I have spent years diligently working to inform/instruct/and contaminate many elementary school children with the joy of diligent and investigative science. Rocketry has been by far the most successful vehicle for infection. Deductive thought processes are competing with smart devices the latter of which effortlessly offer seductive and addictive entertainment. I am not a teacher (only a volunteer for STEM programs) but even on the outside rim as I am, I clearly see how nearly impossible it is to engage our children.
I truly 'get' the desire to not be linked or involved with the scams of reality shows and their absurd pretense at reality. However, in this instance, I am firmly positioned on the side that says, "If we turn our backs on an opportunity to improve the situation, then we are part of the problem. Most certainly we are not providing any useful solutions." If every cast member on the proposed show was a certified rocketeer, do you think we might have some say or sway on the direction of the program and how they represent rocketry? Who cares if the personal interactions are 'enhanced' - that has nothing to do with rocketry (but does with showbiz.) Who cares if they dramatize and create not-entirely-realistic time-frames and deadlines - that has nothing to do with rocketry (but does with showbiz.) I do care quite a bit about the framework of safety within which we _must_ abide in order to not go home in a hearse. Let them do all the showbiz they want, let _us_ take full advantage of this golden opportunity to inject an enthusiastic dose of reality into their reality. With all due respect to NAR/TRA, et. al., I believe we should do everything we can to get in on such an effort and actively participate in a safe (if not spectacularly entertaining) presentation, rather than turn our backs on it with nostrils pinched high and tight.
To that end: I have applied for consideration as a cast member. And here are some facts I've learned in the process:
1- The casting company, Wyldside, is just that, a casting company. They know absolutely nothing about the proposed program. Period. They are simply the first step in the vetting process. I have tendered my interest alongside my daughter as a father/daughter rocketry duo (she's 26 and extremely natural on-screen -- I'm hoping they'll notice her and give me, Mr. Grumpy Pants a grudging pass). She and I enjoyed the phone-conference interview and have been passed on to step 2.
2- I have to submit photos of me with some of my rockets which will be passed along to the next step/interview
3- Step 2 is a skype interview with the uppers of the casting company. The successful candidates of the video interview will have their interview footage cut into a short 'personality' video that will then be passed along to step 3.
4- The twice-vetted proposed cast candidates will be presented to a production company along with the proposal pitch. YES - YOU READ THAT RIGHT. This isn't even a 'real' project yet. Some producer (Netflix, whatever/whoever) has to like it and decide to fund it first! (this is why there is little to no info on GOOGLE.)
5- This is now the real FIRST STEP. AFTER a production company picks up the pitched program proposal, they will comb through the stack of vetted candidates and whittle them down. THEN and ONLY then will the actual candidates and alternates be selected and informed. Till this point, it's all pie-in-the-sky tending toward a quietly executed CATO into oblivion.
6- I think at this point additional interviews will occur and finally production will begin. Given standard timetables, this is likely not to be aired until next fall, if at all. The chances are slim at best.
During my first interview, the casting company asked what I thought about the concept of unconventional build materials to which I replied, "as long as the producers understand and implement the FAA, NFPA, and other regulations related to legal and safe build materials, it should be an exciting challenge."
(I must add at this point, that if at any point in the process I find that safety and reason are going to be ignored or that I am required in the interest of entertainment to do something, anything, that I find objectionable, I will withdraw. Saddened that the effort to 'do it right' is most likely to be set aside once again. I must also point out that there must be an opportunity somewhere along in this process for NAR/TRA members to be used as consultants. Again, turning our collective backs is to relinquish opportunity to shape, to mold, to guide, and possibly have our hand on the rudder.)
Even at the very first step, we have an opportunity to press, press, press safety and our strict adherence to those protocols. Press safety codes at every opportunity while demonstrating their implementation in the course of real science. And, we must be willing to recognize our own reality; we aren't grass-growth scientists for a reason. While it's not my preferred outcome, I still love it when my toys explode (with a spectacularly safe loud bang.) It is after all, rocket science.
