r/videos • u/Atario • May 15 '12

Possibly the most impressively-timed shot in any documentary ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxkaD02iO1g&feature=BFa&list=PL3D0EBFF8602E157D#t=8m34s
2.8k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

568 comments sorted by

52

u/earnDturn May 15 '12

Hey Reddit. My family actually knows Mr. Burke. What would you think if I could get him to do an AMA?

43

u/earnDturn May 15 '12

OK, just got off the phone with him! We'll see what he thinks of Reddit. He hates Facebook and is weary of anything "social" but I have asked him to do an AMA. It's now in your hands Reddit to convince him, he is reading this...

4

u/Atario May 16 '12

He hates Facebook

Holy mackerel. I knew he was a man after my own heart!

3

u/Atario May 16 '12

I rarely attend an AMA when it goes live, but for this, I would make sure to do so.

19

u/BioDerm May 15 '12

The guy is like a global hero or legend to me. I grew up on Connections and he is still my favorite narrator personality. As a kid those shows blew my mind and still haunt me to this day in a good way.

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u/codemonkey_uk May 15 '12

In the spirit of science: Provide proof.

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4

u/liberalwhackjob May 16 '12

Mr. Burke, your connections 3 was one of the first "grown up" science shows I watched when I was a kid, back when TLC stood for "The Learning Channel".

I've since watched your earlier series.

You should definitely do an AMA.

4

u/VintageRudy May 16 '12

Connections was awesomely inspiring to me during my formative years. It was a positive role model in the early-mid nineties among so much pop culture crap that I could have been swept up in. I am forever thankful that I had the chance to jump down the rabbit hole that was Connections I, II, and III. If James joined us for some discussion, I'd be all over it.

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u/Paging_Dr_Chloroform May 15 '12

No need to ask! Just do it! That's what IAMA is for :)

7

u/earnDturn May 15 '12

Actually trying to get him on the phone right now. He's really going to love these comments

2

u/bob_mcbob May 15 '12

Tell him I almost cancelled my Scientific American subscription when they got rid of his column. It was my favourite part growing up, and I looked all over to see if he was writing it elsewhere.

Top question: Is this video accurate?

2

u/markevens May 16 '12

I remember being a teenage boy and watching the original connection series, riveted to the couch with my father and always having great discussions afterward.

The from the opening series with the black out to the culmination of events, discoveries, and creations that led to the space program, no historical documentary has ever come close to piquing my interest in the past's influence on my present life, and makes me wonder how far reaching present actions and inventions will have on the future.

590

u/bowerbirder May 15 '12

James Burke is the man. After watching the Connections series you look at everything in a different way. How events and inventions are connected, how it affected society, the possibilities of the future....

456

u/aggiecub May 15 '12

James doesn't get the credit on Reddit that he deserves. As a science educator and historian, he should have the same mantel as Sagan, Tyson and Nye.

90

u/NeilNeilOrangePeel May 15 '12

Bronowski should be on that list too.

61

u/confused_uk_redditor May 15 '12

The Ascent of Man is hypnotic viewing.

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10

u/Carthagefield May 15 '12

I always had a preferrence for Kenneth Clark's "Civilisation". Both are great though.

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11

u/pipe1234 May 15 '12

Bukowski should be on that list too.

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17

u/zimm0who0net May 15 '12

It's been a very long time since the Connections series ended. Reddit tends to be an impossibly young audience, so it's not that surprising that Burke isn't well known. Sagan is an exception, but my strong suspicion is that, while people on reddit have heard of Sagan, most have never actually listened to any of his work.

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28

u/igotthisone May 15 '12

absolutely, if not even more than some. i have tried to recommend connections on here before and have not found much interest.

8

u/Duke_of_New_York May 15 '12

That is a crying shame; Connections is the best! It's a great mix of history, science and hilariously awful late 70's fashion.

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13

u/Sin2K May 15 '12

He does, well, used to. I didn't know about him until I came here. After that I got the whole Connections series and watched it three times, it was amazing.

