GoPro's marketing has always skewed more toward entertainment than traditional advertising. That might never have been more the case than GoPro's appearance in Ridley Scott's latest film "The Martian," in which the company's flagship camera takes a Wilson-like co-starring role opposite Matt Damon.

Speaking at USC's film school last week to announce a partnership with the school for the GoPro Awards, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman sat down with Ad Age to tell the backstory of how his camera made it into Mr. Scott's movie.