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Duane Barry (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"Duane Barry" is the 5th episode of the second season
and 29th episode overall of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
. It originally aired in the United States and Canada on October 14, 1994, on Fox
and CTV
, respectively.
The story was written and directed by executive producer Chris Carter
. "Duane Barry" was a storyline milestone for the series, marking the events which would lead up to Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) being abducted by aliens
, which in turn would lead to her developing cancer in the fourth
and fifth seasons
. It would also lead to the birth of her son, William, in the ninth season
.
The episode follows Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) when he becomes involved in a hostage situation with an escaped psychiatric patient, who claims to be terrified of frequent alien abductions. Although the episode earned a decent Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous episodes of the season, it was generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode marked Chris Carter
debut as a director. While never directing before, he would direct such episodes as "The List
" and "Improbable
", as well as the second feature film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe
. The storyline was inspired by a newspaper article about a 19th-century medical case.
, Duane Barry is abducted by aliens. Eight years later, Barry has become a violent patient in a mental institution, refusing to take his medication and insisting that the aliens are coming back for him. He attacks a security guard and steals his gun, taking head psychiatrist
Dr. Hakkie hostage before escaping. Barry seeks to return to his original abduction site with Dr. Hakkie, in the hopes that the aliens will take the doctor instead when they return. But since he can't remember where the abduction site is located, Barry heads to a travel agency in Richmond
and holds the three clerks hostage along with Dr. Hakkie.
Fox Mulder
and Alex Krycek
are summoned to the ensuing hostage situation by Agent Lucy Kazdin, since Barry insists that he is an alien abductee. Mulder contacts Dana Scully
for assistance, asking her to look into Barry's history. Mulder acts as a hostage negotiator
, calling Barry in order to earn his trust so that the standoff may be peacefully resolved. Barry quickly figures this out, causing Mulder to learn that he is a former FBI agent who left the Bureau in 1982. A power outage occurs, frightening Barry and causing him to fire his gun, hitting one of the hostages. Mulder heads inside the travel agency with a paramedic
. Barry releases the wounded hostage in exchange for Mulder, who is instructed to get Barry near the agency's front door so that snipers can fire on him.
Scully arrives at the scene and reveals that Barry's frontal cortex was damaged when he was shot in the head in 1982. She compares Barry to the case of Phineas Gage
, who displayed purported personality changes after a similar injury. Scully thinks that Barry's injury has made him a psychopathic pathological liar. Mulder talks to Barry, who claims that the aliens performed painful tests on him and put tracking devices in his body. Mulder—against Agent Kazdin's orders—tells Barry that he believes his story, convincing him to let two more hostages go. However, when Mulder questions whether Barry is lying, he becomes enraged. Mulder tricks Barry into approaching the front door; Barry is promptly shot by a sniper.
The next day, Mulder visits Barry in the hospital. Agent Kazdin appears, revealing that metal implants were found in Barry's body and that tiny holes were found in his teeth, in the same manner he had described. Mulder gives one of the implants to Scully, who has it reviewed by a ballistics
expert; they find a microscopic barcode
imprinted on it. Later, at a supermarket, Scully swipes the implant across a checkout scanner
, causing the machine to malfunction while displaying a strange serial number
. At her house, Scully leaves a message on Mulder's voicemail, suggesting that Barry had been "catalogued" by the implant. But just then, Barry—having just escaped from the hospital—breaks in through Scully's window and kidnaps her.
, but the news of Gillian Anderson
's pregnancy led to the creation of a two-part episode, since the production crew knew they needed Anderson to disappear until she had given birth. The follow-up episode was written by Paul Brown
, and was entitled "Ascension
".
Much of Carter's inspiration for the episode came from reports of Phineas Gage
, who underwent a personality change after a blasting accident drove an iron rod completely through his head. However, the idea that Gage became violent, immoral, or the pathological liar described by Scully, is without foundation. The aliens using a dental drill
on Duane Barry was inspired by a neighbour of Carter who said that he was abducted and that the aliens drilled holes into his teeth - which a dentist analyzed and said could not be done with any equipment he knew.
