Inspiring America to dream, innovate, and explore.
An interactive journey told through the lives of astronauts, space fans, teachers, and kids young & old, we take a wild ride to explore America’s capacity to dream, innovate, and explore.
The Documentary: I Want To Be An Astronaut
In February 2012, a rumor started (untrue) that NASA was announcing that Kennedy Space Center is being put up for lease. This very idea comes as somewhat of a shock, given the decades of powerful American ingenuity that took flight on its campus, inspiring minds across the globe. From President Kennedy declaring “we choose to go to the moon” to Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap” onto the lunar surface, America seemed poised to command the future of space exploration and technological innovation - and we would all share in the emotional and economic benefits from the experience. So, what happened?
Filmmaker David J. Ruck, a Michigan native, is going on a journey to find out. In the summer of 2012, he is taking his camera, his sense of humor, and a series of questions around the United States to understand the state of the American space program. He’ll be meeting with Astronauts past and present, aerospace engineers, educators, space fans young and old - including some people that dress up like Chewbacca - as well as a number of really impressive and talented young people in the hope of examining where America stands in the race to understand and explore the reaches of space.
He is searching for answers from everyday Americans:
What moment in the history of NASA do you remember?
What impact did the achievements of the space program have on you as a child?
What impact does an impressive and well-funded space program have on the economy?
On the American psyche?
Do we even need a space program anymore?
By taking this journey, David will bring a vision of what is possible to theaters, homes, and schools across America, igniting a dialogue and facilitating a platform to discuss America’s roll in science, innovation, and the search to understand the origins of life on earth. As a positive consequence, this film will be used as a catalyst in schools to explore the possibility - indeed, the necessity - that we nurture future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers, fostering a creative passion for solving the largest obstacles facing humanity in the decades ahead.
An interactive journey told through the lives of astronauts, space fans, teachers, and kids young & old, we take a wild ride to explore America’s capacity to dream, innovate, and explore.
The Documentary: I Want To Be An Astronaut
In February 2012, a rumor started (untrue) that NASA was announcing that Kennedy Space Center is being put up for lease. This very idea comes as somewhat of a shock, given the decades of powerful American ingenuity that took flight on its campus, inspiring minds across the globe. From President Kennedy declaring “we choose to go to the moon” to Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap” onto the lunar surface, America seemed poised to command the future of space exploration and technological innovation - and we would all share in the emotional and economic benefits from the experience. So, what happened?
Filmmaker David J. Ruck, a Michigan native, is going on a journey to find out. In the summer of 2012, he is taking his camera, his sense of humor, and a series of questions around the United States to understand the state of the American space program. He’ll be meeting with Astronauts past and present, aerospace engineers, educators, space fans young and old - including some people that dress up like Chewbacca - as well as a number of really impressive and talented young people in the hope of examining where America stands in the race to understand and explore the reaches of space.
He is searching for answers from everyday Americans:
What moment in the history of NASA do you remember?
What impact did the achievements of the space program have on you as a child?
What impact does an impressive and well-funded space program have on the economy?
On the American psyche?
Do we even need a space program anymore?
By taking this journey, David will bring a vision of what is possible to theaters, homes, and schools across America, igniting a dialogue and facilitating a platform to discuss America’s roll in science, innovation, and the search to understand the origins of life on earth. As a positive consequence, this film will be used as a catalyst in schools to explore the possibility - indeed, the necessity - that we nurture future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers, fostering a creative passion for solving the largest obstacles facing humanity in the decades ahead.
FAQ
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We need help with several main expenses:
Archival Footage - While NASA footage is in the public domain, making copies to high definition tape is not free. We are going to be using a lot of excellent clips from NASA history and we want to bring it to you in the best quality possible.
Travel Expenses - there are a lot of really amazing people out there with important information about the various topics in the film. Unfortunately, not all of them are based in DC. We will be headed to Florida, New York, California, Utah, to name a few. We have gear to haul as well. We need help with these costs.
Website - Our base of operations - our "Mission Control" - will largely exist on our website. We want to share clips with you, share ideas on how to be involved in education in your communities, keep you apprised of new ideas and have a central hub for information. Building an effective website is both necessary and also costly. Our website will grow to be an exciting place to stop for updates, information, photos, and video.
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For an earlier project, with the above title, we just named our Amazon account after the film. We weren't aware that it is actually really difficult to change or that it would even default to that name. Rest assured, you are supporting "I Want To Be An Astronaut". In fact, by the time you read this, it will probably just say "Rubangfilms", which is the name of our production company.
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Funding period
Feb 22, 2012 -
Mar 23, 2012
(30 days)
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NICKLE CATEGORY: Get your name mentioned in the Special Thanks on the website under NICKLE SUPPORTERS, and in the credits of the film under "Special Thanks". Receive an "I Want To Be An Astronaut" decal.
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TIN CATEGORY: Get your name mentioned in the Special Thanks on the website under TIN SUPPORTERS, and in the credits of the film under "Special Thanks". Receive an "I Want to Be An Astronaut" decal and a digital copy of the film.
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SILVER CATEGORY: Get your name mentioned in the Special Thanks on the website under SILVER SUPPORTERS, and in the credits of the film under "Special Thanks". Receive an "I Want To Be An Astronaut" bumper sticker, digital copy of the film, and an "I Want To Be An Astronaut" T-Shirt!
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PLATINUM CATEGORY: Get your name mentioned in the Special Thanks on the website under PLATINUM SUPPORTERS, and in the credits of the film under "Special Thanks". Receive and "I Want To Be An Astronaut" decal, BluRay DVD, and an "I Want To Be An Astronaut" T-Shirt.
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GOLD CATEGORY: *The above rewards. *Get featured in the film and on the astronautmovie.com website as you share your excitement about the space program. In short, we'll share your "I want to be an astronaut" story. *Get a dedicated page with your profile - if you'd like - on the astronautmovie.com website! We'll highlight your story. (Content must fit within the scope of the project, subject to moderation and limitations.) - Must be in the continental United States - *TWO PASSES TO THE FILM'S PREMIERE!
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TITANIUM CATEGORY: *The above rewards. *We'll include your story and excitement about the space program in the film. *Get a dedicated page with your profile on the website - if you'd like - on the astronautmovie.com website! We'll highlight your "I want to be an astronaut" story and you can take part in the discussion. *Become a regular contributor to the website. (Subject to monitoring and limitations, must be focused within the overall goals and direction of the project - your page will highlight your career, ambitions, excitement about the space program, etc. - we won't do a bio on your cat or your car, sorry!) - Must be in the continental United States - Want to give more than $1000? Contact us first. We'd like to hear from you! *FOUR PASSES TO THE FILM'S PREMIERE!
Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
