|
||||||||||
|
Not even close. Total box-office receipts from motion pictures, from two series of films about and based on Artemis Project adventures, account for only 25% of the anticipated before-tax income; and that number is dwindling as other potential sources of revenue are added to the business plan.
If you've studied the description of the Artemis Project's approach to financing the program, you know how silly this is. Nevertheless, the notion comes up quite frequently, so let's see if we can put it to rest here.
The fixation on movie revenues probably has its origins in the article published in the January 1995 issue of Analog. In an attempt to simplify the financial concept of the Artemis Project, Gregory Bennett concentrated on movie profits. That resulted in over-emphasizing box office receipts as a source of income.
The emphasis on this source of income was repeated in the "Future Fantastic" television series, where Gillian Anderson summarized the plan by saying "They're planning to pay for it all by selling the movie rights."
This gave some of our loyal critics an excuse to build a strawman to shoot at, so the misconception has been propogated by people who really do know better.
It is certainly true that movie profits were enough to get our attention. Reading about the movie profits for Jurassic Park was a key precipitating event that led to putting together concepts for the entertainment industry with space flight. (Jurassic Park put $250 million net profit into the movie producer's pocket during its first run, from box office sales alone.) However, we are not depending on profits from a single blockbuster movie (which might not happen) to pay the bills.
Total revenues for the Artemis Project come from many sources, including a series of movies, television shows, theme parks, sponsorships, and associated merchandising. A key concept is the establishment of a solid, enduring business base, where many people earn their living from the conduct of the space flight. By doing this, rather than relying on a single event, we create an environment where space development will continue for generations to come. As long as people are earning a good living from it, they will keep doing it.
For more information about these issues, see:
|
|
|