The World Premiere of Secrets of the Universe was held at the Lockheed Martin IMAX® theater at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. on July 10, 2019. The event was hosted by NASM with Executive Producer K2 Communications and the Perimeter Institute.  The evening included remarks by filmmaker Stephen Low and physicist Manuel Calderon de la Barca Sanchez.

In Secrets of the Universe, award-winning IMAX documentary filmmaker Stephen Low takes audiences to Geneva, Switzerland to explore the fantastic workings of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), tthe largest and most expensive machine ever built. The film explores the work of scientists using the collider to investigate the quantum fabric of the universe. Their work unfolds against the backdrop of centuries of scientific struggle to reveal the hidden dimensions of the world around us. In stunning kinetic detail, computer graphics illustrate the inner workings of the  enormously powerful collider as protons rush at virtually the speed of light to a collision that duplicates conditions at the start of the Universe.

Links

For more information, visit our project page: Secrets of the Universe

The Stephen Low Company is pleased to help celebrate Mario Andretti’s 50 years of racing via the contribution of a race vehicle for the exhibition Mario Andretti: Racing Royalty mounted by the World of Speed Motorsports Museum (Wilsonville, OR).

The Exhibition. The World of Speed, a Wilsonville, Oregon-based nonprofit motorsports museum, has opened a new exhibit honoring Mario Andretti, the most successful American race car driver of all time. Andretti conquered every style of racing he tried, going head-to-head with the best drivers the world had to offer and coming out victorious. The exhibition celebrates the breadth of this career and features cars driven by Andretti during five decades of racing; included is the Indy car driven by Mario Andretti for the filming of the IMAX Experience Super Speedway.

Above: from the exhibit Mario Andretti: Racing Royalty (photos: World of Speed Collection)

“Mario Andretti isn’t just a race legend, he is a household name,” said World of Speed Curator Ron Huegli. “How many times have you heard someone say ‘Who do you think you are, Mario Andretti?’ He is a part of America’s lexicon and an ambassador for the world of racing. His list of accomplishments is unrivaled, and he successfully competed in 11 different types of racing.”

Super Speedway. The Stephen Low Company released Super Speedway in 1997–an IMAX Experience focused on the world of Indy Car racing. Directed by giant screen filmmaker Stephen Low and filmed with authentic 15perf. / 70mm film for IMAX theaters, the project was a unique collaboration with the race organizer CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and the Newman Haas Racing team that would see an IMAX-equipped Indy car on a variety of tracks to capture giant screen racing action for the first time. Recently retired from CART racing, Mario Andretti took on the task of driving the camera car for the production.

The Camera Car. The camera car was an authentic Indy car modified with anchor points to to accommodate several different camera mount positions for the heavy IMAX film camera. The car had been driven in a previous racing season by Emerson Fitipaldi. The existing speed-limiting pop-off valve on the vehicle was disabled to enable Mario to let loose with extra power to chase action on the track with the IMAX camera. 

The Film. The Super Speedway film would cover the field of drivers and teams represented in the championship, but ultimately focus on Michael Andretti driving for Newman Haas and his father, Mario Andretti. Super Speedway became a huge success in giant screen exhibition, at that time pre-leased to more theaters than ever before. The film has been exhibited in museums and science centres, multiplexes and stand-alone IMAX theaters around the world and remains an authentic and unsurpassed experience of the racing world.

More about the Exhibit. Mario Andretti: Racing Royalty opened Saturday, March 23 and will run through November 2. World of Speed is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and Sunday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

About World of Speed. World of Speed is an educational motorsports museum, where historic race cars, boats, and motorcycles tell the story of America’s iconic car culture and its leadership role in the world of racing. It encompasses many aspects and types of motorsports, from drag racing and land speed racing to open-wheel racing, NASCAR, and more. Through interactive exhibits, extensive education, family programs, and hands-on activities, World of Speed offers an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the racing world. Find out more about the exhibition at www.worldofspeed.org 

For additional information about Super Speedway: https://www.stephenlow.com/project/super-speedway/

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our long time friend and production collaborator, Bill Reeve. A cinematographer, stereographer Bill passed away on Tuesday May 22nd after a battle with cancer.

Bill brought together a fascination with things engineered and the photographic arts to become a master of the IMAX camera. Bill’s contributions to the industry were many and included work on several Stephen Low films: Titanica, Mark Twain’s America (3D), Super Speedway, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea, Fighter Pilot, and Legends of Flight (3D). We will miss you Bill.