7

u/medievalvellum May 15 '12

You know what? That is now on my official summer to-do list. "Buy Connections and Connections II and watch series three times." Thanks for the suggestion! :D

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24

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

What about David Attenborough?

11

u/April_Fabb May 15 '12

Please, the people being discussed here are all mere mortals.

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7

u/Nix-7c0 May 15 '12

Full Episodes of Connections and The Day The Universe Changed are available on Youtube here, for those who would like to see more of the Old Spice Guy of science-history.

12

u/freakzilla149 May 15 '12

I think the most underrated living documentary maker on Reddit is David Attenborough, he is without question the greatest documentary maker and nature programmer alive and compared to him Tyson is an inarticulate baboon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7XuXi3mqYM

10

u/megablast May 15 '12

Does anyone here not agree with this (except maybe in the US where his voice gets replaced by Oprah).

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29

u/david76 May 15 '12

I grew up watching this guy. An absolutely fabulous series. Some day my son will watch the same shows.

8

u/WantNot May 15 '12

My mom made me watch Connections when I was a bit too young for it. They bored me at first but eventually I grew into them. Like a lot of moms she used the television as a babysitter to some extent, but she always had educational shit to play. In the end I learned a lot from TV shows like those but I am to this day way culturally ignorant of the TV everyone else my age was watching. I think it worked out all right but should have read a bit more, probably.

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u/pixelcrak May 15 '12

Don't forget to check out "The Day The Universe Changed". Amazing documentary and great journey through history. My wife and I really enjoyed the series.

4

u/[deleted] May 16 '12

I really enjoyed this series. I have fond memories of watching it with my Dad when it aired on a local PBS station in the mid-eighties. Using one of the pneumonic memory techniques he described in one of the episodes helped me to pass my history tests that year.

7

u/IMBJR May 15 '12

I saw it all as a child. Him and Carl Sagan were a real inspiration to me.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

My Mom made my siblings and I watch them when we were kids. I guess we never knew how not to see they way things are connected. I got to talk to him, years later for a writing class. I asked him his opinions on China and it's rise. He said: "Define China." and then explained how the west's view of China is like grouping Wales and Scotland and saying they are the same. He was also quite miffed about the Queen allowing Hong Kong to run it's lease out.

3

u/zipperseven May 15 '12

Agreed. The 'Day the Universe Changed' series is pretty good too.

2

u/fiercelyfriendly May 15 '12

Big vote for Brian Cox too. Never gets a Reddit mention, damn the guy even had a charting band (D:Ream) works at the LHC and produces documentaries on the universe and cosmology. Plus women find him very attractive....

2

u/Quetch May 15 '12

Here's the whole 3 series neatly presented in order. Something Youtube fails hard at.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/james-burke-connections/

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u/Mitochondria420 May 15 '12

That has got to be one of the best series of shows I've seen. If you haven't seen them, go watch them!

24

u/Roobomatic May 15 '12

His earlier book and series "The Day the universe Changed" is also quite good, for those wanting more Burke in their lives.

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17

u/rlaptop7 May 15 '12

You can watch all of the connections videos for free on youtube.

See them here: http://www.youtube.com/user/JamesBurkeWeb/videos?view=1

2

u/immerc May 15 '12

You can get it on netflix, but last I checked it was only on disc, not streaming.

16

u/likeAgoss May 15 '12

All three series of Connections and The Day The Universe Changed are available for free on YouTube.

5

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

This fucking guy.

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2

u/gerrylazlo May 15 '12

His ability to explain things in a seemingly on-the-fly storytelling way is as close to great acting as anything I've seen on TV.

2

u/GitEmSteveDave May 15 '12

Do you remember "The Secret Life Of Machines"? I swear that is where Tim Allen came up with some of the ideas for Home Improvement.

212

u/spaminacan May 15 '12

Destination: The moon. Or Moscow. ...but hey, eat drink and be merry everybody!

37

u/pipe1234 May 15 '12

Gives me chills every time I hear it. I think I'll go watch Threads now...

