I's : A SciFi Film

This was the official website ofâ€™ I's - a feature film set on the threshold of infinityâ€¹. Content is from both outside sources and the site's 2011-2012 archived pages.

In the next 20 years, it is likely that humankind will develop an artificial intelligence with mental abilities greater than our own. That idea has been fodder for many films, from 2001 to the Terminator to The Matrix.

But those films missed a much greater possibility.

As author and mathematician Vernor Vinge first suggested - if we create an intelligence greater than our own, it can develop an intelligence even greater than itself, perhaps in a matter of only days. This resulting exponential intelligence escalation has come to be known as the Singularity. Once we start the process, it is very unlikely that we can stop it, and we have no idea what a hyper intelligence could - or would - do.

This premise is certainly intriguing. So much so that I was really looking forward to the film's release.And so I waited and waited and waited. Chris Edgette created a Kickstarter page to raise money. I donated. The years went by. AT the start of 2016 we received the good news...

Happy 2016,

After much delay, picture is locked. The cut is done!

Geoffrey Burch is doing some amazing work on the soundtrack, and sound is commencing. Both should be done by March.

We are trying to organize someone for color correction - our original person has dropped off the face of the Earth, so if you know of anyone, please send them our way. That can be done in parallel with sound, so if we can get it sorted soon, we should be able to get all the elements together by April.

Thank you for your continued patience.

Best,

I's team

By the beginning of 2016, 275 backers had pledged $30,168 to help bring this project to fruition. And I waited some more. In the meantime I discovered that the domain for Is-Movie.com/ was available. That didn't seem good. But I bought it with the goal of recreating some of its content from archived pages and as it turned out from other outside sources. I definitely didn't want someone else purchasing the domain and re-purposing it for something that had nothing in common with the I's movie. I had a set back as I was rebuilding this site when my two Pekingese dogs decided they were ninja masters who, it turned out, to be very poorly trained. The result was spilled coffee and berry crumble spilled onto and then trampled into the oriental carpet. They both stopped short at my yell of anguish and then scooted out of the room without a backward glance. Meanwhile I was left with a mess. I cleaned up as best I could, but there was definitely a very berry stain on the carpet. I turned to my computer and looked for a best carpet cleaning in NYC. I fortunately chose to call My Home Carpet & Upholstery Care. They not only did in home steam cleaning of wall to wall carpets which I planned to make use of later for the rest of the carpets in my apartment, but also (and this was more important) cleaned and restored oriental carpets. According to the representative who showed up to assess the rug damage the company has a state of the art facility in New Jersey. A week later the cleaned and Scotch Guarded carpet was returned looking like new with some restored fringe (at an additional cost- but well worth it) and no coffee or multi berry stains. By then I had finished recreating this site and life was on an even keel. Fritz and Fran realized they were not ninja dogs, and had returned to their normal Pekingese behavior of strutting their stuff around the neighborhood, and not leaping up and over furniture. And I am still waiting for the release of I's

