THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 4, 1994 TAG: 9410040027
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROY BAHLS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
JAMES NEIHOUSE has never rocketed into space aboard a shuttle or lived and worked in Earth orbit. Nor is he likely to. But he did help bring the experience down to earth in the IMAX film ``Destiny in Space.''
The recently released large-format production shows through 1995 at the Virginia Air and Space Center/Hampton Roads History Center in Hampton.
The 40-minute film, narrated appropriately enough by Leonard Nimoy of ``Star Trek'' fame, takes viewers on a thundering ride on a space shuttle to witness astronauts learning to survive off of our planet. Colorful views of our blue orb, along with scenes of planetary neighbors Mars, Venus and Jupiter, are strikingly beautiful. One computer-created sequence, using data transmitted by the unmanned space probe Magellan, whisks viewers above the craters and through the valleys on the super-hot surface of Venus.
The selected footage from nine shuttle flights presented on the five-story-high projection screen with 16,000 watts of surround sound provides a treat to the senses.
Capturing this spectacular footage took the involvement of hundreds of people over a 10-year period.
Along with filming the ground scenes, it was Neihouse's job to transform 43 astronauts into cinematographers in space. He acted as co-director, cinematographer and astronaut training manager.
``The film leaves you with a sense of purpose for the space program,'' Neihouse said. ``It's the next best thing from actually being in space. Some people say it's better, because of the music.''
The bulky IMAX camera, which shoots 65-millimeter film, weighs 95 pounds. Neihouse helped teach the astronauts everything from film loading to taking exposure readings and framing the shots.
``The astronauts were highly motivated and very intelligent,'' said Neihouse who was at the museum last week for a preview showing of the film. ``They seem to really like IMAX because it is a way they can bring home to people on Earth their experiences in space.''
Neihouse, who has worked on two other IMAX space films, ``The Dream is Alive'' and ``Blue Planet,'' enjoyed teaching the astronauts.
``It makes my job real easy when you have people who want to really learn and do a good job,'' he said. ``They learned so fast, it was hard for me to keep up with them.''
During each of the shuttle flights, Neihouse and the rest of the IMAX Space Team members worked around-the-clock shifts in the mission control center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
``The astronauts did everything from filming and directing to lighting - the whole nine yards,'' Neihouse said, ``Everything we do with a crew of eight or 10, they did with a crew of two or three.''
Neihouse liked getting a behind-the-scenes look at the space program.
``The average person will learn quite a bit,'' he said, ``and have an appreciation of what we are doing and the possibilities outside this blue ball we are living on.''
Neihouse's next IMAX space project concerns next year's space shuttle docking with the Russian Mir space station. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
``Destiny in Space'' is showing at the Virginia Air and Space Center
in Hampton.
Graphic
JUST THE FACTS
WHAT: ``Destiny in Space.'' The IMAX film continues through 1995
WHERE: Virginia Air and Space Center/Hampton Roads History
Center, 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton
WHEN: Show times are at 10 and 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
daily
COST: Admission: $5.50 adults; $4.50 seniors; $4, ages 4 to 12
INFO: 727-0900
by CNB