272 replies to this topic

[bacopa]

i have an idea for a film project in the near future about imminsts goals and or specific technologies that imminst advocates. I'd be curious to find out if anyone else would be interested in such a project, I'm working on a show now so I have some experience, however I'd much rather be working on something involving life extension technologies or AI/Singularity. Thanks

[lightowl]

A documentary movie is a great idea. We need to show the general public the possibilities of the future, and television is the perfect medium. As soon as the mainstream media picks up on the growing trend for scientist to research in life extension and body enhancement, it is important for people to have a serious and informed source of information. Many is regarding documentaries to be down to earth and keeping to the point.

I would love to promote such a film to the general public. I don't have any experience in movie making, but I am always ready to give my feedback as a dedicated documentary viewer.

Edited by lightowl, 04 May 2004 - 10:55 PM.

[Bruce Klein]

Agree.. this is a good idea. Developing one good documentary would be more effective as a leverage to increase awareness about physical immortality than 10,000 forum posts.

[lightowl]

The Future Foundation is currently developing something similar.

http://futurefoundat.../nty_index.html

Maybe there is some inspiration to find from there project.

[lightowl]

Program 5: The Future Human.
This program evaluates the potential for changing humans in yet-unforeseen ways through advances in genetics and germline engineering, cloning, nanotechnology, etc. Issues related to the future of medicine and possible further human speciation will be explored.

This is one of the 6 episodes planned.

[Bruce Klein]

I'm attempting contact http://futurefoundat...n/contacts.html to Foundation For The Future in order to build relationships

Thanks Lightowl.

[bacopa]

I wouldn't have proposed it if I didn't feel I and a crew of 5 to 10 people wouldn't be able to do a fantastic job on it. I might not be the best scientist/thinker as of yet, clearly, but I'm very involved with an alcohol awareness project and I'm learning the ropes of filmmaking. I certainly feel I have enough of a base knowledge at this point that I could help out imminsts goals.

That series seems fascinating by the way.

[Bruce Klein]

I wouldn't have proposed it if I didn't feel I and a crew of 5 to 10 people wouldn't be able to do a fantastic job on it.

Excellent!

[bacopa]

I'm in contact with a filmmaker in the Boston area who is quite professional and I think has some experience in science documentaries. I have a non-profit called On the Water Productions but the guy I'm working with may not have such lofty interests, but that doesn't mean I can't pursuade him!

[reason]

Isn't Dave Gobel out in the Boston area as well?

Reason
Founder, Longevity Meme
reason@longevitymeme.org
http://www.longevitymeme.org

[bacopa]

actually the name sounds familar, sorry...where do you know him from?

[Bruce Klein]

David Gobel = Methuselah Mouse Prize:
http://imminst.org/f...&f=88&t=2047&s=

[bacopa]

how could he help with a documentary? Is he a filmmaker?

[Bruce Klein]

getting there...

--

From: "Bruce J. Klein"
Date: Tue, 04 May 2004 18:58:42 -0500
To: jeangilbertson@futurefoundation.org
Subject: Next Thousand Years - Content

Dear Ms. Jean Gilbertson,

Who would be the best person to contact concerning
Foundation For the Future's "The Next Thousand Years"
television series and possible content suggestion.

Thank you,

Bruce Klein
Chair, ImmInst.org
http://www.immins.org/bjklein

---

Dear Mr. Klein:

Thank you very much for your interest in "The Next Thousand Years"
television series. I suggest that you contact Sesh Velamoor, the
Foundation's Deputy Director, Programs. Though Mr. Velamoor is out of town
for the remainder of this week, he is expected to be in the office next
week. His email address is seshvelamoor@futurefoundation.org.

Best regards,
Jean Gilbertson
Public Relations and Publications Manager
Foundation For the Future

[lightowl]

Great.

We should compile our own list of suggestions so he can se we have something to offer. That might help get he's attention. If anyone have some good links explaining film making for dummies, they might be a good thing to post in this thread.

I guess the first thing to decide is if it will be a story line style film, or more classical documentary style. What is the main impression of the future we want to give the viewer. Should the film cover both pros and cons in an equal amount, or should it be totally neutral.

Those are just my thoughts ?

[Bruce Klein]

Dear Mr. Sesh Velamoor,

Are you in need of information or would like to add content
concerning the prospect of physical immortality to the
"The Next Thousand Years" series?

