INTRODUCTION

& SYNOPSIS
CONTENTS

2 Welcome Message from

Executive Producer
Robin Block

3 How to Join the

Community

5 Welcome Letter from

Director David Weiner

6 Synopsis

7 Interstitial Chapters

13 Timeline Films

1
WELCOME MESSAGE
FROM ROBIN BLOCK
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/
C E O O F C R E ATO R V C

“Welcome to In Search of Tomorrow. Our mission is to

bring film fans together through a shared love of ‘80s
Sci-Fi. We’re making history by delivering a unique
opportunity for backers to participate in watch parties,
special guest Q&A’s, and moderated community
discussions throughout the lifecycle of our ambitious
production.
Robin Block
CEO, CreatorVC

We aim to create an experience that brings joy and

comfort, that pulls people together and becomes the
foundation of lifelong friendships. We want to take our
backers on a journey of discovery as they reconnect
with their favourite childhood movies and develop a new
appreciation for them. There are untold stories, new
perspectives and a world of wonder out there for all of us
who are taking part.

This document is your gateway to that world. Inside you

will find instructions for joining our online community, a
synopsis for our documentary, and points for discussion.
We hope to see you online soon!”

2
HOW TO JOIN
THE IN SEARCH OF TOMORROW
COMMUNITY
The In Search of Tomorrow community runs on Discord, a popular
text, voice, and video chat app. If you’ve ever used Slack or IRC,
you’ll feel right at home. If you haven’t, don’t worry - it’s easy to
get started.

Discord can be run on the Discord app (iOS and Android), in

a browser, or through a desktop app (Windows, iOS, or Linux).
If possible, we recommend you do the initial sign-up from a
computer, rather than a phone, as it’s much easier.

HERE’S HOW TO GET STARTED

STEP 1 If you haven’t already, register an account with
Discord (it’s free). Go to https://discord.com/ and click
Login/Register at the top right of your screen. You’ll be
asked for an email address, a username, and a password.

STEP 2 Sign in to your Discord account. If you are

new to Discord, a popup will invite you to start your own
server or join a friend. Choose the option to join a friend.
If you already use Discord, or for some reason the popup
did not appear, click the ‘+’ button on the sidebar on the
left of the screen which will cause a similar pop-up to
appear (as before, choose to ‘join a friend’).

3
STEP 3 Enter your invitation link for our Discord
channel.

YOUR INVITATION LINK IS

https://discord.gg/WaVkXmm

That’s it! We recommend you now do the following:

• Click on the joypad icon to change your Avatar icon
• Introduce yourself to the community in ‘The Lobby’
channel
• Get stuck in discussing ‘80s Sci-Fi!

DISCORD COMMUNITY RULES

To ensure our community is a safe and welcoming place
for fans to discuss ‘80s Sci-Fi and our documentary,
it is necessary to have a set of rules. By joining our
community you acknowledge and agree to abide by all
our community rules, as well as those set out by Discord
in their Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.

1. Don’t be a jerk. Keep chat civil, polite, and appropriate.

Do not start arguments against others. Do not speak
or act in a way you wouldn’t be happy with if a stranger
approached you in the street.
2. No NSFW (Not Safe For Work) content.
3. Don’t spam messages (sending lots of messages at once).
4. Don’t post anything racially or sexually insensitive.
5. Don’t single anyone out for their race, gender, sexual
orientation or anything else.
6. Do not share malicious or pirated media. We do not
condone piracy.
7. No advertising.
8. No talk of religion and/or politics. This always leads to
arguments.
9. Anything discussed in the Discord is confidential and
should be treated as such.
10. Administrators can shut down a conversation if they feel
it is not appropriate for our server. Please do not backseat
moderate or question a staff member’s decision.

