[extropy-chat] Fictional Singularity Movie

[Keith Henson]

At 10:44 AM 10/18/2006 -0400, you wrote:
>Let me see if I can guess what a Hollywood made Singularity movie would be
>like.

snip

I have been working on a singularity based novel that a bunch of you read 
and oddly I happen know a Hollywood script writer who looked at it.  This 
is what he said:

Subject: Re: Your chapter/story

Keith, you gave me exactly what's needed to make a movie below.
- They're there to help people, supposedly. It all looks good.
- Zaba catches on what's happening. Don't make her a native, make her an 
American over there working. Then you'd get Halle Berry.
- If she is going to expose the "they're killing them!" part of it, then 
you have machines, high tech and bad guys after her. That's good for a movie.
- You need a love interest and she needs to be of movie star age.
If you do those things, you'd have a movie.
XXXX

snip

XXXX

 >>I'm not sure how this could be a screenplay that anyone would make into 
a movie. The clinic turns the village into a weird paradise where people 
spend all their time in spirit world with their bodies in suspended state. 
Zaba just kind of fades out despite her fascinating transformation.

 >>Where's the jeopardy or conflict?

KH
<grin> Think about it. At the end of this segment, the entire physical 
population of Africa is *gone.* Sure they could come back but the "things" 
they have changed into don't want to. Effectively the entire population has 
been removed from the biosphere and *animals* get to live in their home. 
They have been seduced by self motivated AIs far out of control--or are they?

The AIs were created by western culture (using Chinese engineers?) and 
(perhaps) uploaded humans from western culture who sell them in a not for 
profit mode to 3rd world cultures. The clinics remove humans from the world 
much more effectively than epidemics depopulated the new world.

Thought about this way, the conflict is there. Do humans win or lose? Good 
question! Next question?

Of course the technology created to deal once and for all with the human 
misery of Africa gets out of control in the western culture and North 
America is down to about 5 million people at the time the main story takes 
place. This section is a 60 year flashback.

Was the depopulation of the western world intentional or unintentional? The 
people who are left have all the support they want to raise more children 
in an attempt to keep physical state humans from going extinct. Why the AIs 
want this is hard to understand. Pets? Esthetics?

Though it is never stated this way, the story could be read as one of those 
"be careful what you wish for, you might *get* it."

XXXX

 >>For a screenplay you'd need Zaba upfront as a character. You'd need her 
"new" state to cause some consternation or challenging by the elders. You 
could have a clash of old and new, but you don't do that.

KH

This is being orchestrated by AIs who have a phenomenally deep 
understanding of human nature. That's why Zaba is inhibited from telling 
adults about her "interface" and why the never-suspected seduction goes so 
smoothly. Suskulan is actually the main character of the story.

He has enough human aspects to his character to interact with the 
villagers, and is a reflection of the people and AIs who developed his 
"seed" character, but he is *far* more and controls nearly god-like powers. 
He is, however, totally content with his limits. He likes being a clinic 
and taking care of his "owners." Just for Africa "the foundation" set up to 
grow a million of him. More CGI for the places growing them and more for 
the delivery to the teams by air, but the cost would get out of hand.

XXXX

 >>While imagery and the ideas are very well thought out, it's just a story 
about a sort of weird pre-programmed paradise that happens in Africa. In 
contrast, you might try to rent an old movie called "The God Must Be Crazy" 
made in South Africa to see a clash of civilizations story.

KH

One of my favorites. Saw it in theaters maybe a dozen times. Very funny 
movie. Point taken though. This could be a funny movie, but not if you get 
the underlying theme. Bitter-sweet at best.

XXXX

 >>To make a script out of this you'd need a lot of thought and development.

KH

True. The movie version could have a one sequence of gore where you see the 
bullet doing a slow motion through Zaba, with a spray of blood and bone 
where it exits, her dropping like a stone, and being carried to Suskulan.

But it has probably better stay as a short story/chapter in an 
unpublishable novel.

Thanks and best wishes,

Keith