The aliens seen at the start of the episode were portrayed by children. Carter wrote specifically the part of Duane Barry with Steve Railsback in mind, saying "I've resisted casting the marquee names only because it takes you out of the show; makes the show less believable. But there are certain actors who just call out for the part. Originally, Railsback character was named Duane Garry, but it was changed after learning that a person within the Federal Bureau of Investigation
had the same name. So the name was eventually changed to Duane Barry, Carter has mentioned that he disliked the name at first, but got used to it over time.
from the directing staff helped, tipped and showed him what to do. With Nutter's help, Carter learned how to block entire scenes. When commenting on his experience, Carter told that he sometimes followed Nutter's advice down to "the letter". When directing the episode, Carter wanted to create a different feel for the episode, by focusing more on the performances given by the actors, than the mechanical set designs. Carter declared that directing he learned about "things you take for granted as a writer and producer", that lead to "compromises" for things Carter could not do on-screen, and compared the episode to a stage play as most is set in a single place, the travel agency.
During the filming of Duane Barry's (Steve Railsback) abduction, they had a "film run out" which according to Carter gave the scene a "very eerie effect". Shooting that scene was a "real test" according to Carter. Carter was pleased of the outcome, saying he was able to show viewers what he wanted out of The X-Files, which he felt he was "very successful" at. The visual effects
' crew had to hang a "giant light" over the house where Barry was being abducted. It took the course of 45 minutes to shoot the scene. According to Carter, much teamwork was required to film that particular scene. As Carter puts it, he was actually forced to stay "behind the camera" to see the end results. For the experiments, Railsback was put in a plaster model of his back as he was lifted by a hydraulic device, and had water squirted on his mouth for the dental drill.
said of Carter's directing "Chris came in meticulously prepared, which is his nature. I think his first episode was great". Carter himself described it as one of his favorite episodes because "it was a chance for me to sort of do it all, and it came out in ways better than I imagined it would".
Matt Roush from USA Today
said Steve Railsback
's performance as Duane Barry rivaled that of his portrayal of Charles Manson
in the 1976 television miniseries Helter Skelter. An unnamed reviewer from the Contra Costa Times
called the episode "seminal". San Jose Mercury News
said Railsback gave what was to be the "ultimate X-Files performance" in 2002 after show had been cancelled.
CCH Pounder
and Chris Carter both earned Primetime Emmy nominations
for "excellence in primetime television" for their work in this episode. Pounder was nominated in the category "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series", while Carter was nominated in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series". The episode was also nominated in the categories "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series" and "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production". Director of Photography John Bartley also received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement Award for Episodic Television by the American Society of Cinematographers
.
The X-Files (season 2)
The second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on Fox in the United States on September 16, 1994, concluded on the same channel on May 19, 1995, and contained 25 episodes.- Production :...
and 29th episode overall of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
. It originally aired in the United States and Canada on October 14, 1994, on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
and CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, respectively.
The story was written and directed by executive producer Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
. "Duane Barry" was a storyline milestone for the series, marking the events which would lead up to Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) being abducted by aliens
Ascension (The X-Files)
"Ascension" is the sixth episode of the second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "Ascension" concerns Mulder's pursuit of Scully, who has been kidnapped by alien abductee Duane Barry.- Plot :...
, which in turn would lead to her developing cancer in the fourth
The X-Files (season 4)
-Episodes:Episodes marked with an asterisk are broadly part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk are primary episodes in the series' Alien Mythology arc....
and fifth seasons
The X-Files (season 5)
-Episodes:Episodes marked with an asterisk are part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk are part of the series' Alien Mythology....
. It would also lead to the birth of her son, William, in the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
.
The episode follows Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) when he becomes involved in a hostage situation with an escaped psychiatric patient, who claims to be terrified of frequent alien abductions. Although the episode earned a decent Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous episodes of the season, it was generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode marked Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
debut as a director. While never directing before, he would direct such episodes as "The List
The List (The X-Files)
"The List" is a 1995 episode of The X-Files television series. It was the fifth episode broadcast in the show's third season. "The List" involves the agents' investigation of a case where a death row inmate declares that he will be reincarnated and that as a result five men will die.- Plot...
