The Birth Of Newton’s Cradle

Steve — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:07:40 +0000

For years we’ve been hearing that the tools for making movies are becoming more available to the average guy. Digital cameras, desktop editing, DIY grip gear, a few china balls, some friends, and lots of practice … and you’re a frikkin studio.

Well, it’s true.

A while back, my partners and I made a short film called Quiet for a ridiculously small budget. It played in a lot of film festivals and went on to be named one of the top ten shorts of the year by Film Threat.

And so we thought – if we can make a good short that’s 17 minutes long for almost no money, why aren’t we making features?

And thusly was born Polymath Pictures.

We can make a feature film with high production values for a budget that wouldn’t pay for 1 minute of a studio feature film. And, since we don’t have to worry about grossing a hundred million dollars before we can pay back our investors, we can aim our movie at a specific audience rather than trying to please everyone.

The audience we’ve chosen is one to which we belong – fans of smart science fiction. Not fantasy disguised as science, but real science. We’re dramatizing the kinds of things that physics grads students talk about when they’re drunk.

In addition to our own research, we’ve been consulting with physicist Kevin Grazier of JPL (who is also the science advisor for Battlestar Galactica and Eureka) and computer/brain interface expert Jon Ross, who did his grad work at the Duke neuro labs.

We’re making the kind of movie I’ve always wanted to see – a movie about smart things for smart people, which provides intellectual stimulation while also giving a visceral rush. If we do it right, this movie will still be playing in college dorms in twenty years.

Come along for the ride and let’s see if we can answer the question – can a movie for smart people make it in a dumbed-down world?

-Steve

Newton's Cradle » Steve

The Birth Of Newton’s Cradle