272 replies to this topic

[bacopa]

god dammit! just PM me than!

[MichaelAnissimov]

This should be a really fun project, it comes to mind that we should ask the interviewees if we can get footage of their offices/labs, so we have stuff to show besides talking heads. Other things that come to mind;

1) The documentary shouldn't include footage of me, just the famous people who are talking. Watch a few documentaries for examples of this.

2) The editing, post-production process is a serious step to think about. We will only use 20-50% of what we film, I figure. I have a little bit of editing experience, and my dad says that there are people around here (SF) who would probably be willing to work very cheaply to help edit. Editing would involve me sitting in an editing room for dozens of hours with the editor and making choices about what to keep and what to discard. There may be some tough calls here, so I would write down anything I was ensure about and send it to ImmInst leadership for commentary. Is that okay?

[kevin]

Aubrey de Grey, Natasha Vita Moore and William Hurlburt from the PC on Bioethics were interviewed in a 'video essay' by two students from Stanford called "Precipice" which I converted to windows media format for Aubrey.. He has gotten permission to distribute it and you can view it from his website at ..

http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/sens/art.htm

I think it makes for an interesting presentation of transhuman principles contrasted with the ones held by those who would rather see us stay 'natural' and might be a format that could be expanded upon.

[bacopa]

editing would involve anyone sitting for those hours! Editing is editing long laborious and tedious but not hard by any stretch of the means.

I see what you mean about the talking heads, we don't want to fall into that category of documentary otherwise known as BORING! And yes showing the so called famous people is what is to be expected along with people like yourself who are on their way to fame...

I think I know what you mean by 'natural' but that shouldn't be a hinderence for this project just as long as we get some key ideas out there it won't matter what political spin, if at all, we would need to make for a meaningful and dynamic documentary. In fact the more racey and conterversial perhaps the better! As long as people, 'wake up' to new ideas I think we are getting the message across.

The link for that download didn't work Kevin.

[kevin]

"the more racy and conterversial perhaps the better!"

yup... at least for the majority of people I come into contact with. To my mind, most people are semi comatose and under some kind of death hypnosis that only controversy seems to pull them out of. We aren't likely to challenge anyone if we offer only the same old cliches. A whiff of controversy is like smelling salts.. and when they wake up.. they actually might see the possibilities.

The link works for me devon..

[bacopa]

I just finshed reading that article you posted on stem cell controversy and that epitomizes how thoughtless most people are until reality smacks them upside the ol' head!

[Mind]

I know that interviewing famous people has the potential to draw an audience, but I think "normal" everyday immortalists would be interesting to see also. You could get the point across that regular people think about life extension too!

[Bruce Klein]

Here's a preliminary proposal - http://www.imminst.org/film.php

We've secured half the funding and I will pursue private contacts for the other half.. and then open things public if need be.

[bacopa]

You already secured half the funding??? how come I didn't hear about this?

[Bruce Klein]

Sorry, we've only secured a promise for half the funding, a matching grant. Current discussion is to private contacts, unless we may need to go public for the other half.

[bacopa]

looks like a strong proposal thanks BJ...agreed we should interview normal everyday folk as well

[lightowl]

Wow, you guys are really moving... Great work.

I wish I had some more time to contribute to this project, but I am afraid I have my work cut out to create an affiliate of MMP in Denmark. I think I will be able to offer some hard cash in a couple of month. Right now I am really low on funds :(

Could someone PM me on the necessary amount to match the challenge fund?

Also, maybe Aubrey de Grey would like to participate as an interviewee.

[Bruce Klein]

The matching grant we're looking for is 5k. If unable to find a lump-sum, we'll open things up for smaller pledges.

Bruce

[lightowl]

OK, that may be a bit much for my economy. I may be able to provide you with $500 - $1.000 in a few month if it is not to late at that time.

[Mind]

I looked at the film project outline. It looks good, but again I stress, we should include some members of Imminst that are willing to talk about their arrival in the immortalist movement. We are ordinary people who are also ground-breakers. We mostly have ordinary jobs, live in ordinary places, in ordinary domeciles. It would be great to find out how and why the members joined and how they expect to contribute to Immortalism.

[MichaelAnissimov]

I guess Transvision would be the best place to find these "everyday immortalists"? Ken, are you planning to attend this year? Anyone else?

[Bruce Klein]

Agreed Mind. It looks to be synergistic and more efficient to have Natty and Michael interview 'everyday immortalist' at TV in Toronto - Aug 7 - 8.

Thank you, lightoul, for your pre-pledge. It's heartening to know there is already registered support for the matching donation needed, especially if I'm unable to find the lump-sum donor before July.

By the way, our current 5k pledge donor is James Halperin, author of The First Immortal, to which he has donated 200 TFI books to ImmInst for new ImmInst Full Members.

I envision needing to have 10k on hand before the end of July, 2004 in order to ensure we have sufficient funds to cover for two people travel/accommodations to 6 locations.. any monies left over will only be used to further the film project to be determined by the ImmInst Board.

[lightowl]

Has anyone been considering how long this film should be. I was thinking maybe around 1 hour. I don't like when documentaries are to short. It gives an impression of leaving out allot of not so important but still interesting information. I suppose it would be easier to decide the length of the film when content has been collected, but I really don't have a clue.

If I where to decide, I would want as much film as possible. A 2 episode series would not even begin to satisfy my curiosity, but that might be to stretch it to much.

[Bruce Klein]

On how long the film may be, one may consider the medium. How prevalent is DVD technology? It may be more economical to go totally DVD.

Natty may have good ideas here.

Thanks, Devon.

I'll defer to Natty on most of the technical and logistics, but I envision your help at TV as helping Natty and Michael find prospective interviewees and helping to move and setup equipment.