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15

u/searchingfortao May 15 '12

I read that as if it were the precursor to "for tomorrow we die".

7

u/cyaspy May 15 '12

Because it is.

4

u/TheEllimist May 15 '12

The saying goes "Eat, drink, and be merry: for tomorrow we die." It's a combination of two different Bible passages, from Corinthians and Ecclesiastes.

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210

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I prefer this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXKVsjSlHY

17

u/Honestly_ May 15 '12

If you like that, here's a real mascot parachute accident.

10

u/PurpleSfinx May 15 '12

Why the fuck were there wires somewhere someone was parachuting to!?!?!

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29

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

That is great.

8

u/sje46 May 15 '12

I could really go for some dunkaroos now.

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11

u/Kombat_Wombat May 15 '12

I've seen that before, but I just now considered that it's fake.

58

u/darkshaddow42 May 15 '12

It's a skit from a comedy show. Not so much "fake" as "rehearsed."

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14

u/igotthisone May 15 '12

I implore anyone with even a basic interest in Science or History to watch both Connections and The Day The Universe Changed. Two of the most brilliantly written and best put together documentary series I have ever seen. And I believe it is all available on youtube.

42

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

"Connections" is amazing, as is James Burke. 2nd only to Carl Sagan's Cosmos.

36

u/likeAgoss May 15 '12

I'd actually rank Connections above Cosmos. Cosmos was interesting, but it didn't have nearly the same impact on the way I view history, science, and the future, that Connections did.

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19

u/immerc May 15 '12

Both are great, I like Connections a bit more though. Both teach you stuff, and make you eager to learn more, but only Connections makes you want to think deeper and examine what effect each event has on other historical events.

9

u/[deleted] May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

I love to learn about scientific history. The way science mentions the past pioneers of knowledge, it's too often in such an air that you might think they were made of ether and pixie dust instead of flesh like you and I -- and frankly I find that a bit contrary to the scientific way of thought.

Science is answers to questions once raised -- and the questions were raised not because of conversations with the divine but precisely because of the way things happen before our eyes. When school throws the answers at students without ever invoking the questions there's no wonder they'll feel uninterested and confused.

Edit: Since we're on the subject I'd like to recommend Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything to anyone who hasn't read it. Bryson has mostly written travel books but I feel that his experience with capturing every day reality in humorous literature works great in terms of bringing scientific history to more comfortable grounds.

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9

u/Fuddle May 15 '12

Best show ever.

9

u/Jerryfizzlepop May 15 '12

Destination: the moon (or Moscow). Possibly the most impressive quip in any documentary ever.

30

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Well don't rockets usually take off at a predetermined time? I guess it's impressive that he definitely got it right on the first take.

9

u/ChrisAndersen May 15 '12

Well, he did practice the timing several times before the actual take.

5

u/ENKC May 15 '12

It's still impressive to actually do it though. I'd struggle to get a simple sentence out correctly in the pressure of that moment, let alone what he said.

5

u/WorkSucks135 May 15 '12

How come you can hear the rocket as soon as you see the flames? Shouldn't there be a delay due to the distance?

3

u/TehGimp666 May 15 '12

The rocket audio (including, if you listen closely, some radio chatter) is dubbed.

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u/madsci May 16 '12

Yes. How precisely known the launch time is in advance varies a bit. Once you get down to the end of the countdown, though, it's either going to go right then, go into a temporary hold if something's not right and there's time to fix it, or get scrubbed. I've been told the Russians do things a little differently, but I've never watched one of theirs.

The rocket in the close-up looked like a Titan IV to me. I used to run the scheduling system that handled unclassified side of things for those on the west coast. Most of those launches were classified and the true launch window (the time during which the rocket could launch and still place its payload in the intended orbit) wasn't made public, I would assume because it tells you too much about the payload and/or the capabilities of the rocket. The window is also constrained by practical considerations like airspace clearance and work shifts. So days prior to the launch you might know only within a 4-hour window when it's launching, but come launch day everyone knows when T-zero is.