4
 WELCOME
TO THE FUTURE...

“Sci-Fi and grand stories of the imagination have always taken center stage
in my life. As a child in the ‘70s, I’d happily escape into the futuristic worlds
of Star Trek and the dystopian alternate realities of Logan’s Run and Planet
of the Apes, then recreate those adventures in my back yard. Then in ’77,
Star Wars came along and rocked my world. Like so many dreamers of my
generation, I became totally consumed by George Lucas’ masterpiece.
The seismic rewiring of my brain drove me to dig deeper. I not only wanted
to be transported to a galaxy far, far away. I wanted to know more. I
watched more. I researched more. I consumed as much behind-the-scenes
information as I could in the pages of Starlog, Cinefantastique, Cinefex and
Premiere magazine. I read how advances in science could shape our future in David Weiner
Director
OMNI. I pored over every behind-the-scenes movie photo I could find.

Standing on the shoulders of Lucas and Spielberg, Hollywood’s approach

to filmmaking markedly changed in the ‘80s. Genre movies became more
bankable and flooded theaters exponentially each year. And I was at the
perfect, pivotal young age to get lost in the wonder. The Empire Strikes Back,
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Aliens, Blade Runner, and E.T. the Extra-
Terrestrial were not just films. They were events in our lives to be discussed
and dissected with friends over and over again. These significant releases
and their genre kin — TRON, The Last Starfighter, Dune, The Road Warrior,
WarGames, Back to the Future, RoboCop, Saturn 3 and straight-to-video
fare— shaped perceptions and inspired creativity like no other.

To have the opportunity to write and direct a documentary that covers such
beloved, out-of-this-world territory that’s so close to my heart — and to
pick the brains of the icons and personalities who were part of, and inspired
by, this ‘80s Sci-Fi movement — is the ultimate treat.

The sleeper success of In Search of Darkness demonstrated that genre fans

will enthusiastically welcome a nostalgic return to the films that shaped their
lives in the form of an extended super-doc. In Search of Tomorrow promises
to be an even more ambitious film journey worthy of the amazing content
and creators that came out of ‘80s Sci-Fi cinema: A celebration of human
potential, exploring the most inspiring and eclectic movies of the decade,
year-by year, that firmly captured our collective imaginations and changed
our lives.”

5
SYNOPSIS

In Search of Tomorrow will take viewers on a year-by-year deep dive into the
many awe-inspiring worlds of ‘80s Sci-Fi movies, from the alien landscapes
of distant planets to the unexpected secrets of our own terra firma and to
the dystopian visions of near and far future. Breaking down the most iconic
and eccentric films of the ‘80s, the film will also examine the science and
technology behind the fiction amid insider tales of the creative process.

The documentary will feature insights and anecdotes from a brilliant collective
of expert and iconic talent including filmmakers, actors, special-effects and
visual effects masters, tech advisors, authors, influencers, and visionaries.
Not only do they tell their own stories; they share opinions about their own
favorite Sci-Fi movies.

An entertaining study of ‘80s genre filmmaking, In Search of Tomorrow will tap

into that childlike wonder that we all felt while first watching these movies,
how we all felt deep inside, all the while deconstructing and recontextualizing
their impact for today’s audiences.

We encourage you to read the synopsis and use it as a framework for

discussion in the community. What are you interested in? Is there anything
you’d change? What have we missed out? We can’t wait to hear from you!

YEAR-BY-YEAR TIMELINE
Each film segment will combine talent from the project and/or experts
discussing some or all of the following: plot, film’s emotional and cultural
impact, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, toys, tie-ins and marketing, creative
visions influencing contemporary tech/architecture/landscape design, etc.

INTERSTITIAL CHAPTERS
Bookending and interspersed between the yearly timelines will be a wide range
of chapters that delve deeper into the intricacies of specific aspects of ‘80s
Sci-Fi, including filmmaking, worldbuilding, storytelling, character definition,
costume design, and more.

Like In Search Of Darkness, iconic talent will talk all about other projects as
well: Trek stars talking Star Wars, Star Wars stars talking Trek, and so on…

DISCLAIMER
The structure presented over the following pages has been included to encourage discussion as
well as film/topic suggestions among backers about the future content of the film. It is subject
to change, and not all elements mentioned will make it into the finished documentary.

