Author Topic: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?  (Read 13297 times)

Offline Endeavour_01

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TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« on: 04/10/2015 04:39 pm »
I was watching Fox and Friends this morning and they were interviewing Brian Grazer (film and television producer. He produced Apollo 13) about his new book. About 5 minutes into the video I posted below he mentions that he is planning to do a television series with Elon Musk about Mars and presumably SpaceX. Sounds like it could be really cool. :) Has anyone else heard about this?

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4165001322001/brian-grazer-on-how-asking-questions-can-change-your-life/?playlist_id=938973798001#sp=show-clips

Edit: Hopefully it will be a good informative show about SpaceX and Mars exploration and not turn into a NASA/SLS bash fest.
« Last Edit: 04/10/2015 04:42 pm by Endeavour_01 »
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Offline Nomadd

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #1 on: 04/10/2015 11:23 pm »
 Starring Robert Downey Jr.?
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Offline GalacticIntruder

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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #3 on: 04/11/2015 02:03 am »
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard working on it is great, but not clear from the little said so far whether there's any direct involvement/cooperation from Elon or SpaceX.

Offline Ludus

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #4 on: 04/11/2015 11:26 pm »
http://www.geekwire.com/2015/elon-musk-just-inked-3-5m-book-deal-penguin/

I was curious whether it might involve buying the TV/Film rights to this book project. It would make sense that they be coordinated.

Both would be about 3 years off and coincide with SpaceX launching the first U.S. manned spacecraft in years as well as the product launch of the more mass market $35k Tesla Model 3.

It might not so much be about Musk as a grand platform to present his agenda to the world.

Offline IRobot

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #5 on: 04/12/2015 09:38 pm »
Elon did mention some years ago that "the world could use a good movie about establishing a base on Mars"...

Offline rcoppola

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #6 on: 04/12/2015 10:03 pm »
This could line up with an end of year announcement of the MCT. They could and should collaborate on the teaser/announcement/reveal videos for when Elon goes all in. The content of which would also be expanded and used for a 2016 spring miniseries.

Giving them access as SpaceX works through their designs and mission architectures as well as creating all the 3D animations and sound designs? Now that would be epic.
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Offline Ludus

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #7 on: 04/13/2015 01:08 am »
This could line up with an end of year announcement of the MCT. They could and should collaborate on the teaser/announcement/reveal videos for when Elon goes all in. The content of which would also be expanded and used for a 2016 spring miniseries.

Giving them access as SpaceX works through their designs and mission architectures as well as creating all the 3D animations and sound designs? Now that would be epic.

The process for a miniseries produced by a company like Imagine is quite a bit longer than that. This is a $100M dollar sort of project and will take several years. A year from now they won't even be close to shooting anything much less doing post production or finalizing distribution deals. It will take until 2018 which will coincide with the Dragon2 US return to human space flight and a big uptick in popular attention to space. Musk will also take several years to finish a serious book (he's currently wasting all that time sleeping a couple hours a night he can spend writing it).

I'd hope it would be really epic too. I'd hope to see the MCT and Mars architecture with SFX as good as Gravity.

Offline Zed_Noir

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #8 on: 04/13/2015 06:29 am »
This could line up with an end of year announcement of the MCT. They could and should collaborate on the teaser/announcement/reveal videos for when Elon goes all in. The content of which would also be expanded and used for a 2016 spring miniseries.

Giving them access as SpaceX works through their designs and mission architectures as well as creating all the 3D animations and sound designs? Now that would be epic.

The process for a miniseries produced by a company like Imagine is quite a bit longer than that. This is a $100M dollar sort of project and will take several years. A year from now they won't even be close to shooting anything much less doing post production or finalizing distribution deals. It will take until 2018 which will coincide with the Dragon2 US return to human space flight and a big uptick in popular attention to space. Musk will also take several years to finish a serious book (he's currently wasting all that time sleeping a couple hours a night he can spend writing it).

I'd hope it would be really epic too. I'd hope to see the MCT and Mars architecture with SFX as good as Gravity.

FYI Musk have done a few films as executive producer. Musk's IMDB link

Offline Sohl

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #9 on: 04/13/2015 06:19 pm »
FYI Musk have done a few films as executive producer. Musk's IMDB link

Elon's sister is in the entertainment business too http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0994379/

Offline Jdeshetler

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #10 on: 04/13/2015 07:25 pm »
The title for Elon Mush's 8 hours series should be "Insane". 

Offline sanman

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #11 on: 04/13/2015 11:43 pm »
Is this going to be a reality show?

Offline QuantumG

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #12 on: 04/13/2015 11:48 pm »
Is this going to be a reality show?

The SpaceX Apprentice.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline Mongo62

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #13 on: 04/14/2015 02:12 am »
Ron Howard you say? Well, if it's as good as his From the Earth to the Moon series, I would be quite pleased. A dozen 1-hour episodes, each focused on some particular aspect of Musk's vision, could be very gripping.

From Earth to Mars in 12 episodes.
« Last Edit: 04/14/2015 11:57 am by Mongo62 »

Offline sanman

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #14 on: 04/14/2015 03:17 am »
It would be more interesting if it was a news show focused on the "new space" industry in general, rather than just on SpaceX in particular. After all, there are other companies coming out with good ideas too. Miles O'Brien's "This Week In Space" was really nice, although slightly ahead of its time:

https://www.youtube.com/show/thisweekinspace

As you may have recently read, (former Reagan admin Budget Director) David Stockman has uncharitably called Elon Musk a "circus barker", alluding to Musk's penchant for hype and showmanship:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commentary/elon-musks-tesla-circus-is-a-true-bonfire-of-the-vanities/article23883288/

Throwing more TV drama into the picture may turn into a distraction. I'd hate to see Musk morph into Richard Branson.
« Last Edit: 04/14/2015 03:30 am by sanman »

Offline CameronD

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #15 on: 04/14/2015 07:53 am »
It would be more interesting if it was a news show focused on the "new space" industry in general, rather than just on SpaceX in particular. After all, there are other companies coming out with good ideas too. Miles O'Brien's "This Week In Space" was really nice, although slightly ahead of its time:

https://www.youtube.com/show/thisweekinspace

Well, now that you mention it, Clark Lindsey (of Hobbyspace fame) has been doing monthly wrap-ups of the NewSpace industry for a few years now - but the last one I've been able to find is dated November last year.  Not sure why there's no more - no interest perhaps?

