Selling Tomorrows

Prometheus: Six Storytelling Techniques That Make its Ridiculous Premise Believable

I saw Prometheus over the weekend and was delighted by its aggressive use of mythology.  Narrative consultant Adrian Bott does a great job dissecting the symbolism of each scene, so I'm just going to highlight the storytelling techniques that make this film work. 

How do you make the incredible feel credible?

1. Appeal to the archetype.  Referring to the story of Prometheus in The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell said that every culture in the world has a story for the discovery of fire, and that every one of those stories involves theft.  It's as if people believed they didn't deserve this power and that those who try to harness it suffer the sin of pride.  Given fire's inherent danger, that belief was no doubt proved justified many times.  Today, this myth is a stand-in for technology.  Whether it's Tower of Babel, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the atomic apocalypse stories of the 20th century, we have deep doubts about our ability to control technology.  In Prometheus, we see this on a few levels.  The humans have the android David who hates his human creators, tells lies, invades their dreams and experiments on them. The Engineers, who are supposed to be more advanced than humans, also suffer from hubris and are killed by their own bioweapons.

2. Take an event that people agree happened and reveal a new cause to change its meaning.  It's widely believed that DNA came together in Earth's primordial sea and evolved into people on land.  In Prometheus, the cause isn't an accident of chemicals coming together, but aliens purposefully placing it there.  (This idea is a close cousin of Star Trek: Next Generation episode 146, The Chase.)  In this way, the credibility that has built up around an idea for years is channeled in a new direction. 

3. Reveal the hidden truth that's in plain sight.  The story of Prometheus has survived for millennia.  For most people, it's a sad tale that ancient people took seriously.  But the story told in Prometheus makes you feel like there was a strand of truth to that story all along, and we just missed it.  This also kindles hope that other romantic fantasies (golden ages, dragons, heroes) might also be true.  

4. Extrapolate recent technology trends to the Nth degree.  Humanity is currently in a state of awe over touch screens.  Ridley Scott takes us all the way forward by creating 3D holographic interfaces.  The humans' version takes up a room, and the aliens', who are farther ahead, takes up a city-block.  

5. Include something very old that will never change. It's coldly comforting that in a world so technologically advanced, human nature hasn't changed.  Peter Weyland, the man who rejects nature by trying to buy his way out of dying, gets killed by his maker.  On the surface, this feels like justice served.  Below that though is the feeling of a restoration of balance, a regression to the mean. 

6. Create a sense of purpose and hope of redemption.  Our hero Elizabeth and the captain of the Prometheus sacrifice themselves to save others. This echoes the sacrifice of the Engineers themselves, who gave their lives so that humans could be born.  At the end of the movie, Elizabeth continues her search for her makers, keeping hope alive that we may still learn why we exist, why we're both good and evil, and most importantly, why we'll pay to see the sequel. 

Shuttle Launch: A Personal View from the Shore of the Earth

I’ll skip the poetry and just try and convey what went through my mind through the launch. 

 

The shuttle jumps so quickly from the ground.  The flames coming out the back. A rainbow made of fire. No. A fire made of rainbow.  Doesn’t make sense, but that’s what it really looks like.  There’s a full spectrum of reds.  Isn't it supposed to be white and bright?  What is this?  Burnt maroons, hot yellows in streaks, just like a cartoon rainbow.  It has texture like rough sandpaper. It’s SO bright.  I shouldn’t be looking at this.  No one should be looking at something this bright.  Am I blind? I tried to look away for a second to see if I could still see.  Couldn’t move my eyes away.  Must not be blind yet.  Who cares. Wow. The fire was long and wide.  And it isn't shooting out and stuttering back, but stayed consistent.

 

At the same time, there are the sounds.  You know that moment at the campfire, when some old, dry knot of wood expands and bursts with a crack?  It was like that, except instead of sticks it’s building-sized redwood tree trunks cracking over and over.  Some of the sounds were small, and they tapped my eardrums.  The bigger ones gently puffed against my face and neck.  There’s no pattern to it; no match-up to the shape of the fire.  

Space Art & Public Opinion: An Interview with Jim Plaxco

Sure, ISS research may cure diseases, but when it comes to selling space, it's the visuals that win the public's heart.  On a day when our tweetup is going to be tweated (err, treated) to a sensory feast, I figured it would be interesting to ask a space artist about how imagined views of space influence public opinion and what responsibilities space artists feel they have in selling visions of tomorrow.

  Jim Plaxco, a digital artist who specializes in space, astronomical, abstract and algorithmic art, kindly stepped up to the plate.  Most recently, Jim's work has appeared on the cover of Mars Quarterly, and, for the second year in a row, he's served as a judge for NASA's "Life and Work on the Moon" art contest.  Here's his blog and gallery.

How do you think space art influences society's views on space, and the value of exploring it?

So I asked Miles O'Brien how Social Media is Beating Traditional Press at its own Game...

Miles O'Brien was a featured speaker at today's NASA Tweetup for STS-129.  After a terrific speech (watch it here via UStream)about how the internet has changed journalism, he was kind enough to share his thoughts with me on how the quality of information delivered via social channels can be superior to that found in traditional media.  Listen carefully because I think Miles coined a new term that should resonate in social circles...the "editorial commons." 

You can follow Miles on Twitter and check out his site here. 

