Date: October 16, 2012
Author: Paula Bryant, Yarbrough-Grady Intern
Contact: Johnathan McGinty, jmcginty@jacksonspalding.com

On Oct. 14, daredevil Felix Baumgartner ascended to the edge of space before taking a historic plunge back down to Earth. While Grady College graduate Laura Cushing didn't join him for the actual jump, as producer for Red Bull Moving Images she was intimately involved with sharing his incredible story.

Cushing, a producer for Red Bull Moving Images and Los Angeles based CushCo Productions, specializes in telling one-of-a-kind, historic stories, and the Red Bull Stratos project was no exception.

Baumgartner, an acclaimed Austrian skydiver, successfully set four new world records — the highest manned balloon flight, the highest altitude jump from a platform, the longest time in free fall and the first man to break the sound barrier without vehicular power. He was launched into the stratosphere in a capsule powered by helium balloon from which he then free fell, making aviation history in the process.

For Cushing, producing content for the project and being a part of the Red Bull Stratos team has been a rewarding experience.

"The dedication of the team working on Red Bull Stratos has inspired me to continue to set goals for myself and to never give up," Cushing says. "At the end of the day I'll be able to say I was right there — helping to tell their incredible stories."

As producer for Red Bull Stratos, Cushing has produced numerous web clips for redbullstratos.com and daily global releases for the project, along with managing and coordinating two field crews, the editorial staff and communications team. She worked closely with the Red Bull Stratos team, interviewing Baumgartner, scientists and engineers to create visuals to accompany their remarkable stories.

In addition to the Red Bull Stratos live streaming, BBC and National Geographic will air documentaries on the project later this year.

Following the Red Bull Stratos project, Cushing said she plans to help her husband, business partner and fellow producer, Sean Cushing, produce his first feature length film.

For more information about Red Bull Stratos visit http://www.redbullstratos.com.