2013 Press Article What Will Happen 5 Days Before The Singularity?

â€œIâ€™sâ€ Feature Film Aims To Find Out BY DAVID J. HILLON AUG 12, 2013 Sci-fi films have a long history of speculating what the future might be like, seeking to understand what remnants of humanity will continue on when the world may undergo drastic change. More realistic projections focus on a pivotal period in the future, known as the Singularity, when technological growth will be so rapid and impact the world so deeply that human life will be transformed irreversibly. By definition, it's difficult to envision what that will look like, but how will things look right on the cusp of that key time in human history? That question is at the heart of a feature film in production called I's. The film begins as the first artificial intelligence "wakes up", and it follows a bike messenger named Mason Turk who must make a critical, personal choice in the face of the last days of "civilization as we know it." Currently in post-production, writer/director Chris Edgette recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to take some of the technical aspects of the film to the next level. Via email, Chris provided some further insight into what those funds will accomplish. First, here's the trailer to the film: First hearing about the technological singularity some 15 years ago, Chris was blown away. He realized that "it seems highly likely that we will be able to realize greater-than-human intelligence." He added, "The bit that really rocked my world, though, was the understanding that we really cannot know what a super-intelligence could or would do." Setting out to make a film that dealt with these subjects presented its own challenges. "We try to respect the scientific ideas of the singularity," he wrote, "even though many of them could not be overtly communicated in the film." He continued: What struck me about the singularity, though, was that the process of rapid escalation provides a mirror for us all. If we create a singularity that wipes away our reality entirely, have we won or have we lost, as a civilization, as a species? If it simply disappears, do we continue as before? Those last days, if one knew they were happening, would be both glorious and melancholy. We would stand on the threshold of the potential death of our civilization or its epic rebirth, with no way to see the outcome. We could console ourselves with the knowledge that we had at least birthed something entirely new to our corner of the universe, something with knowledge and understanding beyond our dreams. With that, there would be the somber understanding that we had displaced ourselves from the top of the intelligence heap on Earth. How will we feel when we, the toolmakers, have invented the tool that can out-invent us? These questions drove the project. The film does not view the singularity as something bad or good; the characters actually express a spectrum of views on what is about to take place. The reflection itself, however, is interesting fodder for a small independent film. When faced with a terminal illness, we wonder about what we have done in life: Was it enough? Was it right? What really did we do with our time? The singularity provides the same moment of reflection for our civilization in the last days. You can also hear from the actors about the subject of the film in the video produced as part of the crowdfunding pitch: The Kickstarter campaign set out to provide the final polish to the film and raise the production value. Thanks to over a hundred backers, the project's goal of raising $18,500 was met. Chris announced in an update that a first screening for the film was now scheduled for mid-October thanks to the efforts of the backers. Now with just a few days left in the campaign, Chris has set a stretch goal of $25,000, which is slated to go toward improving the "the quality and interactivity of the augmented reality interfaces, allowing us to further explore the inner mind of the AI character." Extra funds received beyond the project's initial target will also improve the color timing to further professionalize the look of the film and the depth to the sound and music. All the funds are going to the film production, as Chris admitted that "There is no fat; I am entirely unpaid and the associate producer is now working for a percentage of the film returns." Hollywood continues to churn out views of the future that are critical of technology and paint bleak, inhumane futures for its protagonists to struggle within, often with artificial intelligence depicted as a destroyer of humanity, whether metaphorically or physically. Chris underscored what makes this film unique in that regard: "We visualize the inside of an AI mind in a unique way...[and it] is not judged. For dramatic purposes, the AI begins as somewhat of a menace, but as the film ends, we realize that it is a being simply trying to do what we have done: create something greater." But would facing the imminent Singularity provide a different view of life in the not-so-distant future? Chris commented that "I really wanted to walk the line [between a techno-optimistic and techno-pessimistic view]. I did not want to rule on whether the technological singularity would be good or bad in a traditional sense....we also wanted to include both technological and anti-technological perspectives. The technological aspect is slightly amplified by the film's augmented reality, which isolates people as it connects them. An ecotopic commune provides the technological counterpoint, a point for deeper connection, and a place for the main character's decision about what to do with his remaining time. We tried not to idealize or criticize either space, but simply to reflect the oddity and range of human existence." The Kickstarter ends on Aug 16. If you'd like to contribute to the film,

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Film Overview 2011

Film Overview

I's is an independent narrative feature film scheduled for Bay Area production in Summer, 2011.

Description

I's is about a small story of kindness on the precipice of a change in our whole civilization. The film ventures from the city to nature and back. It explores our place in society, our willingness to help or hurt each other, and our own feelings of belonging.

Unique Elements

There are a few tricks up the filmâ€™s sleeve â€“ ideas that have been written about, but never shot. If we do this right, these elements have the ability to create instant buzz in the tech and mainstream media, as well as some raised eyebrows and recognition in the film community.

Actors

We are looking for actors who look a bit more closely at the world around them - who wonder why things are happening, where they are going - and who are willing to engage in a little adventure of their ownâ€¦





Film Overview 2013

"I's" is an independent narrative feature film shot in San Francisco and Seattle. The film is currently in post-production.

Description

Set in the near future, I's is a small story of humanity on the precipice of an unimaginable transformation in our civilization. The film ventures from the city to nature and back. It explores our place in society, our willingness to help or hurt each other, and our own feelings of belonging.

Unique Elements

There are a few tricks up the film's sleeve - ideas that have been written about, but never shot. We are excited to get this out to you to see for yourself!

