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In July and August 1965, the Southern California-based production company Graphic Films conducted research and created concept sketches for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Among the staff were Con Pederson, who directed a film called To the Moon and Beyond for Graphic Films that Kubrick saw at the World’s Fair in New York’s Flushing Meadows-Corona Park earlier that year, and Douglas Trumbull, who had recently joined the company as a background artist. When their long-distance collaboration became unsustainable, Pederson and Trumbull left Graphic Films to work directly with Kubrick at the MGM studios in England, and were instrumental to the realization of what is arguably the most important science-fiction film ever made.
Museum of the Moving Image will present more than twenty of these original concept sketches, depicting a lunar base and space vehicles, along with correspondence between Graphic Films and Stanley Kubrick, and an early draft of the script for 2001: A Space Odyssey in a new exhibition, To the Moon and Beyond: Graphic Films andthe Inception of 2001: A Space Odyssey, from March 4 through August 14, 2016, in the Museum’s Amphitheater Gallery.
The objects on view are drawn from the Museum’s collection of artwork, correspondence, and archival material related to the career of Lester Novros, the founder of Graphic Films and a former Disney animator and renowned University of Southern California film professor. This exhibition is organized by Barbara Miller, Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions. The story of the collaboration between Graphic Films and Stanley Kubrick is captured in an illustrated article by Miller on the Museum’s Sloan Science and Film website.
“Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most influential films of all time, known for its meticulously researched representation of space, and for its pioneering special effects,” said Miller. “The sketches and correspondence in this exhibit reveal the role that Les Novros’s Graphic Films played in the development of this important film, particularly how Con Pederson and Douglas Trumbull, both instrumental to the realization of 2001, began their collaboration with Kubrick while working for Graphic Films.”
Next to the exhibition, in the Video Screening Amphitheater, the Museum will present Computer Films of the 1960s, a selection of computer films (in a continuous loop), organized by guest curators Leo Goldsmith and Gregory Zinman.
MUSEUM INFORMATION
Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.
Hours: Wednesday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
