Prepping for the Future with the Vision Machine iPad App

Originally posted on Truly Free Film

Back in October, ITVS was proud to announce the release of The Vision Machine Interactive Digital Comic. Vision Machine mastermind Greg Pak recently shared his process for developing the project with Hope For Film’s Truly Free Film blog, including the utilization of new creative opportunities, his use of social media, and what he’d do differently.

I came up through independent film. Then I snagged a meeting with Marvel and spent most of the last eight years writing comic books. Now I’ve just completed an iPad app version of one of my graphic novels that combines elements of both comics and film. Here are a few thoughts about what inspired me as a filmmaker and comic book writer to plunge into the transmedia world of the “Vision Machine” app project and what I’ve learned. 

Why “Vision Machine”? A few years ago, Orlando Bagwell of the Ford Foundation approached me with the idea of creating a comic book that would help independent media makers imagine the technological, political, and social changes that will affect us over the next fifty years. As an indie filmmaker, sci fi guy, technology freak, and comic book creator, I was immediately hooked. What resulted was a 80 page sci fi thriller that follows three filmmaker friends as they confront the incredible potential and danger of the iEye, Sprout Computers’ latest piece of revolutionary personal technology. The iEye allows users to instantly record anything they can see or imagine, then edit, add special effects, and share it with the world just by thinking about it. Our heroes plunge into a mind-blowing utopia of creativity… and then, of course, the other shoe drops. With its emphasis on copyright, trademark, privacy, and surveillance, “Vision Machine” let me explore questions that I’m always thinking about as a filmmaker and a citizen of the digital world. And then ITVS came along and let me take the project to a whole new level.

The Future Is Already Here New digital technology is already good enough to deliver fantastic storytelling experiences to readers and viewers. I want to be telling stories for decades. So I figure it’s a smart move to jump on any chance to create stories that work natively with new technology. Soon after I completed the “Vision Machine” comic book in early 2011, I began talking with Karim Ahmad and Matthew Meschery at ITVS about the possibility of working together. Our plans eventually focussed on diving into brand new technology by making the interactive iPad app version of the comic book that’s now downloadable for free from the Apple iTunes Store. The iPad allowed us to add a soundtrack, animation, “extras” buttons, and a Twitter feed to the “Vision Machine” comic book. I’ve seen a few adults unfamiliar with the iPad hesitate when they first open the app. But every kid who opens the app dives right in, swiping, reading, watching, listening. A generation is growing up accustomed to interacting directly with stories on touchscreens. That’s an audience I want to win. 

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