« Last Edit: 04/14/2015 08:00 am by CameronD »
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Offline the_other_Doug

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #16 on: 04/14/2015 03:02 pm »
Actually, this sounds a lot like the next step in a cunning and visionary Master Plan, to me.

First, you set up the financial and technological basis for doing what you want to do (go to Mars) within the constraints of the American industrial system.

Second, you demonstrate you can compete in a high-stakes, high-tech and high-finance industry well enough to finance your push to Mars and develop the technology needed to do so.

Third, you develop your PR campaign to get the public to buy into your vision.  Selling comsats and launch services is all very well and good, but if you're going to go to Mars you need a groundswell of popular support to provide funding through all sorts of secondary streams, such as merchandising, LEO tourism, even buying Tesla cars with the understanding that much of the profits from sales of Tom Swift's Electric Car will go towards putting humans on Mars.

With a miniseries and a book deal, it seems that Musk is embarking on Step Three.  And since this entire business (going to Mars) is being sustained in great degree upon Musk's own personal charisma, it makes a ton of sense for him to be featured as the author of the books and the star of the miniseries in which he "sells" his vision to America and the world.  I see it as a modern-day version of the kick von Braun gave to the backside of America's space aspirations with his Colliers articles and the follow-up Disney TV features.

Yes, it can appear a little, well, unseemly for a billionaire CEO to so shamelessly use his own persona to drum up interest in his visions for the future.  But in this case, I think it's the best possible approach SpaceX can take.  And it's wise planning.
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Offline JamesH

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #17 on: 04/14/2015 05:40 pm »
Yes, it can appear a little, well, unseemly for a billionaire CEO to so shamelessly use his own persona to drum up interest in his visions for the future.  But in this case, I think it's the best possible approach SpaceX can take.  And it's wise planning.

Worked for Steve Jobs.

Offline mme

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #18 on: 04/14/2015 05:54 pm »
...
As you may have recently read, (former Reagan admin Budget Director) David Stockman has uncharitably called Elon Musk a "circus barker", alluding to Musk's penchant for hype and showmanship:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commentary/elon-musks-tesla-circus-is-a-true-bonfire-of-the-vanities/article23883288/

Throwing more TV drama into the picture may turn into a distraction. I'd hate to see Musk morph into Richard Branson.
David Stockman's opinion of Elon Musk and Tesla is not really relevant to SpaceX.  He's an ideologue with an ax to grind, which is fine and dandy.  But you might as well be quoting Jenny McCarthy as far as his depth of knowledge of SpaceX and their accomplishments, goals and vision.

P.S.  I wish I was a "circus barker" that owned a rocket company that was delivering payloads to the ISS, LEO and BEO.  Pushing the envelope on reusability, developing a crewed capsule, designing a (presumably) Nova class rocket, all while being a forcing function to an industry to lower prices.  Oh yeah, and getting people excited about the prospect of living on Mars. If that's hype, then I wish my life and my company was "nothing but hype" (to quote David Stockman's in depth assessment.)
Space is not Highlander.  There can, and will, be more than one.

Offline Ludus

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Re: TV show about Elon Musk and SpaceX?
« Reply #19 on: 04/15/2015 05:01 am »
Actually, this sounds a lot like the next step in a cunning and visionary Master Plan, to me.

First, you set up the financial and technological basis for doing what you want to do (go to Mars) within the constraints of the American industrial system.

Second, you demonstrate you can compete in a high-stakes, high-tech and high-finance industry well enough to finance your push to Mars and develop the technology needed to do so.

Third, you develop your PR campaign to get the public to buy into your vision.  Selling comsats and launch services is all very well and good, but if you're going to go to Mars you need a groundswell of popular support to provide funding through all sorts of secondary streams, such as merchandising, LEO tourism, even buying Tesla cars with the understanding that much of the profits from sales of Tom Swift's Electric Car will go towards putting humans on Mars.

With a miniseries and a book deal, it seems that Musk is embarking on Step Three.  And since this entire business (going to Mars) is being sustained in great degree upon Musk's own personal charisma, it makes a ton of sense for him to be featured as the author of the books and the star of the miniseries in which he "sells" his vision to America and the world.  I see it as a modern-day version of the kick von Braun gave to the backside of America's space aspirations with his Colliers articles and the follow-up Disney TV features.

Yes, it can appear a little, well, unseemly for a billionaire CEO to so shamelessly use his own persona to drum up interest in his visions for the future.  But in this case, I think it's the best possible approach SpaceX can take.  And it's wise planning.
I agree. I think it goes beyond SpaceX and Mars though. I think it's also Tesla,Solar City, HyperLoop, and an integrated case for how dealing with climate change can be a plus for the global economy and part of a hopeful vision of the 21st century. He's always putting this case out in sound bites and talk show comments. This is an opportunity to put it all in a polished detailed form. Fool cells and why a hydrogen economy is "BS". A smart grid and what policies are needed. All the other stuff that's off topic here will likely be half of it.



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