Nick T. Spark

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Nick T. Spark is an upcoming American documentary researcher, writer and producer, and author of the June 2006 book A History of Murphy's Law which is a full book length expansion of his four part article exposing the history of Murphy's law, Why Everything You Know About Murphy’s Law is Wrong[1] detailing the genesis of the popular adage ("Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"), which phrase originated at Edwards Air Force Base in the United States Air Force's Project MX981 rocket sled project to research high G-Force issues in 19471949 under the direction of The Bravest Man in the Air Force, physicist and Medical Doctor John Stapp.

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[edit] Early career

Sparks attended the University of Arizona as a Flinn Scholar, and received a degree in Creative Writing with a minor in Media Arts. While at the University of Arizona, he made a 1992 documentary film about octagenarian folk artist William Holzman entitled "Just Puttering Around"[2], for which the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded him a 1992 Student Emmy Award, 2nd Place. He then attended the University of Southern California, School of Cinema-Television where he received an Masters in Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Film Production. Subsequently, he received a second Student Emmy Award, 1st Place and the prestigious Cine Golden Eagle (a forty-eight year biannual film and video competition recognizing excellence in Film and Video [3]), both for the documentary film "Upholding the Promise" about federal judges.

[edit] Author

Spark's has written for magazines Naval History, Proceedings, U.S.C. Alumni, Raw Vision, Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society, City Magazine, and also Wings and Airpower, where he is currently a contributing writer.

As well as occasional magazine articles, Mr. Spark has turned his research into the origination of Murphy's Law into a book[4] documenting the heady early days of the pioneering aerospace research that has led to today's improved aircraft and automobile safely. [5]

[edit] Producer

Other documentary films he has produced, directed, or edited include projects for the Department of Defense, the Annenberg Center, and the film "Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarines" ([6]) which aired on the History Channel in Europe.

  • Current project (July 2006): "Pancho Barnes!" (http://www.panchobarnesfilm.com); A documentary film about aviatrix Florence "Pancho" Barnes; in affiliation with KOCE-TV, Orange County Public Television (PBS), Orange County California.


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