" and "Improbable
Improbable (The X-Files)
"Improbable" is the 195th episode overall, and 13th episode of the ninth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on April 14, 2002 on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written and directed by executive...
", as well as the second feature film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
. The storyline was inspired by a newspaper article about a 19th-century medical case.
Plot
In 1985, at his home in Pulaski, VirginiaPulaski, Virginia
Pulaski is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,086 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.Pulaski is part of the Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Duane Barry is abducted by aliens. Eight years later, Barry has become a violent patient in a mental institution, refusing to take his medication and insisting that the aliens are coming back for him. He attacks a security guard and steals his gun, taking head psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Dr. Hakkie hostage before escaping. Barry seeks to return to his original abduction site with Dr. Hakkie, in the hopes that the aliens will take the doctor instead when they return. But since he can't remember where the abduction site is located, Barry heads to a travel agency in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and holds the three clerks hostage along with Dr. Hakkie.
Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
and Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
are summoned to the ensuing hostage situation by Agent Lucy Kazdin, since Barry insists that he is an alien abductee. Mulder contacts Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
for assistance, asking her to look into Barry's history. Mulder acts as a hostage negotiator
Hostage negotiator
Crisis negotiation is a technique for law enforcement to communicate with people who are threatening violence, including barricaded subjects, hostage takers, stalkers, threats, workplace violence, or persons threatening suicide....
, calling Barry in order to earn his trust so that the standoff may be peacefully resolved. Barry quickly figures this out, causing Mulder to learn that he is a former FBI agent who left the Bureau in 1982. A power outage occurs, frightening Barry and causing him to fire his gun, hitting one of the hostages. Mulder heads inside the travel agency with a paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
. Barry releases the wounded hostage in exchange for Mulder, who is instructed to get Barry near the agency's front door so that snipers can fire on him.
Scully arrives at the scene and reveals that Barry's frontal cortex was damaged when he was shot in the head in 1982. She compares Barry to the case of Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage
Phineas P. Gage was an American railroad construction foreman now remembered for his improbablesurvival of an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe, and for that injury's reported effects on his personality and...
, who displayed purported personality changes after a similar injury. Scully thinks that Barry's injury has made him a psychopathic pathological liar. Mulder talks to Barry, who claims that the aliens performed painful tests on him and put tracking devices in his body. Mulder—against Agent Kazdin's orders—tells Barry that he believes his story, convincing him to let two more hostages go. However, when Mulder questions whether Barry is lying, he becomes enraged. Mulder tricks Barry into approaching the front door; Barry is promptly shot by a sniper.
The next day, Mulder visits Barry in the hospital. Agent Kazdin appears, revealing that metal implants were found in Barry's body and that tiny holes were found in his teeth, in the same manner he had described. Mulder gives one of the implants to Scully, who has it reviewed by a ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
expert; they find a microscopic barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
imprinted on it. Later, at a supermarket, Scully swipes the implant across a checkout scanner
Barcode reader
A barcode reader is an electronic device for reading printed barcodes. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones...
, causing the machine to malfunction while displaying a strange serial number
Serial number
A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
. At her house, Scully leaves a message on Mulder's voicemail, suggesting that Barry had been "catalogued" by the implant. But just then, Barry—having just escaped from the hospital—breaks in through Scully's window and kidnaps her.
Conception
Originally planned to be a standalone mythology episodeMythology of The X-Files
The mythology of The X-Files, sometimes referred to as its mytharc by the show's staff and fans, follows the quest of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder , a believer in supernatural phenomena, and Dana Scully , his skeptical partner. Their boss, FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner was also often...
, but the news of Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
's pregnancy led to the creation of a two-part episode, since the production crew knew they needed Anderson to disappear until she had given birth. The follow-up episode was written by Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
, and was entitled "Ascension
Ascension (The X-Files)
"Ascension" is the sixth episode of the second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "Ascension" concerns Mulder's pursuit of Scully, who has been kidnapped by alien abductee Duane Barry.- Plot :...
".
Much of Carter's inspiration for the episode came from reports of Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage
Phineas P. Gage was an American railroad construction foreman now remembered for his improbablesurvival of an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe, and for that injury's reported effects on his personality and...