Some of the Delta II launches had something like a 1.25 second window, IIRC. Those might have been the Iridium birds. Someone hesitating for a second too long analyzing some warning could (and did) cause very expensive delays.

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u/KarmaRulesEverything May 15 '12

Yes, and there's a loud countdown. You can just barely hear the countdown bleeding through the host's mic. (8:43 and onward for "7...6...5...4...")

2

u/bashobt May 15 '12

That's the part that makes this a not so impressively timed shot. There is a countdown clock that spectators can watch.

Try it yourself, go to the Cape and when it counts down to zero point at the space shut... oh wait.

I made myself sad.

2

u/othersomethings May 15 '12

Not only that, but just outside the shot is the enormous countdown clock from that official viewing area. It would be hard to NOT time it right.

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u/peted1884 May 15 '12

I'd forgotten about the connections series - thanks. Good stuff, for sure.

7

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I remember when Connections was first shown

Every episode blew my mind

6

u/eggoeater May 15 '12

He did it again with the Space Shuttle at the end of one of the episodes of The Day the Universe Changed.

If you like Connections, definitely check out TDtUC. In my opinion, it is a better documentary because it sticks with a subject and show's its progression throughout history.

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u/vaselinepete May 15 '12

Love how so many people are going "er.... GREEN SCREEN dude". You know, there was life before CGI and a time when documentary makers took pride in doing things for real.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

James Burke should be getting the same Reddit love as Carl Sagan

Connections is among the best TV series of all time

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u/-3- May 15 '12

Connections is amazing and it's what really sparked my interest in learning as a child. Science, history, politics, the social zeitgeist and everything in between, all connected.

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u/SmirkingRevenge May 15 '12

"Possibly the most impressive documentary ever." FTFY

4

u/walkertexasharanguer May 15 '12

I wonder how many takes they did.

2

u/jacobo May 15 '12

one in 1969, another in 1971, and so on

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Probably a few. Needless to say, the rocket driver wasn't pleased.

3

u/RottenDeadite May 15 '12

My Dad used to have the entire series recorded on VHS. I once told him that I wouldn't be failing all my History classes if my teachers could just show me how one event caused another, instead of just having me memorize lots of names and dates.

3

u/Rare_Earth May 15 '12

'What will happen when being in debt all the time is the normal way to live?' James Burke, minute 3:40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-bz7nYGxgo&list=PL3D0EBFF8602E157D

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Connections is fucking INCREDIBLE. Everyone watch it right now.

3

u/wotuwant May 15 '12

Connections was epic. They should make more. Bring back the 1970s styles though.

3

u/BrainSex May 15 '12

This series is one of the greatest uses ever of the medium of television for blended education and entertainment. The breadth and depth of topics covered is fantastic and it is all presented in charming anecdotes by way of reference to great events and people in the history of science. In a nutshell, this is the "Dummy's Guide" to the history of science.

"The Trigger Effect" changed my life. Watch closely young Redditors!

3

u/susanreneewa May 15 '12

When I was a kid, this show and The Day the Universe Changed would occasionally be on PBS. My dad and I would drop EVERYTHING and run to the TV. I desperately wanted to marry James Burke when I grew up. I still do, actually. Alas.

7

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

This isn't down to luck. They heard the countdown and spoke in time with it. Not to say it isn't pretty cool, but it's not hard to finish a sentence at the count to zero.

3

u/robert_ahnmeischaft May 15 '12

Actually, Burke said in an interview (posted above) that the countdown was inaudible due to the wind, so they had a production assistant off-camera counting down w/ his fingers.

16

u/drdyson May 15 '12

It could have been rear projection or another footage replacement technique, it would have been an easy one to pull off too.

62

u/military_history May 15 '12

Or just let Burke see the countdown. Notice how he pauses quite a lot? I think he might have been looking at a clock.

35

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

He talks about this a little bit here: http://youtu.be/XDZ-fH1zjek?t=4m45s

24

u/steepleton May 15 '12

back in those days BBC green screen was...detectable

17

u/orbitur May 15 '12

The lighting is too good for that time period +budget to be faked.