6
 INTERSTITIAL
CHAPTERS
MISSION STATEMENT
- What is the definition of Sci-Fi?
- What does Sci-Fi mean emotionally to our interviewees/talent?
- Genre-straddling storytelling: How fantasy, action, horror, and comedy are
very much intertwined with the Sci-Fi genre

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCI-FI UP TO ‘80s

- A Brief History of Sci-Fi from George Melies’ Trip to the Moon
up to the ‘80s
- How did we get to ‘80s Sci-Fi? Examining the ‘70s more cerebral, dystopian
approach and films capitalizing on UFO, Bigfoot, cryptozoology, ESP &
telekinesis, and the paranormal, etc.
- The Spielberg and Lucas effect on cinema & how Star Wars changed the game

THE ‘80s CONTEXT: SOCIO-POLITICAL ELEMENTS

REFLECTED IN FILM
- Socio-political influences reflected the times and films reflected those topics
- Tech Advances: microwaves, cell phones, fax, cable, VCRs, Apple, robotics, etc.
- Reaganomics, Live AID, AIDS crisis, big business, and Wall Street corporate
raiders, etc.
- Tech Toys: Intellivision/Atari and Sci-Fi-inspired video games & handheld
electronic games.
- Fads: aerobics, rap, Rubik’s Cubes and MTV, New Coke, Max Headroom, etc.

PURE IMAGINATION
- How Star Wars turned Sci-Fi more towards fantasy — stories become less
political and more about personal journeys.
- Introducing the next generation of masters: Ridley Scott, James Cameron,
John Carpenter, Nicholas Meyer, Joe Dante, etc. as filmmakers like
Spielberg, Lucas, Peter Hyams and John Badham enter and define ‘80s
filmmaking
- Roger Corman, Charlie Band, and knock-off Sci-Fi becomes a
straight-to-video industry

THE VERY HUMAN HEROES AND HEROINES OF ‘80s SCI-FI

- The Hero’s Journey and The Star Wars template: After the success of Star
Wars many wanted to emulate and adapt Joseph Campbell‘s hero’s journey
in their film; mentors like Obi-Wan Kenobi guiding heroes and heroines
along with their sidekicks, etc.
- Han Solo, Ripley, Decker, Marty McFly, Spock, Sarah Connor, RoboCop,
Muad’Dib, Ghostbusters, etc.

7
IN MOTION — TRANSPORTERS, STARSHIPS, VEHICLES
- Why our heroes need a cool ride
- More than just motion — transportation as a reliable/unreliable character
in the story
- AT-ATs, Spinners, The Millennium Falcon, Light Cycles, DeLorean,
The Enterprise, hoverboards, The Sulaco, etc.

SFX BREAKDOWN: HOW SPACESHIP EFFECTS WERE ACHIEVED

- Tricks of the trade, frame rates, etc.
- Motion control filming
- Fiber-optic lighting, forced perspective
- Blue screen, green screen

MOVIE MAGIC - VFX/SFX

- Intro of CGI vs. practical models with Last Starfighter
- The evolution of visual effects from 1980 to 1989, from the early CGI
of Tron and Last Starfighter to The Abyss water worm
- Filming alien planets and explosions in space
- Models and massive miniature work
- The last hurrah of practical effects in the advent of CGI
- Rear-projection in Aliens, blue and green screen work, etc.
- Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Skotak Bros.
and more innovators

‘80s COLD WAR KIDS

- Present-day stories involving near-future tech and Cold War tensions
- Firefox, Blue Thunder, WarGames, Electric Dreams, Project X, Space Camp, etc.
- James Bond’s gadgets in the ‘80s: For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy,
A View to a Kill, Never Say Never Again, The Living Daylights
- The Day After - Nicholas Meyer on real-life fears of nuclear armageddon
and the aftermath consequences

POST-APOCALYPTIC VISIONS & LANDSCAPES

- Cautionary Cold War tales were overwhelmed by post-apocalyptic
nightmare visions of marauding gangs and mutants.
- Cherry 2000, Miracle Mile, The Quiet Earth, Def-Con 4, 1990: The Bronx
Warriors, 2019: After the Fall of New York, Hell Comes to Frogtown,
Road Warrior/Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, etc.
- Road Warrior Ripoffs: Steel Dawn, Battletruck, Solarbabies,
The Time Guardian, etc.