Description of 1783 Balloon Launch Could Have Been Written for Tomorrow's Shuttle Flight

 "On this day, before the eyes of an enormous gathering two men rose into the air...Two hundred thousand men, lifting their hands in wonder, admiring, glad, astonished; some in tears for fear the intrepid physicists should come to harm, some on their knees overcome with emotion, but all following the aeronauts in spirit...What with the novelty, the dignity of the experiment, the unclouded sky, welcoming as it were the travelers to his own element, the attitude of the two men sailing into the blue, while below their fellow-citizens prayed and feared for their safety, and lastly the balloon itself, superb in the sunlight, whirling aloft like a planet or the chariot of some weather-god-it was a moment which never can be repeated, the most astounding achievement the science of physics has yet given the world."

-Sebastien Mercier, the first utopian writer to link technology's ability to ease humanity's burdens to peace, 1783

Is Star Starvation Affecting Public Priorites?

Driving down FL-528 tonight, I was looking down the long and creepy highway when I noticed some lights ahead.  It took an embarrassingly long length of time to realize that they were stars.  You see, around New York City, you rarely see stars. And when you do, it's just one or two; not a field across the sky. 

It makes you wonder:  do people who live in places where they can't see the stars more or less supportive of exploring them?  Are the possibilities less real, the curiosity less present, when space is most often seen on TV instead of the backyard?  Someone ought to do a poll and see if light pollution is subtly influencing public priorities.  What's your guess?

 

(photo by Gord Spence)

Watch this Space for Live-Blogging & Tweeting of Atlantis Shuttle Launch

NASA is holding a Tweetup for 100 of their followers on Twitter for the mid-November launch of the shuttle Atlantis, and by luck of the draw, I made the cut!  I'll be covering the launch, complete with pre-flight briefing and lots of background on the history of the media and public perception issues related to space in the run-up.  As usual with events, the long-form reporting can be found here, with moment-by-moment action (when the action gets waaaay to fast to cover on the blog) found over on twitter at @davidhrosen.

Have questions you want me to ask NASA PR?  Send 'em my way.

New Book: "Future: A Recent History" Will Change the Way You Think About Tomorrow Today

I’ve just finished reading Lawrence Samuel’s new book, “Future: A Recent History.” Suffice it to say, I’ve underlined a fifth of its passages, written in the margins of almost every page and scribbled dozens of check marks for the "wow" insights I want to remember later.  It’s that good.

 

The book explores 100 years of history in 200 dense pages, taking readers on a tour of how people's expectations of the future have changed over time.  An ambitious number of topics are covered -- politics, religion, class, gender, pop culture, fashion, the home, business, jobs, travel, architecture, and lots of science and technology.  But the payoff is equally large, as Samuel’s brisk writing style delivers a fascinating look into an aspect of our culture that we are barely conscious exists.

 

Marketers and PR professionals will find Future to be an especially valuable tool for better understanding target audiences.  If you needed proof that your vision of tomorrow needs to adapt to people’s preconceptions of what’s ahead, this work offers plenty.  And while Samuel doesn't take on what people are thinking right now (many others do that) his voyage through history teaches you how to spot the patterns.

 

It’s worth noting that a lot of books make fun of futurists who have gotten things wrong.  Rightly so.  Many of them are hysterical and it's part of what makes this topic fun.  Not Samuel.  He found a chillingly large number of predictions that have come true.  Sure, sometimes the predictor got the technology right and its impact on society wrong, or vice versa.  But there are patterns to the errors, and understanding them will help you be a better marketer, historian or futurist when it comes to dissecting and using predictions.

 

If all that’s not enough, the exhaustive research that went into this work offers a treasure trove of books, articles and pop culture moments to be further explored by anyone interested in futurism. 

 

A worthy successor to I.F. Clarke's "The Pattern of Expectation," "Future: A Recent  History" will change the way you see tomorrow today.

Very proud: Commercial Spaceflight Federation Appoints Makovsky + Company as Public Relations Advisor

Washington, D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation today announced the appointment of Makovsky + Company, one of the nation’s largest independent public relations firms, as its public relations advisor. Makovsky, which was recently recognized as the “Public Relations Agency of the Year” by the American Business Awards, will provide public relations, traditional and social media relations and public affairs counsel to the Federation.

“Makovsky’s deep understanding of the commercial spaceflight industry and their expertise in traditional and social media make them a valuable partner,” said Brett Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. “We look forward to working with this talented organization to increase awareness of the industry’s importance among leaders in government and the public at-large.”

“While many people are reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, it’s critical that we look at what’s ahead,” said David Rosen, Group Vice President, Makovsky + Company. “The commercial spaceflight industry can make significant contributions to both our economy and body of scientific knowledge, but not until its model and vision are better understood by business and government leaders.”

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation

The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. Commercial Spaceflight Federation member organizations include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, and spaceports. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is governed by a board of directors, composed of the member companies’ CEO-level officers and entrepreneurs. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org 

About Makovsky + Company 
Founded in 1979, Makovsky + Company (www.makovsky.com) is one of the nation’s leading independent global public relations and investor relations consultancies, focused in financial services, professional services, health care, technology, branding and investor relations. The firm attributes its success to its original vision: that the Power of Specialized Thinking™ is the best way to build reputation, sales and fair valuation for a client. Based in New York City, the firm has agency partners in more than 20 countries and in 35 U.S. cities through IPREX (IPREX.com), the third largest worldwide public relations agency partnership, of which Makovsky is a founder.

Kubrick's Vision for 2001 Included Watches - Watchsimo blog

The Watchismo blog is reporting that Hamilton Watches has released a new 2001 A Space Odyssey-inspired timepiece called the ODC X02.  The company was hired by Kubrick in the 60s to imagine what timepieces would look like in 50 years, and their watches were ultimately used in the movie.  Watchismo has a great photo essay that shows which watch designs Kubrick was presented, rejected and ultimately accepted.  It's an insightful look at how people a half century ago thought that time would be displayed once space travel became mainstream.