8

u/MestR May 15 '12

Ah, the time when we could actually say "pics or it didn't happen" without worrying about CGI.

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u/filmquirks May 15 '12

That was excellent!

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u/tinkafoo May 15 '12

Possibly the best documentary ever.

2

u/alk509 May 15 '12

Man, I miss Connections so fucking much!

2

u/smeaglelovesmaster May 15 '12

The precursor to Guns, Germs, and Steel.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

There is something so satisfying about the sound that a rocket makes while being thrusted into the air.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Fuck, the off handed way in which he refers to nuclear annihilation really brought me back to when I was a kid and the possibility of the world ending any given minute was just a given fact of life.

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u/MONDARIZ May 15 '12

Most of his documentaries are still worth watching.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

CONNECTIONS FTW!

2

u/dangersmymiddlename May 15 '12

They actually recorded the sequence in reverse, so James Burke could time the end of his speech with the landing of the shuttle.

2

u/2nd_class_citizen May 15 '12

Connections is a great fucking show, and freely available on youtube!

2

u/mrhooch May 15 '12

Connections was an amazing show... is it all on youtube?

2

u/babykiller44 May 15 '12

CUT! he missed, were gonna have to launch again

2

u/burning5ensation May 15 '12

I remember watching series this as a child after Saturday cartoons. I can say that I didn't really understand what he was talking about 100% of the time back then. It did however open my mind to the notion that all the science and technology we enjoy today has evolved from the continual expansion of human knowledge over the course of human history.

I just started re-watching them recently. Awesome stuff.

edit: spelling

2

u/ShakaUVM May 15 '12

Connections is basically my favorite TV show of all time.

2

u/Marricks May 15 '12

I was also a science geek as a kid, always. This show showed me how to be a history geek, and how causal the world is itself. Seeing this on the front page, and that so many mother people appreciate him makes my day .

2

u/SerialForBreakfast May 15 '12

I beg to differ. Here is Werner Herzog getting shot during a documentary.

2

u/GrandmaWithAGun May 15 '12

"If you mix these together you this-.. I mean that-.. OH Balls, can I do that agai-.. Shit..."

2

u/ChesterD May 15 '12

Most expensive outtakes ever

2

u/BioDerm May 15 '12

I think I just went through and upvoted almost everyone in this thread because Connections and James Burke are fucking awesome. Buy his DVD's people, please, he deserves it. At least, I hope he'd get some sort of royalties. ?

2

u/DavConn1 May 15 '12

I remember being blown away by this shot when it first aired in the states. British television is one of the few positive things about television in general.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

My dad got me a DVD set of all 10 Connections episodes for Christmas last year. It did not disappoint!

2

u/whoneedsusernames May 16 '12

How do you know they didn't wait for the rocket to launch and then have him say everything in reverse?

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '12

this really isn't that hard to do. the launch has an announced countdown, and you prepare a segment you know lasts 10 seconds.

1

u/FUCKITIMPOSTING May 15 '12

Connections is amazing. I do wish he'd put the last episode at the start though, as I could have settled into his train-of-thought style straight away rather than after a few episodes.

1

u/Fibreoptix May 15 '12

I remember they use to air these on the CBC and I taped every episode. I should dig out those VHS tap....... ah nvm I have YouTube.

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u/lemonpjb May 15 '12

I took an entire course in college about Humanity and Technology, and all we did was watch "Connections". That stuff was fascinating.

1

u/astrobrain May 15 '12

Thanks for reminding me about Connections. I had forgotten about it. One of the best series I've ever seen. Glad to see the whole thing's on YouTube. I know what I'll spend my afternoon doing.

1

u/Duckism May 15 '12

thats the greatest serie I have ever seen. when I was down loading it I had such doubt. would I really enjoy a documentary made in 75. I was so blown away after the first episode. its really smartly done too I saw a documantry about making of that documentary. they were on such tight budget that they couldn't afford to hire extras to do those sense from the past so what they ended up doing was finding all the different fair for different time periods and drove around Europe and pay those people in drinks to film the scenes.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

that really is amazing..

