation house 3FX.

More about To Space & Back and the fulldome market
To Space & Back is targeted to general and school audiences, to foster an appreciation for space exploration and scientific research and how they have affected the daily lives of human beings on Earth. The show moves the viewer “to space and back,” from outside the Milky Way galaxy to landmarks of the world’s most recognizable cities, and from Earth's orbiting satellites to personal technology on the planet's surface. Narrated by James May (BBC’s “Top Gear” and “The Edge Of Space”), To Space & Back looks at how we perceive the planet and how information gathered from space has influenced culture and the direction of science while helping to shape products and services in everything from medicine to communications. The show ties in with a wide range of K-12 school curricula, and comes with supplementary material and tools for educators.

To Space & Back represents the latest addition to Sky-Skan's ever-growing library of content for fulldome playback, which includes in-house productions as well as third-party shows; the complete catalog totals some 125 titles. Successful Sky-Skan productions include the “Awesome Light” series and DomeFest 2012 Grand Prix winner “Relentless Night.”

Fulldome is a young and growing market sector (since 1998, some 1,000+ fulldome installations worldwide) and system suppliers do what they can to make sure clients have access to a selection of shows meeting their needs – often teaming up with institutions and scientific research groups. Fulldome has begun to catch the attention of media producers outside the planetarium sector as well as entertainment operators. Fulldome show budgets are relatively modest compared to other cinema products, and the technology continues to advance in the tools of production and exhibition. There is increasing crossover with the giant screen cinema community; drawing on the rich digital assets of the new version, To Space & Back may eventually be released in other formats.

About Sky-Skan
For more than 45 years, Sky-Skan innovations have defined the immersive theater experience. Sky-Skan creates award-winning technology and content for planetariums, science centers, attractions, and multidisciplinary installations across the globe.

Sky-Skan’s headquarters in Nashua, New Hampshire (near Boston), are supported by global offices in Germany and Australia and by regional representatives around the world. Sky-Skan maintains full-service production and distribution for shows, consultation and design staff for turnkey theater installations, support and training departments, and its renowned engineering department. Its flagship software is DigitalSky 2, which allows audiences to explore the limits of the known universe with real-time 3D and multimedia functionality.
Creating scientifically accurate products that are easy to use and modify is at the core of the Sky-Skan identity. Sky-Skan serves a worldwide customer base while staying dedicated to serving planetariums and dome theaters that educate and inspire audiences. Visit www.skyskan.com.


About the Franklin Institute
The mission of The Franklin Institute is to foster the development of a scientifically and technologically literate society by stimulating interest in science and technology and strengthening science and technology learning. To fulfill this mission, the Institute maintains an exemplary museum with innovative exhibits and programs; interprets the impact and social consequences of science and technology within the context of the past, present and future. The Institute is a leader in exploring new technologies and models to facilitate learning, as well as distributing our intellectual resources through the use of advanced information technologies to local, national, and international audiences. Visit www.fi.edu.