, who underwent a personality change after a blasting accident drove an iron rod completely through his head. However, the idea that Gage became violent, immoral, or the pathological liar described by Scully, is without foundation. The aliens using a dental drill
Dental drill
A dental drill is a small, high-speed drill used during dental procedures, usually to remove decay and shape tooth structure prior to the insertion of a filling or crown...
on Duane Barry was inspired by a neighbour of Carter who said that he was abducted and that the aliens drilled holes into his teeth - which a dentist analyzed and said could not be done with any equipment he knew.
The aliens seen at the start of the episode were portrayed by children. Carter wrote specifically the part of Duane Barry with Steve Railsback in mind, saying "I've resisted casting the marquee names only because it takes you out of the show; makes the show less believable. But there are certain actors who just call out for the part. Originally, Railsback character was named Duane Garry, but it was changed after learning that a person within the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
had the same name. So the name was eventually changed to Duane Barry, Carter has mentioned that he disliked the name at first, but got used to it over time.
Filming
This episode marked Chris Carter's directing debut. Being the first he had ever directed, David NutterDavid Nutter
David Nutter is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television series, being known as "the pilot whisperer."-Career:...
from the directing staff helped, tipped and showed him what to do. With Nutter's help, Carter learned how to block entire scenes. When commenting on his experience, Carter told that he sometimes followed Nutter's advice down to "the letter". When directing the episode, Carter wanted to create a different feel for the episode, by focusing more on the performances given by the actors, than the mechanical set designs. Carter declared that directing he learned about "things you take for granted as a writer and producer", that lead to "compromises" for things Carter could not do on-screen, and compared the episode to a stage play as most is set in a single place, the travel agency.
During the filming of Duane Barry's (Steve Railsback) abduction, they had a "film run out" which according to Carter gave the scene a "very eerie effect". Shooting that scene was a "real test" according to Carter. Carter was pleased of the outcome, saying he was able to show viewers what he wanted out of The X-Files, which he felt he was "very successful" at. The visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
' crew had to hang a "giant light" over the house where Barry was being abducted. It took the course of 45 minutes to shoot the scene. According to Carter, much teamwork was required to film that particular scene. As Carter puts it, he was actually forced to stay "behind the camera" to see the end results. For the experiments, Railsback was put in a plaster model of his back as he was lifted by a hydraulic device, and had water squirted on his mouth for the dental drill.
Reception
"Duane Barry" earned a Nielsen rating of 8.9, with a 16 share, and was viewed by 8.5 million households. Producer J.P. Finn praised the episode and Carter's directing, saying "We were all pretty nervous doing that one, because Chris Carter was a new director. It turned out that he directed very...It was a great script, a great cast, and he ended up directing a home run. One of the charming things about it was the end, where we had these alien heads placed on young children. It was so endearing to see them on the set between takes, playing with Chris and everyone". Actor David DuchovnyDavid Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
said of Carter's directing "Chris came in meticulously prepared, which is his nature. I think his first episode was great". Carter himself described it as one of his favorite episodes because "it was a chance for me to sort of do it all, and it came out in ways better than I imagined it would".
Matt Roush from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said Steve Railsback
Steve Railsback
Steve Railsback is an American theatre, film and television actor, born in Dallas, Texas.-Personal life:Railsback was born Stephen Hall Railsback, in Dallas, Texas, the son of Emerett Spencer and Clyde Webb Railsback.-Career:Railsback was a student of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio and in...
's performance as Duane Barry rivaled that of his portrayal of Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
in the 1976 television miniseries Helter Skelter. An unnamed reviewer from the Contra Costa Times
Contra Costa Times
The Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California, U.S.. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area...
called the episode "seminal". San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
said Railsback gave what was to be the "ultimate X-Files performance" in 2002 after show had been cancelled.
CCH Pounder
CCH Pounder
Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder , known professionally as C. C. H. Pounder , is a Guyanese-American film and television actress...
and Chris Carter both earned Primetime Emmy nominations
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for "excellence in primetime television" for their work in this episode. Pounder was nominated in the category "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series", while Carter was nominated in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series". The episode was also nominated in the categories "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series" and "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production". Director of Photography John Bartley also received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement Award for Episodic Television by the American Society of Cinematographers
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
.