We Have Standards!

The Niels Bohr Library & Archives staff recently had the opportunity to visit a very fascinating place: the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Read our last post about the visit here!

Being a librarian, my favorite building on our tour was the NIST Research Library and Museum. Besides the many fascinating sights in the museum (not to mention the books and archival materials and makerspace!) my attention was particularly caught by a special-looking stone outside of the library. Our tour guide and NIST filmmaker, Leon Geršković mentioned that this stone is in fact a monument honoring Allen V. Astin, the subject of his recent film about the AD-X2 controversy. 

Film, you say? About a controversy? 

Curious about the incident, I watched the film - The AD-X2 Controversy - afterwards. It’s only about 20 minutes long and fascinating, so I would highly recommend you give it a watch. If you aren’t already on fire about the importance of scientific integrity in the face of immoral commercialism, you soon will be. To me, the film also spoke to the importance of scientists supporting each other in the face of pressures from society and government, particularly when money is involved.

A brief synopsis, adapted from the AD-X2 website:

In the 1940s and ’50s, amid a booming economy and rapid scientific progress, a charismatic salesman, Jess Ritchie, sought to make his fortune with a chemical additive, AD-X2, that he claimed would revolutionize the car battery business. When tests from a prominent scientific agency (NIST) showed that the additive was worthless, its director, Allen V. Astin, had to battle public opinion and political pressure to defend the importance of scientific integrity.

I asked Leon for an interview about the film, and I’m so glad he obliged. Please enjoy:

Leon Geršković, Director of Video and Digital Media Production at NIST. Credit: Leon

Corinne Mona: Firstly, can you please tell us a bit about your role at NIST and how you got there?

Leon Geršković: Currently, I am the director of video and digital media productions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. I have been with NIST for 23 years, starting in the AV Services group.

With my background in television production and experience working on documentaries, I pitched the idea of forming a video group within the Public Affairs Office for a few years, but it became official in 2018.

Since then, we have been creating awesome video content to support NIST’s mission.

CM: What was your role in the making of this documentary?

LG: I am a producer of the AD-X2 Controversy film.

CM: How did this story first come to your attention? Did your point of view on it change as the film production progressed, or after it was finished?

LG: The AD-X2 story is one of those stories about the NIST’s history you might catch in a hallway chat. The story is being told to new employees during their onboarding process, but no one really had the full picture of what had happened or how crucial the event was for shaping NIST into who we are today. So, our former chief of staff asked us to create a short 2-minute video about the AD-X2 Controversy to highlight our core values as an agency.

As the team dug into the research, we quickly realized that this story was more than just a tale of our core values of excellence, perseverance, and the fight for scientific integrity. The AD-X2 story transcended beyond NIST, painting a broader picture of the role of science in commerce and the ever-present debate between opinion vs. facts.

In the early days of production, José Ricardo García, the film’s writer/director, and I would have long debates about our main characters, Jess Ritchie and Allen Astin. We would talk about character motivations and what they would be thinking in each situation. We discussed the story’s arc, and how to include deeper themes without losing focus on the goals.

For me, the point of view did not change as much, but the struggle always was about how to tell this complex story as concisely as possible.

Left: Dr. Allen V. Astin, director of the National Bureau of Standards, who was wrongly fired over the controversy and later reinstated. Right: Screenshot of Evan Casey as Allen V. Astin in "The AD-X2 Controversy" documentary. Credit: NIST

CM: Why is this story important?

LG: Besides inspiring our staff, this story is about scientific integrity. We hope that this film inspires excellence in our work and trust in the scientific method. It also shows that attack on science is not a new phenomenon.  It is as relevant today as it was in the 1950s.

CM: Are there any fun behind-the-scenes stories about the making of this documentary that you could tell us?

LG: An interesting behind-the-scenes fact is that, to work within our limited budget, all but the main three characters in the film were NIST staff volunteers. We had over 45 NIST staff as a part of [the] cast on the set and many more that helped with production. They had a chance to experience our history on set. It was also a blast interviewing and collaborating with Astin’s family: Mackenzie Astin, Sean Astin [yes, Sam Gamgee!], John Astin [Gomez in The Addams Family], and Alexander Astin. Amazing human beings all around. [More about the cast and crew on NIST’s website.]

