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Powers of Ten (1977)

| Documentary , Short
Powers of Ten Poster
A scientific film essay, narrated by Phil Morrison. A set of pictures of two picnickers in a park, with the area of each frame one-tenth the size of the one before. Starting from a view of ... See full summary »

Directors:

Charles Eames, Ray Eames

Star:

Philip Morrison
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Cast

Credited cast:
Philip Morrison ... Narrator (voice)
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Storyline

A scientific film essay, narrated by Phil Morrison. A set of pictures of two picnickers in a park, with the area of each frame one-tenth the size of the one before. Starting from a view of the entire known universe, the camera gradually zooms in until we are viewing the subatomic particles on a man's hand. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

national film registry | voice over narration | educational film | overhead camera shot | picnic | See All (10) »

Genres:

Documentary | Short

Parents Guide:

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Details

Official Sites:

Eames Office's powersoften.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Powers of Ten: A Film Dealing with the Relative Size of Things in the Universe and the Effect of Adding Another Zero See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Business Machines (IBM),Office of Charles & Ray Eames See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Won National Film Registry, National Film Preservation Board, USA 1998. See more »

Goofs

The narrator refers to Soldier Field as "Soldiers Field". See more »

Connections

Referenced in 901: After 45 Years of Working (1990) See more »

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User Reviews

 
A Film That Made Me Think.
20 December 2002 | by THXboy – See all my reviews

I walked away from seeing this short film very surprised.

A very scientific and mathematically related movie, Powers Of Ten can be classified as one of Charles and Ray Eames' most brilliant and campy short films.

This movie shows how small we are in the universe as well as how big we are. This film might be nine minutes long, but everything blends in well for the short time limit.

This is also a good film for students who have just learned about astronomy and cellular functioning. It will leave them surprised and shattered about this film as much as I was.

Phil Morrison's excited narrative during this movie as well as the campy Moog background music made me think of this as a film to get people scared about the universe. It might not SCARE you, but it will leave you astounded.

Also, for a film about the universe, it must have at least some special effects. It does, but everything seems like one dimension. The special effects were not cheesy, yet I was dumbfounded that anyone can obtain pictures of everything dealing with the universe in 1977.

All in all, Powers Of Ten is a short film for any person who is interested in the paranormal, universal life, or even the universe in general. Ray and Charles Eames's style isn't for everyone, so be forewarned before you watch this. If you are in the mood for something completely different from your average short film, then feel free to see this short film on the "Films Of Charles and Ray Eames Collection Volume One". You won't be disappointed!
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