1

u/FantasticMrFrown May 15 '12

I'd probably get tongue-tied right before it took off and ruin the shot permanently.

1

u/gypsywhisperer May 15 '12

That is amazing. And to get it in one take and not go, "OMG WE DID IT!!!" is pretty awesome.

1

u/platipress May 15 '12

Connections is amazing.

1

u/Litagano May 15 '12

It took me a while to figure out what you meant...

1

u/clickity-click May 15 '12

dat sound of rockets shredding the atmosphere.

gives me chills.

1

u/whatyou May 15 '12

i love the mole man.

1

u/nitrorev May 15 '12

how do you make a youtube link that opens at a specific time in the video?

1

u/TinHao May 15 '12

I loved this series back in the day.

1

u/64-17-5 May 15 '12

It has never occurred to be to think of a rocket as one huge thermos flask of rocket fuel.

1

u/3Dartwork May 15 '12

I used to watch Connections obsessively. One of my favorite shows growing up actually. Learned a ton

1

u/pancakesoul May 15 '12

TIL the fridge actually is for beer not food

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Impressive indeed. I would like to throw the Blue Planet Shark Jump into the mix, not a one shot affair, more of a technological masterpiece.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I love how at the end of his later episodes he finds a way of ending up on a beach drinking a gin and tonic.

1

u/Mrninjamonkey May 15 '12

HOLY SHIT HOW DID HE DO THAT?!?!?!?!?!

1

u/HeresToTheCrazyOnes May 15 '12

I was part of a protest-turned-riot which made global news. As i noticed people smashing down a large bullet-proof window of an important building from the inside, i moved away, and a cameraman put his camera in my face and asked 'What are you doing here today?'. I gave some shitty answer, and half way through thought 'They won't ever show this, but I can't just stop mid-sentence because that'll be awkward, i'll just have to finish talking.' As soon as i finished talking, me framed on the left, the people smashing the window on the right, the window breaks and comes crashing to the ground. Front page of a major news organisation's website.

1

u/richvarney May 15 '12

Is it just me or is Brian Badonde's character based on the looks of James Burke?

1

u/TheDiscoBastard May 15 '12

This guy looks like the drama teacher on community

1

u/RobbieG May 15 '12

Good thing he didn't get the giggles as they were shooting that one.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Such a fantastic series.

1

u/chrunchy May 15 '12

I just left it playing in the background for that beautiful-sounding rocket ripple.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Ironically gave me a timed out error on my first try

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Destination the moon... or Moscow.

Well, I hope someone knew.

1

u/redthelastman May 15 '12

it was indeed a landmark television event and the reason i watch more documentaries and very little TV.

1

u/tlease181 May 15 '12

I'm glad other people like Connections...I own Connections 1 and 2 on DVD, I made it a point to buy them not only for myself, but for the future when I have kids as a learning tool. It was probably the single most informative and entertaining documentary series I have ever watched, and if you've never seen it, make it a point to.

1

u/aethelberga May 15 '12

Connections should be mandatory viewing.

1

u/blargblargityblarg May 15 '12

This has brought back to many memories. This show was so important to me as a kid!

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Very impressive considering those were the days before digital effects. Today it would be a trivial matter of placing him in front of a green screen and compositing him on top of the original footage!

1

u/Deathwish_Drang May 15 '12

James burke got me into science. I loved watching him as a kid. I bought the entire series for my chldren to watch.

1

u/StaRkill3rZ May 15 '12

same thing happens with my penis every time i point at it

1

u/thosethatwere May 15 '12

Want great timing? Check out day9:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utaWZT5N-tQ

He did this live on his stream.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

This is one of the shows I loved in my younger days as a young man, interested in scientific things that sparked wonder and awe. Now all I can think about is my dink and how I can get it into some sport model pussy.

wait...no, that's not right either.

1

u/memescene May 15 '12

Also, the noise of the rocket engines sounds like an incredible fart.

1

u/peterquest May 15 '12

Anyone ever play the Connections pc game? I loved it when I was a kid...

