A quick note to let you know that we are working on a spinoff to Tales of Transformation called A Tale of Singularity leveraging the work from “The Electronic Alchemist” episode featuring Gary, his art, philosophy, and his new book on The Coming Singularity.
Still working on post-production of the concept trailer. It has been one of the most challenging edits I’ve done in a while. To distill the various story layers of the documentary series into three minutes is no small task.
Thanks to the insight of talented people like our seasoned VFX artists, Gary Freitas, and Luis Bohorquez, I’m almost there… still a few VFX to complete and it will be done!
Stay tuned for the Concept Trailer COMING OUT SOON! (yes, for sure!)
The pilot, The Electronic Alchemist, represents the blueprint of the series. The episode includes prototypes of the special effects, cinematographic style, and storytelling form that will need to be created for each episode. Although the pilot (20 minutes in length) does not include interviews with thematic experts or the complete narrative of the future space travelers, it can stand alone as a “preview” to the overall series.
There are still so many things I would like to do, but it is time to release this project and put it out there. It is a very unique type of documentary and, with ToT, it is my attempt to create a new documentary storytelling form. It may or may not resonate with audiences, but I hope it will generate lots of interesting and fun discussions – be they on the storytelling style or on the topic itself. So, let’s have a discussion!
Throughout the development of the series, I have found that there are so many visionary artists out there, racing against the clock to preserve the history of our civilization. I am in awe of their talent.
I hope others will find this project worthwhile to pursue so these artists have a chance to tell us their visions of our future through their art.
When I first started Tales of Transformation (better known as ToT in the inner circles), I had the premise of an idea about the 70-minute documentary I wanted to create. But little did I know that ToT was going to evolve into something much larger both in concept and in story.
It has taken quite a bit of time get ToT up and running, mainly due to other life obligations such as work, but it is happening. It is now time to start revealing the story of ToT and the first artist being featured — GARY FREITAS.
EPISODE 1 / PILOT – THE ELECTRONIC ALCHEMIST
Tagline: The Fossils of our Electronic Consciousness featuring the Art of Gary Freitas Recycled Materials: From electronics to sculptures Theme: Art and Technology Socio-Economic Impact: ”540 million years ago –– in a relatively short evolutionary time span –– began a rapid, mass diversification of biological organisms –– what paleontologists term the ‘Cambrian Explosion.’ This event gave rise to all the genetic diversity in the world today. I would offer that we are now experiencing the “Anthropocene Explosion” –– a similar time of rapid, mass diversification of technology and networked complexity that parallels the Cambrian Explosion. Technology and its millions of evolving configurations is guiding us towards the development of artificial intelligence and ultimately –– to Singularity –– and the rise of electronic consciousness (I am talking to you –– Alexa, Cortana and Siri!).”
For over ten years, Gary Freitas has been on a passionate mission to rescue discarded electronic components – modern relics of today’s technology. In the same way an archaeologist searches for fossils, Gary spends hours dumpster diving in the bowels of electronic recyclers. What fuels him is his fascination with our culture’s obsession and addiction to electronics and our ability to so easily discard these materials that were once considered essential. His work, intricate sculptures made entirely of electronic components, come in many sizes, shapes, and colors – incorporating devices spanning multiple time periods. As he digs into a mound of wires, on his hands and knees, he reflects, “there is no place where we are not saturated by these devices, from our computers to our phones, our cameras, or even our alarm clocks and key fobs. So, in this sense, my art is an expression of how we have become wired.”
The idea of becoming “wired” is the primary theme in Gary’s story. We follow Gary’s artistic process as he finds old electronics and prepares a new sculpture for an upcoming museum exhibition. His process and reflections will be intercut with interviews with sociologists who specialize in technology addiction, elevating the conversation on how technology has had such a profound impact on our culture.
This episode contemplates what our future relationships with electronics will be. Gary’s sculptures are a visual reminder of how many devices we have used in the past and make us wonder what is to come.
Gary will be one of the keynote artists to support the mechanization topic throughout the documentary series
Stay tune to hear more about the story of Tales of Transformation!
It’s been a long journey, but at last, Tales of Transformation, is making progress. The first episode or pilot is now in the final post-production stages. Music and sound engineering are now moving forward!
Meet ToT Music Composer Wolfgang LacknerMeet ToT Sound Engineer Steve Harrison
