Planetarium Film Shorts
About the films
Each short film represents the perspective of a different culture or Indigenous society from around the globe. Each film stands alone as a short story or in combination as a longer narrative – organized around themes of "Finding Patterns" and developing tools, or as we say, "To Seek Far."
One Sky Project (Full film)
This is the fulldome feature version of the One Sky Project short films. Each short film represents the perspective of a different culture or Indigenous society from around the globe. Each film stands alone as a short story or in combination as a longer narrative – organized around themes of "Finding Patterns" and developing tools, or as we say, "To Seek Far." This film is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 43 m 28 s
Download all formats here
Finding Patterns: The Forge of Artemis
In ancient Greece, Orion was a mighty but not particularly popular hunter, but his constellation shines brightly—a familiar shape to people around the world. Why did the goddess Artemis immortalize him in the sky? This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 05 m 42 s
Download all formats here
To Seek Far: Thunderbird
The sky is a powerful tool for measuring time, and for the Diné, or Navajo people, the Thunderbird transcends space and time, revealing the passage of seasons and connecting earth and sky. This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 07 m 30 s.
Download all formats here
To Seek Far: Jai Singh’s Dream
Amid the political chaos of 18th-century India, a great ruler brought the order of the skies down to earth. His giant instruments allowed for precise measurements of stars, planets, and the passage of time—and his observatories still stand today! This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 07 m 19 s
Download all formats here
Finding Patterns: Celestial Canoe
The First People of what is now northern Canada watched the slow turn of a canoe in the sky—mirroring the change in seasons on land. This celestial canoe guided them through a particularly challenging part of the year. This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 07 m 13 s
Download all formats here
Finding Patterns: The Samurai and Stars
For many, the stars offer solace and comfort. For our Japanese narrator, images in the sky—even the colors of the stars—bring back memories of music, history, and childhood. This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 05 m 45 s
Download all formats here
Finding Patterns: Wayfinders
Hear from a Hawaiian navigator as she describes how the sky provides a compass and calendar for the oceanic people whose voyages connected islands throughout the Pacific Ocean. This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 07 m 00 s
Download all formats here
One Sky (Epilogue)
This is the epilogue fulldome film of the One Sky Project. Each short film represents the perspective of a different culture or Indigenous society from around the globe. Each film stands alone as a short story or in combination as a longer narrative — organized around themes of "Finding Patterns" and developing tools, or as we say, "To Seek Far." This is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Duration: 03 m 30 s.
Download all formats hereFrom ideas, to scripts, to films
Early on, we identified the idea of short films as a way to provide flexibility for planetariums to share stories that were most relevant to them. These short films can be integrated into a live presentation, or they can be combined to create longer-form experiences.
During two in-depth, in-person meetings in 2019, our international and cross-cultural team identified themes that resonate across different times and places – specifically, we zeroed in on finding patterns and creating tools. For the theme of patterns, we focus on the part of the sky around the IAU constellation Orion, visible around the world and a visual benchmark for cultures globally. For the theme of tools, we define “tools” broadly, from the cyclical celestial variations that enable the development of calendars and time-keeping to the physical objects developed to study the sky.
Once we had our themes, we started work on scripts. Working closely with experts, a scriptwriter spent much of 2020 co-creating visual and verbal storylines, or “narrative journeys,” for each of the short films, in collaboration with numerous specialists. These scripts provided just enough detail to scope the work involved in creating the short films. A subset of our team, working closely with other experts, then started a global search for a fulldome producer who could help bring these visions to life.
With the selection of Sébastien Gauthier 360 in late 2020, work began in earnest to bring these short films to life. Each film gathered a separate group of creatives to work on it, under Gauthier’s watchful eye. Throughout 2021, weekly meetings with One Sky Project representatives as well as regular discussions with cultural experts kept the film productions on track, and the entire international team came together several times to review progress. From visuals to music to story, all elements were orchestrated to bring each idea to life in a distinctive, immersive way.
Process is central to the One Sky Project, and we hope that the results speak for themselves! Close collaboration and a community of respect have produced these films, leveraging the creativity of a diverse group of professionals. We hope you enjoy the shorts.
About the filmmaker
Sebastien 360 is a production team based in Montréal, Canada. Led by Sébastien Gauthier, a diverse group of filmmakers worked closely with the One Sky advisors and engaged Indigenous and culturally-grounded artists, musicians, and narrators for each film. Members of the One Sky collaboration helped select Sebastien 360 and his team. “We loved his creative vision for the films, and equally we knew he’d take great care with these important cultural narratives.” – need to attribute.
