DEEP RESCUE

The crew of the shuttle Discovery struggles to survive and escape to the surface after the Space Shuttle ditches into the Atlantic Ocean and sinks.

“GREY LADY DOWN” meets the SPACE SHUTTLE

It was a lot of fun working on “Deep Impact”, “Armageddon”, “Space Cowboys” and ” “Rocket’s Red Glare” and we felt like we were on a roll with space films. One day, a short time after NASA had lost one of the shuttles we were looking at the flight bridge from “Space Cowboys” and the space station module from “Day After Tomorrow”.  We got the idea to do a film based on the crew living through a crash in the Atlantic and having to be rescued. There is a window during launch where, if the Shuttle must abort it can’t return to Florida and can’t reach the next dry landing site, so it has to ditch into the Atlantic.  Since the cabin is airtight, if the Shuttle didn’t completely break apart but just cracked and took on water,  it would sink but the crew would survive. So the story is based on what could be real events.

The project was shot on HD.  Software was used to create a filmed effect. We shot the live action on those million dollar shuttle and space station sets, then included models, foreground miniatures and a minimum of CG. We are really proud of the last scene. The suited astronauts rising to the surface was shot live in-camera, starting at 100’ underwater at the USC oceanographic lab on Catalina Island.

We developed the financing and shot the film.  Showtime took domestic pay TV. Granada International picked up the balance of distribution rights.  It has shown on TV around the world, and as of 2010, is still showing in some markets and VOD.  DVDs have been released in Regions 4 and 6.

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