As for travel to other locations, you may be needed if Natty has a need for an extra set of hands. Otherwise, you may be able to help Natty via the internet by dissecting and bringing together the digital film product.

[Bruce Klein]

Natasha and Max wish to help saying:

Definitely, we would love to participate in your project.  I have a lot of video footage if you want any roll-ins.  I have FM on tape - some good stuff.  And Timothy Leary showing off his bracelet in a film I made some years ago which was exhibited at the London Museum.

[bacopa]

well if Natty needs some help with the technical end of things I have some experience there too.

[lightowl]

I think it would be great if we could get the film shown on one of the global channels ( CNN or BBC World or Discovery ). If we could distribute the film to the TV channels for free, they would go for it right away. Also, if it is for free they would re-run it several times. If TV is our medium then I think they have some rules on how long/short a documentary has to be. I think 25/45 min is a standard. With commercials and all that makes 30/60 min in total, although many doc's are split in three for 1 hour 30 min shows.

Maybe we should consider what we want to do with the film. Should it be a source for funds or solely to spread the message. BBC Prime have a learning session every day I think from 00:00 GMT to early morning. That would be a great place to educate people.

[Bruce Klein]

Good point lightowl,

From Film Project page:

Distribution: Profit is secondary to reaching a wider audience with the film. All distribution opportunities pursued. http://www.imminst.org/film.php


Thus, your idea for contacting and distribution through a wider media channel fits with the current project mission.

[bacopa]

BJ I'm confused as to how Nate got into this project, not that I have any problems with it. But I did propose the project initially and although I'm more than happy to have him on the team it all happened so fast I'm not really sure who decided what and why? For a while there I thought Lightowl was going to help out, now I find out he's not...could you perhaps clear up some of my confusion? I think Natey sounds like a tremendous filmmaker by the way, and that's excellent that you got him, but what about the people I propsed could help? Chris Vonderlippe, my partner in crime over at On the Water Productions, and potentially excellent filmmaker Paula Foye, who I may have mentioned to you...again it's wonderful that you've gone ahead and assembled a team I just wasn't sure we were at that stage yet. [:o]

[lightowl]

I'm sorry I didn't make it perfectly clear in the beginning that I currently cant provide you with any direct volunteer work. Maybe sometime in the future I will have more time to spare if this project is not done by that time.

Currently I am using most of my available personal time to promote The Methuselah Foundation. Also, I have a full time job to consider, but I will still try to provide some input to this excellent project.

[Bruce Klein]

Devon, of course nothing is set in stone. Your help and ideas have provided a backbone and an inspiration to move this project forward. You are more than capable of carrying this project forward, but I was under the impression that you've recently entered the documentary while Natty has quite a bit of experience and an array of equipment. I could be wrong.

[lightowl]

Maybe it would be a good idea to include some of the statistics that has been gathered here in this forum, to show the viewers the progress in awareness of aging research and the success of the immortality institute in gathering likeminded people from all around the globe.

I think it is important to give the people who's flame will get lit by this film a way to further engage in immortality related studies and activities. Maybe we should include a list of organizations engaging in those activities, and maybe interview some of the founders of those organizations. Bruce, I think you should get on the list of interviewees. It would be interesting for people to hear about how and why you founded the institute.

It has been suggested that members of the immortally institute should have some time in the film to explain what made them engage in immortality activities. I think that is a great idea. That would show the viewer that we are ordinary people with a passion.

In regards to the interviewee list. I am missing a description of each person listing their role in and connection to the subject of the film. If it is to much, I suggest grouping them up.

The groups could be:
Scientists,
Visionaries,
Organization Founders,
Critics,
etc...

Of course some of them would qualify to enter one or more groups.

[bacopa]

BJ I just know that when undertaking projects such as this one it's really easy to lose the entire project to someone else so I have to be a bit paranoid I've heard of horror stories of people who'se projects were stolen as a result of poor planning. Now you've always had the best intentions I really mean that, but I still want to be sure that my original idea doesn't get attributed completely to someone else which I'm sure is not happening. Secondly I really want to put my all into this so naturally I feel a bit paranoid. But you're right, I am still an amature and I don't want to pretend I'm anything better at this point...so I guess it all works out.

[bacopa]

I think it is important to give the people who's flame will get lit by this film a way to further engage in immortality related studies and activities. Maybe we should include a list of organizations engaging in those activities, and maybe interview some of the founders of those organizations. Bruce, I think you should get on the list of interviewees. It would be interesting for people to hear about how and why you founded the institute.

good plan to investigate the founders of the organizations that we're going to be interviewing. I think all of us are very passionate and have realized somewhere along the line how necassary life extension, gerentology studies really are and that should not get lost in the films diegesis.

The groups could be:
Scientists,
Visionaries,
Organization Founders,
Critics,
etc...

I whole heartedly agree that we should pursue these types of people certainly Max and Natasha would be perfect because they are all four of those categories, maybe not hard scientists but academics none the less.

[Bruce Klein]

Thanks for your understanding, Devon. Your caring and diligence is exactly what will make this project a success. Keep us in line!

lightowl: Bruce, I think you should get on the list of interviewees.

Thank you lightowl, but at this point, I'd rather let the experts take the stage.


On gathering stats, here's a start, just need a few more bruce clones to clean it up into a nice report

Statistics Every Immortalist Should Know
http://www.imminst.o...T&f=89&t=856&s=

we should include a list of organizations engaging in those activities,

working on that now.

In regards to the interviewee list. I am missing a description of each person listing their role in and connection to the subject of the film.

Please feel free to formalize and I can add to the page. Many of the interviewee's are listed on the book page: http://www.imminst.org/book1 which is linked at the top of the film page: http://www.imminst.org/film.php