Racoon Run

Filming "Seeing in the Dark"

 Timothy Ferris has authored a long list of notable books, including astronomy-related works such as “The Whole Shebang” and most recently, “Seeing in the Dark.”  He has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, produced the phonograph recording of the sounds of humanity that is on the Voyager spacecraft, and is himself an accomplished amateur astronomer.  Tim’s background is truly incredible; take a look at his website www.timothyferris.com.

 Two of his books have already been turned into films, and he is in the process of producing the film version of “Seeing in the Dark.”  If you have not read “Seeing in the Dark” I recommend it highly, especially if you are an amateur astronomer.  I never thought anyone could write a book about amateur astronomers but it took Tim, both an amateur astronomer and a skilled author, to do it.

 Dr. Peter McCullough of the Space Telescope Science Institute and founder of the XO Project passed my name along to the producer of the film.  On an afternoon in late June 2006 a full film crew and Tim arrived at my house to shoot a segment on exoplanet research.  Also present was Dr. Debra Fischer, a leader in the field of exoplanet discovery and professor of astronomy at both campuses of the University of California in San Francisco and Berkeley.

 Kitchen Table Conversations

 The gear the film crew brought along was awesome.  The front lawn became the staging area, filled with equipment from two large trucks.  The dining room and breakfast area became film sets.  At one point I found myself sitting at the same kitchen table with a famous author and one of the top astronomers in the world.  I couldn’t help wondering what the heck I was doing there.

 Both Tim and Debra are extremely engaging and articulate, and I really admire their ability to take complex subject matter and make it understandable to a wide audience.  It is not everyday that I meet true visionaries like them.

 Quiet on the Set

 First Debra was interviewed, and then a scene was shot with Debra and I at the kitchen table, complete with the camera mounted on a rolling track.  Then the outside scenes were shot as darkness fell, including an interview of me and another of me entering the observatory and opening the roof.  The lighting setup was extremely elaborate, turning the backyard into daylight.  In addition to Tim there was the director and several production assistants, camera and lighting technicians, and, yes, a makeup artist who airbrushed a few years off of my mug.  All of them were true professionals, and when they left at half past midnight, everything inside and outside of the house was back exactly as it had been.