Birth of Planet Earth

Narrated by Richard Dormer.
Birth of Planet Earth tells the twisted tale of our planet’s origins.
Scientists now believe that our galaxy is filled with solar systems, including up to a billion planets roughly the size of our own. The film employs advanced, data-driven, cinematic-quality visualizations to explore some of the greatest questions in science today: How did Earth become a living planet in the wake of our solar system’s violent birth? What does its history tell us about our chances of finding other worlds that are truly Earth-like?
Produced by Spitz Inc., NCSA’s Advanced Visualization Lab, Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc., in association with Tellus Science Museum.
This project has been made possible with support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office;
funded in part by the National Science Foundation.
2019
Director’s Award
IPS Brno Fulldome Festival
2019
Best Astronomical Visualizations
Reflections of the Universe Fulldome Festival
2019
Official Selection
Macon Film Festival
2019
Official Selection
Astra Film Festival,
Romania
2019
Official Selection
Immersive Film Festival,
Espinho, Portugal
2019
Best Soundtrack
Immersive Film Festival,
Espinho, Portugal
2019
Honorable Mention
“For the value of the work as a whole”
Immersive Film Festival,
Espinho, Portugal
2019
Best Educational Dome Film
DTLA Film Festival,
Los Angeles, CA
2019
Photosynthesis in a Chromatophore
Official Selection
SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater
2019
Photosynthesis in a Chromatophore
Scientific Visualization & Data Analytics Showcase Award
Supercommputing
2019
Photosynthesis in a Chromatophore
Official Selection
SIGGRAPH Asia Electronic Theater
2019
The Collision that Formed the Moon
Official Selection
SIGGRAPH Asia Electronic Theater
2020
Official Selection
Dome Under Festival,
Melbourne, Australia
Suitable for: College, General Audiences, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
Available languages: Czech, English, German, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian
Covered subject areas: Cosmology, Earth Science, Life Science & Nature, Solar System, Space Science & Astronomy
Runtime: 24 minutes
Release date: 2019
Bookings as of January 30, 2020
Educational Materials
Educators Guide
Science White Paper
Flatscreen video script
Dome show video script
Visualization Excerpts
Birth of Planet Earth News
"Birth of Planet Earth" premieres March 28 at *Zeiss Großplanetarium in Germany. (*site is in German) with the first public showing on March 30 at Das Planetarium am Insulaner, Berlin.
Mar 27, 2019: Spitz Inc press release, Berlin’s Zeiss-Großplanetarium hosts world premiere for the latest collaboration between Spitz, NCSA, and Thomas Lucas Productions – “Birth of Planet Earth”
Mar 28, 2019: Fulldome Database: Fulldome Show "Birth of Planet Earth" had its World Premiere in Berlin
Mar 29, 2019: NCSA, NCSA VISUALIZATION TEAM CO-PRODUCES BIRTH OF PLANET EARTH
May 07, 2019: InPark Magazine, “Birth of Planet Earth” explores the celestial events that prepared Earth for supporting life.
July 01, 2019: InPark Magazine, SIGGRAPH selects sequence from Spitz’s “Birth of Planet Earth” for screening in Electronic Theater
July 29, 2019: Photosynthesis in a Chromatophore featured in Siggraph '19 Electronic Theater in the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles
Nov 25, 2019: Chromatophore visualization wins Supercomputing 2019 Best Scientific Visualization & Data Analytics Showcase Award.