If so, I'd be happy to help, as I hold a rather unique position as Chair
of the Immortality Institute, a nonprofit with the mission to end the
blight of involuntary death.

Topics among which we consider are Anti-aging, Life extension,
Cryonics, Nanotechnology, AI and Transhumanism.

Sincerely,

Bruce Klein
Chair, ImmInst.org
http://www.immins.org/bjklein

[spifflink]

I would be willing to help. I am a filmmaker out of Utah. I have a lot of equipment(Panasonic Ag DVX100 camera-24p, protools rig with several mics, shotgun mics for the camera, a 15 foot dolly track, a 12 ft crane, a three piece lighting system, and a final cut pro editing system, with which i am proficient. i am also purchasing within the next couple of weeks a G5 to edit on(i have a powerbook right now, which makes me mobile, very handy). I don't have a ton of experience with documentaries, but I have made a few. It sounds like you guys have experience on your end, which would help. so yeah! i would totally be willing to donate my services to this project.

deciding on what format its in(docu, or story) i think it could be both. it could explore a possible situation(day in the life of, or something) of a being living in the future, and detailing the aspects of his life, as he lives it out, which the viewers would find astonishing, and the subject in the film would obviously take for granted. just an idea.

[Bruce Klein]

Excellent. While ImmInst if far from having the funds now to sponsor a film project, by formalizing a game plan early around something like what spifflink has proposed, is good... we could then point to this proposal as a reason why ImmInst is a viable and fundable nonprofit organization.

[Bruce Klein]

Also, spifflink has posted some other information to this link: http://www.imminst.o...f=142&t=3016&s=

but here's an idea i had:

The Risk-Averse Immortalist

Perhaps it would be interesting to create a character who takes the idea of not flying because it would lead to utter oblivion.. to the extreme.. so that eventually he decides not even to drive in a car for fear of death.. he stops eating tropical foods.. he doesn't socialized for fear of air born bacterial infection.. he doesn't go out in public because of of random terrorist attacks.. he's obsessed with asteroidal impacts and heat death.. etc.. etc.. he digs a hole under his home to avoid nuclear attack..

Perhaps start from the point where he decides that death = oblivion.. perhaps it was a traumatic, near-death experience..(hang gliding accident = he used to be very risk taker) then moving forward through his progression to obsession all the way to the end.. where he dies from gangrene in his toe (bit from his pet dog, who was supposed to protect him).. because he's to afraid to go the hospital.. but thankfully... at the last minute his papers come through for his cryonics policy and he's suspended.. final scene.. a frozen body lowered into a cryonics tank.

[lightowl]

Since the main idea is a documentary film, it should contain facts about what?

The Biology of Death,
Intervention and repair technology,
The feasibility of cyborg technology,
Social consequences,
etc...

Maybe the film could be split into to parts. The one with the facts, and the one with the speculations. Clearly showing the viewer the difference between theses.

Usually documentary films features interviews with experts in the areas in focus. If it is possible to include The Methuselah Prize somehow, that would be very good for raising public awareness and show them where to turn there attention if they want to follow progress. Maybe some of the researchers assigned to the prize would like to participate.

[bacopa]

I think it woud be better to focus on a documentary at this point than a narrative piece. Because we really have to get the message out and a documentary is the perfect vehicle to do it, also a documentary is filled with real facts and figures that which we have spent so much time at imminst talking over and dealing with. So a science based documentary is far better than a fictional piece, Spifflink I'd like to talk to you further if you have all that equipment that would be awesome!
Thank you BJ for contacting Sesh Velamoor I wonder if I should be talking with him?

[spifflink]

I am not sure if it would actually take that much funding. I will work for free on this. I just want to get the word out. Not only that, but I think a lot of institutes and organizations that are conducting research in the areas we are talking about, would be willing to help to. You'd be surprised at how many people will just help out for nothing if you say, "Hi, I am making a movie, would you like to help?" I am sure these research establishments would welcome the exposure and provide us with access to some of their resources. I am not saying this film could be made for free, but it can be made with less money than what I think you guys have in mind. I would think the only real expenses would be plane tickets, food, production materials(tapes, cords, misc. items), lodging for the crew near the location we are shooting. Anyway, I am not sure about the crew, but I am willing to work for free on this one. A crew that is involved in this should also have the same motivation, the same desire to help get the word out and expose people to this.