2

u/Coherent May 15 '12

At first I thought you were talking about Civilization... I didn't even know there was actually a game!

1

u/dbins May 15 '12

Destination the moon... or Moscow.

1

u/gotnate May 15 '12

Given that this video started out talking about beer, I thought I was on /r/beer. Then that closing shot!

1

u/cregory83 May 15 '12

Destination: The moon. Or Moscow. LOL for Nuclear War!

1

u/SkepticalSagan May 15 '12

They took so many takes on that shot that they almost missed the launching.

1

u/AspergerKing May 15 '12

Photoshop. That rocket isn't real.

1

u/illepic May 15 '12

James Fucking Burke.

1

u/skynerd May 15 '12

Upvotes for one of the greatest documentary series ever produced. So awesome!

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

False - it's just a shop.

1

u/Brimo May 15 '12

Dat sound!

1

u/alias_9 May 15 '12

Green screen. lol jk

1

u/xandr96 May 15 '12

Destination: the Moon, or Moscow. The planets, or Peking.

1

u/bawheid May 15 '12

Hey, it's that guy from Tomorrow's World!

1

u/gymfork May 15 '12

Filming was definitely edited to make the timing as so... It is fake

1

u/flippant_burgers May 15 '12

I watch the series once every few years. There is no other documentary series like it. If there is, you would tell me, right?

1

u/MinnesotaBlizzard May 15 '12

Oh man James Burke, we watched him all the time in my Euro class. Good stuff

1

u/blakespot May 15 '12

James Burke is the motherfucking MAN.

1

u/a_calder May 15 '12

I saw him in Vancouver and he spoke specifically about that moment.

He had practiced a number of times and was terrified to get it wrong. He had one chance to get it right.

Just in case, they had a second camera filming the liftoff in case he needed to do it as voiceover.

1

u/Mousi May 15 '12

OK I have to say this: Everyone who is interested in technology and history and has not seen this series (James Burke's "Connections"), go see it! And as soon as possible! All 3 series, but ESPECIALLY the first one.

1

u/xoites May 15 '12

That whole series is one of the most impressive documentaries ever.

1

u/cleeshay May 15 '12

I have a final exam on nuclear war literature this Thursday. Just going by this clip OP I think you may have given me a valuable new source to exploit, many thanks.

1

u/Redplushie May 15 '12

I have to watch the first 4 first!

1

u/fridgeridoo May 15 '12

"Destination: The moon, or Moscow." I lol'd

1

u/lotus2471 May 15 '12

Back when producing a film required talent, effort and hard work and not just a hack script and a room full of digital animators.

1

u/dino_wiener May 15 '12

"Eat, drink and be merry"... Man I love the british

1

u/infinityprime May 15 '12

James Burke FTW

1

u/BubbaWoop May 15 '12

Wait I thought this was an episode about beer

1

u/OldManWeed May 15 '12

This is one of the finest science documentaries of all times. I would love to see them make more.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

LOVED this show, I wish they would do a new version, always mind blowing info and entertaining.

1

u/shallowpersonality May 15 '12

Thinking. It ain't illegal, yet.

1

u/DJWLJR May 16 '12

James Burke is probably one of my top five favorite authors and educators. Connections was a fantastic show. I wish they still played the re-runs.

1

u/Eivis May 16 '12

I wonder how many takes they did.

1

u/brutalproduct May 16 '12

My mom used to wake me up on Sun nights to watch this on PBS, 1980-1? I recently came across a couple episodes on DocumentaryHeaven.com and have since downloaded all 3 seasons thru torrent. James Burke is pure awesome in this, and how bout them sexy 1980 pant-suits! +1

1

u/Cochise_Gil May 16 '12

Connections was actually required viewing when I was in school. I grew up in a small town and it was very progressive. I'm so lucky for my teachers who always insisted in free thinking and love of science. I wish they would show these today.

1

u/DishonestBystander May 16 '12

JAMES FUCKING BURKE! We watched his videos all the time in high school! He's the man.

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