CM: The costumes and sets on the film are great. Did you know if any items or facsimiles from the NIST library and archives are in the film?

LG: Creating those incredible 1950s lab and office sets was a massive team effort. We started with images from our archives, and then our set designer, Deborah Thomas, worked closely with us and the library to find scientific artifacts to use as props. Some of these artifacts were really special and required careful handling. There are a lot of fingerprints from our library services staff all over this project. Keith Martin (who you met [during your tour]) was instrumental in helping Dir. José Ricardo García access the AD-X2 research boxes. Sara Reeves handled all the artifacts on set with such care, and Kathryn Miller, who played Riche's wife, added so much authenticity. The NIST research library was pivotal in providing research, documentation, images, and prop artifacts. That's why everything looks so real! You can see the comparison at https://www.nist.gov/ad-x2/behind-scenes

Left: Jess M. Ritchie demonstrating AD-X2 before the Senate Select Committee on Small Business. Right: A re-enactment of the scene in the documentary with actor Adam Cooley. Credit: NIST

CM: I found it fun that the video starts through the lens of entrepreneur Jess Ritchie, who at first seems like a hero. Tell us more about this approach.

LG: Absolutely, Jess Ritchie was a really likable and outgoing guy, the kind who’d bring flowers to Astin’s secretary on each visit. From the get-go, José Ricardo García really connected with Jess Ritchie during his research. We often chatted during pre-production about how this charming character would turn out to be a negative force. Honestly, I believe Jess Ritchie truly thought the AD-X2 product was good. While writing the storyline, José came up with a brilliant approach to have two story arcs with characters that evolve throughout the film. Jess Ritchie’s story arc was a traditional rise and fall, while Allen Astin’s was a typical hero’s journey story.  Allen Astin as an introverted hero was difficult to portray, but I think we were successful. It added so much depth to the narrative!

CM: While this documentary has features typical of documentaries, such as a historian giving context,  historical video clips, and interviews with relevant figures who are still alive, it is also quite stylized and artistic, which in my opinion makes it captivating. There are actors and sets, there’s exciting music, different lighting qualities, and much more. Were there challenges associated with taking on a more artistic approach to a documentary, from a producer’s perspective? 

LG: I really appreciate this question. There were many challenges and difficulties. First and foremost, my team had never done such a complex production, with actors, sets, crew and over 45 extras, to be shot in 10 days in a studio with limited budget and Government procurement rules.  

So, for me, it was an immense challenge that required a lot of planning and flexibility. It was very stressful. However, I tasked and trusted my team to be creative, to design minimal sets within our means, to scavenge furniture pieces from our excess property, and to get as many volunteers as possible, and they all stepped up and did an amazing job! If we are talking about research excellence, we also need to embody the same excellence in our jobs as communicators. 

Left: Herbert J. Reed and Phyllis R. Robb of the Electrochemistry Section with automotive (front row) and aircraft (back row) batteries that were studied to determine the effect of magnesium and sodium sulfate additives on their performance and useful life. Measurements of the specific gravity showed no significant difference between treated and untreated cells. Right: A re-enactment of the scene for the documentary with NIST staff members Samuel M. Stavis as Herbert Reed and Natasha Hanacek as Phyllis Robb. Credit: NIST

CM: What are some of your favorite reactions or pieces of feedback from people who have seen the film?

LG: Some of my favorite reactions are when people say, “I can’t believe this is a government production!” It really makes me proud of the high quality of my team’s creativity and workmanship. Another one I love is when our scientists feel inspired and proud to be part of an organization with such an incredible history and integrity. I truly enjoy other discussions and conversations around the topics of the film as well. Those kinds of responses mean that the film touched people on many topics and then, I know that the film’s multilayer approach really worked. 

CM: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

LG: I think that the film has done quite well, in film festivals winning awards and sparking great conversations at screenings and conferences. I know this film will have a long shelf life and will inspire generations of young scientists, engineers, administrators, and communicators at NIST. I hope that we can continue screening the film at other agencies and organizations because we need good stories to inspire us.

Thank you for joining us on the blog, Leon!

Find out more about Leon Geršković and his work at his NIST profile.