Ryan’s latest film chronicles the story of twin rovers – Opportunity and Spirit – that were sent to Mars for a 90-day mission, but which lasted a decade and a half
Ryan’s latest film chronicles the story of twin rovers – Opportunity and Spirit – that were sent to Mars for a 90-day mission, but which lasted a decade and a half
Ryan White, Emmy and Academy Award-nominated documentary director, sat down with Hindu To talk about your latest project, good night op, Known for his work on titles like netflix series keepers and sundance favorites case against 8, In recent years, Ryan has established himself as a determined talent to watch.
In collaboration with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Industrial Light and Magic, Ryan’s latest film chronicles the story of the twin rovers – Opportunity and Spirit – that were sent to Mars for a 90-day mission, but which Lasted for a decade-and-a-half in which he relayed pictures of the neighboring planet.
Excerpts from an interview:
How did you approach researching the topic, and how did it materialize into a project for the screen?
An article in the lead-up to Opportunity’s death went viral and her last communication with Earth was, “My battery is low and it’s getting dark.” For a lot of people who read the article, it was an emotional gut-punch, even if they haven’t been following the journey for 14 years. I remember reading that article, and feeling incredibly sad and invested in its existence.
I sat down in March 2020 with Film 45 and Steven Spielberg’s company, Amblin, who are the producers of the film, to present the story of Spirit and Opportunity. I couldn’t jump faster in this project! This was the beginning of the lockdown and the next two years in the making were incredibly challenging under the constraints of COVID.
“Good Night OP” is really just about a pair of twin rovers, and for the most part the footage is just a sea of red or scientists looking at black-and-white photos captured by the rovers. Are you afraid that the audience might not get bored?
If we showed 15 years of day-to-day life of rovers, people would get bored because they move very slowly. Taking the story of 15 years and reducing it to 90 minutes gives you the freedom to choose the most dramatic and boldest moments. Half of the film is CGI created by George Lucas’ company Industrial Light & Magic, and he has done graphics for some of the best films. So, I was in good hands creating a photo-real Mars with a talented company like that.
We weren’t creating a fictional version of Mars – the one we’ve seen in movies for the past 100 years – but an authentic one based entirely on documentary captures (which were taken by the robots themselves) and satellite imagery. Even if we showed the day-to-day life of Spirit and Opportunity in person, it would be very exciting to be transported to a more distant world.
Was it difficult to work directly with NASA regarding permissions and bureaucratic procedures?
Working with NASA was really smooth sailing. I’m a space geek, and grew up loving NASA. I still pinch myself that I got to be in the Kennedy Space Center room in June 2020, when Perseverance launched. NASA and the people there have always been my heroes, and I’ve always wanted to make a space film. I had never found a story that I liked so much that we could justify the two years that we, as a documentary filmmaker, put in to make a film.
However, it is very upsetting when you are dealing with a government agency and own all the archival footage you are using. We got boxes and boxes of footage – about 1,000 hours – and they had to check the footage we wanted to use in the film. We were nervous that NASA wants some of the inspections to tell us what we can and can’t include in a way that would be detrimental to the film, but it didn’t.
A scene from ‘Good Night OP’
The only things asked to be changed were when the frames contained classified information on the computer; We either had to change the shot or just blur the information. They were respectful to us creatively. They knew that the story of Opportunity and Spirit could be life touching, and they believed that the film would be a great way to invite people to the Mars event and generate interest among the youth.
What attracts you to documentary filmmaking, given that documentaries are not as accessible as scripted cinema and have very specific audiences?
Documentary films can be as accessible as scripted filmmaking, and it doesn’t have to be as specific as people think it needs to be. It’s Proving How Many Documentaries People Have Been Watching Lately, And I Hope good night op Takes steps towards making it accessible. It is a topic with wide appeal; Like any fantasy or sci-fi movie that people have loved over the years… except that it’s a true story. It’s not boring or educational and feels like homework; It can be an adventure just like some of the Spielberg and George Lucas movies!
How is the director of a documentary related to the subject? Are you emotionally invested in them or keep a safe distance?
I think every documentary filmmaker looks at it differently. It varies from film to film, and depends on what the expectations of a particular project are. in the process of making keepers, I spent years with women who were overcoming the worst traumas of their lives and became incredibly close to them; I still talk to many of them regularly. On the other hand, it was a joyous team experience and by the time I started working the story was over. My interactions with scientists were limited to five hours spent in a room for interviews. However, now I am traveling with some of them to film festivals and it is great fun to watch them interact with the audience.
When approaching a subject, do you already have a set narrative in mind or let it settle while you shoot?
There is a famous line among documentary filmmakers, “If the finished film you make is exactly what you thought it would be in the beginning, you’ve done something wrong.” And that’s the fun part about documentary filmmaking. I love my work because I am at the mercy of the story; I can’t make any plans that decide what my final project will be.
However, this one ( good night op) is a bit different, as I wrote a screenplay, which I have never done before. We had to write it mainly for visual effects; The world on Mars needs to be written like a fiction movie. However, there were also incredible surprises in the editing room that took the film in different directions.
Do you hope to visit or live on Mars someday?
never never never! I would like to travel to Mars only if it is possible to come back to Earth. I’m so invested in the weather and terrain of Mars to know it’s not a pleasant place, especially for a human. I’m not interested in coming now!
Good Night OP will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in November