Archimedes | Behind the Test

A documentary short shot on location at the Archimedes Engine Test Complex at Stennis Space Center, capturing the team developing the engine at the core of Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket — a vehicle designed to deliver 13,000 kilograms to orbit.

The piece centers on the people behind the hardware: engineers and technicians from diverse backgrounds working in a high-pressure, all-hands environment where real-time problem-solving is the norm. The narrative moves between the physical intensity of test operations and the broader program ambition — building a rocket engine in a class of its own, tackling engineering challenges with no existing playbook.

Shot run-and-gun in an active test facility with no opportunity for retakes or controlled setups, the production required the ability to anticipate moments, move fast, and capture authentic interactions as they happened. The result is a cinematic piece that feels lived-in rather than staged — technical credibility and human depth delivered without a production crew or a shot list that the environment would have ignored anyway.

Produced end-to-end, from on-location shooting to post, with a style built to communicate to investor, partner, and recruitment audiences simultaneously.