[bacopa]

I agree that the motivation should be inherant, and I will work for free as well, but it might cost a little more than your thinking. equipment check, crew possible check, but you seem to think sponsorthip will happen automatically just due to interest? I don't know the show I'm working on now the director is going crazy trying to raise money but I guess if we expect no pay we could put out a good product nonetheless, however getting paid is at least worth considering.

Ok great, I'm willing to go out on a limb for this project! What time frame are you thinking>

[Da55id]

FYI - I live in the Washington DC area.

[Bruce Klein]

Thank you BJ for contacting Sesh Velamoor I wonder if I should be talking with him?

I'll cc you, spifflink and lightowl on future emails (just let me know if you get tired of them)

[Bruce Klein]

spifflink: A crew that is involved in this should also have the same motivation, the same desire to help get the word out and expose people to this.

This has held true with the ImmInst Book Project.

I agree with the consensus to focus on technology and the people making it happen... I've been fortunate to contact many of the key players that will get us to physical immortality through the book project.

Some who may be interested who have also joined ImmInst as featured chat guests:

Mike Perry - Alcor
Keith Henson - L5 Society
Max More - Extropianism
Natasha Vita-More - Pres. Extropy Inst.
Aubrey de Grey - Anti-aging Research
James Hughes - World Transhumanist Assoc.
Eliezer Yudkowsky - Singularity Institute
Robin Hanson - Economics
Harvey Newstrom - Security Consultant
Ben Goertzel - CEO Biomind
Chris Phoenix - Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
Peter Passaro - Brain-Computer Interfacing
Russell Blackford - Science Fiction Author
Charles Platt - Science Fiction Author, Cryonics
Mike Treder - Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
Simon Smith - Betterhumans.com
George Dvorsky - Betterhumans.com
Anders Sandberg - Swedish Transhumanist Association


Also a list of book project supporters: http://imminst.org/book/#FAR


Over the months, I will remember to ask them if they'd be interested in taking part and then add their names to project webpage.

[Bruce Klein]

Rough Draft of Project

ImmInst Documentary

Mission:
Create and distribute documentary films that help more people learn about the prospect of physical immortality.

Focus:
Interview key players who are both for and against life extension.

Team:
Christensen, Thor (lightowl)
Folwer, Devon (dfolwer)
Klein, Bruce (BJKlein)
spifflink

[Bruce Klein]

let me know, lightowl and spifflink, if you'd like for me to add your real name.

[lightowl]

BJ, Feel free to use my real name when mentioning me in association with any institute activities and projects.

Currently I am using most of my available personal time to promoting The Methuselah Foundation, but I will still try to provide some input to this excellent project. I am hoping some kind of cooperation with The Methuselah Foundation will spring out of this project since their goals are mostly the same ( promoting public awareness of the possibilities of aging research ).

I agree both pro and con arguments should be included in the message of this film. It is important for people to make up there own mind. When people do so they will generally stick to those opinions.

I am myself a keen documentary viewer, and I am always looking for better and more precise knowledge. One thing I really hate, is when documentary films get to POP orientated. This is specifically in the cases where background music is to up-beat and dramatic. This makes the viewing experience disorientating and unserious. Also, to much rapid clipping and multi screen features are annoying.

I do like when computer animations are used to clarify biological and physical features and functions. Though they mostly are not entirely accurate, they do make it easier to understand complex systems. It might be a good idea to find some good graphics creators to the team.

I personally prefer English speaking documentaries, but I know some people, who are not so good at English, like it when the speech is in there native language. This is a small thing to implement when the final film is ready. Of course, this would not be possible in any interviews.

[bacopa]

Thanks BJ for the research.

I too dislike documentaries that are pop oriented, kind of like the bad video made in the film Reality Bites which made a mockery of a serious endeavor.

I would would very much like to keep this film focuesd on the important pursuits of transhumanists, immortalists, and live extensionists, becuase the film is not just to entertain but to get a very important message out.

Likewise the links BJ provided are reputable and strong sources for information regarding such topics. And I'd imagine they would love to take part in a professional documentary to circulate these ideas. I don't know about you guys but I don't exactly see too many documentaries on life extension, more on the research towards that end. If we show people who are passionate about longevity than we will be doing the movement as well as the science an important favor.

It should be the type of documentary that people should walk away from saying, 'great' now I'm not alone in my quest/hope to live longer or forever...which our video could be a healthy add on to such zines as Physical Immortality, and other transhuman zines.