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CREW

Writer/Director Chris Edgette

Director of Photography Stav Raz

Associate Producer Tylor Bohlman

Editor Jesse Chandler

Production Manager Maria Leon

Production Designer Moran Ovadia

Composer Geoffrey Burch

Sound Mixer Randall Good

Visual Effects - Interfaces Ali M Yaremko

Visual Effects - Artificial Intelligence Blair Kelly

Visual Effects/Poster Design JP Monroy

Key Grip Harry Sharp

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Cast

I's brought together more than fifty actors from throughout the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City.

Cast members include:

Kyle Tuck

"Mason Turk"

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Kyle spent his childhood and most of his teenage years climbing trees and falling into rivers. He loved the arts but never gave a thought about acting as a career until his high school drama teacher suggested instead of skipping class he should try out for the fall play.

After auditioning and landing the lead in his first ever theater production, a snowball effect took Kyle to LA and work with famous acting coach Chamber Stevens, renown school N.C.S.A., and the United Theatre auditions of America for school.

Attending Acting Conservatory AMDA, Kyle found his stride and purpose in life. Since graduating in 2008 Kyle has been working constantly in the Indie film market. He starred in the feature Stealing God's Money, which won Best Feature at the GSFF. This was followed by his first big budget indie 'I's which is set to hit the 2013/2014 festival circuit this year, and his first horror film 'Meat Puppet' that also won best feature, actor, and horror film. Currently Kyle lives in Brooklyn, NY and signed with Judy Boals Talent Agency.

David Fine

"I.J. Henge"

David Fine is a SAGAftra film actor with credits opposite Will Smith, Ed Harris, Carrie Anne Moss and many more. Most recently David completed a supporting role in Danish Actor Director Ulrich Thomsen's feature â€œIn Embryoâ€.

Connie Jo Sechrist

"Emily"

Connie is a professional actress and model with over 8 years of experience on stage and in front of the camera. Connie was born and raised in San Jose, CA and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area pursuing her dream as an actress.

Connie's first film experience was in 2004 as a Casting Director on "The Last", an independent feature film about the last vampire on Earth searching for eternal life and unlimited power. Connie's acting breakthrough came shortly after in 2005 as the lead in the independent short film "Dora", the story about a prostitute trying to find life's meaning in a corrupt world. Then in 2007 Connie started in "Life" a short independent film about a young woman, who through a one night stand gives up her baby for a better future. This was then turned into a PSA for the Save Haven Program and ran on the LA county website and was also nominated for an Emmy in 2009. Connie has recently been featured on â€œGeneral Hospitalâ€ and has booked lead and supporting roles in independent feature films and Web-series throughout the Bay Area.

Jason Rojek

"92"

As young as he can remember, Jason had always wanted to act but was terribly shy. It wasn't until Tom Hanks' speech at his high school graduation that he felt inspired to follow his dream. He enrolled in his first acting class two weeks later.

Over the next several years, Jason took numerous acting classes before studying with his mentor, Jean Shelton, at the Actor's Studio in San Francisco. Learning method acting brought a new level of emotional power to his work. After countless hours of extra work and auditions, Jason caught a break and landed a co-starring role in a NBC Movie of the Week. He was now a member of the Screen Actor's Guild! He did more commercial and theatrical work before taking a break to pursue his musical interests. As gratifying as he found music, Jason still missed his craft.

After returning to acting with renewed passion, he is bringing a new depth and complexity to his roles.

Jake Lyall

"Daniel"

Stacey Nelson

"Kai"

Raul Delarosa

"Jollian"

Carl Schrieber

"Dominik"

Carl Schreiber was born and raised in San Jose, CA. He is the youngest of three and has an older brother and sister. Carl first developed a love for acting while performing in grade school plays and reenacting movie scenes for his older brother's amusement; curse words and crying were included on both sides. In high school, Carl was involved in sports, TV productions, and photography, as well as various martial arts and earned a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Carl graduated from UCLA where he majored in Economics before taking professional lessons and pursuing his career in acting.

Since then, Carl has booked a recurring role on â€œThe Young and the Restless,â€ played the lead role in numerous independent feature films, nominated twice as best actor in a leading role, and continues to audition in Los Angeles and the SF Bay Area for TV and film productions.

Ronne Su

"14"

I's was Ronne's first acting job. He submitted for the role of 14 not expecting to even get an audition, much less the part. His next project is called Stay Ducky. For more information, please check out stayducky.tumblr.com





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