8
 HOMAGES & RIPOFFS ARE THE SINCEREST FORMS OF FLATTERY
- The many films inspired by and/or ripped off from influential top-shelf films:
Star Wars, Close Encounters, The Road Warrior, Alien, Escape From New York,
Blade Runner, The Terminator, E.T., etc.
- Onscreen influence: Alien dance scene in Spaceballs, Moonraker’s Close
Encounters passcode, Elliott shows his Star Wars toys to E.T., etc.
- Easter Eggs: Pac-Man in TRON, R2-D2 & C-3PO in Raiders hieroglyphics, etc.
- Rip-off artwork in marketing: Michael Biehn’s Terminator likeness used for
Metal Gear; Arnie’s Predator image used for Contra/Gryzor, Blade Runner
poster for Mean Streets, etc.

ROBOTS, REPLICANTS, COMPUTERS, CYBORGS & ANDROIDS

- Deadly computers and the influence of 2001’s H.A.L.
- War Games, Aliens/Bishop, Heartbeeps, Rocky IV/Sico, Short Circuit/Johnny 5,
Blade Runner/Roy Batty & Replicants, The Terminator/T-800, RoboCop, Deadly
Friend, Flight of the Navigator, Cyborg (Van Damme), 2010, etc.
- Ripoffs/inspired by Star Wars/Alien/Terminator, etc.

ALIENS AND CREATURES

- The Friendly Kind: E.T., Ewoks, Mac & Me, Earth Girls Are Easy, Grig in Last
Starfighter, Admiral Ackbar, Enemy Mine, The Abyss, Starman, Alien Nation,
Brother From Another Planet, Red Lectroids, etc.
- The Kind That Kill: Xenomorphs, Alien Queen, Predator, Critters, Killer Klowns,
Jabba the Hutt, Rancor, The Thing, Invaders From Mars, The Blob, LifeForce
vamps, etc.

SFX BREAKDOWN: HOW ROBOT & CREATURE EFFECTS

WERE ACHIEVED
- Tricks of the trade
- State-of-the-art creature effects
- Stop-motion advances
- Animatronics
- Rick Baker, Phil Tippett, Stan Winston, Rob Bottin, Steve Johnson
and more innovators.

COSTUME DESIGN & ACCESSORIES/WEAPON TECH

- The looks and designs behind our favorite spacesuits, Starfleet uniforms, alien
fashions, futuristic garb, cyberpunk style and casual wear in space.
- From the power loader in Aliens to blasters, phasers, flamethrowers, lightsabers,
samurai swords, identity discs, ghost traps and proton packs.

9
BEFORE THE INTERNET & STREAMING SERVICES
- Starlog, Omni, Cinefex, Cinefantastique, Starburst,
Cinemagic and similar periodicals
- Trading cards
- VHS & Laserdisc
- Cable TV

MARKETING THE MOVIES

- Drew Struzan and the art of poster art and design
- Tie-ins and movie marketing
- Happy Meals and collectible tumblers, toys, comic books, T-shirts, collectibles,
trading cards; Animated series based on the movies (Ewoks, Droids,
Robocop, etc); Commercials for Burger King, toys, & videogames; Videogames
based on SciFi films - Star Wars, Tron, & the E.T. Atari debacle.
- Merchandising failures: For every Star Wars Kenner phenom, almost nothing
for Flash Gordon, Alien toys taken off the shelves in ’79, (but Aliens got plenty
of toys); DUNE misfires, etc.

MUSIC AND SOUNDTRACKS

- Symphonic to synthesizer and back
- John Williams’ Star Wars brought the symphonic score back to Sci-Fi
- James Horner, Basil Poledouris, Alan Silvestri, Brad Fiedel
- Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Wendy Carlos and more bring electric dreams
- Inspiring whole new musical genres, notably Synthwave.

TIME TRAVEL
- A Sci-Fi storytelling staple and recurring trope
- Time Travel methods/machines
- Scientific truth vs. convenient fiction, closed loop vs. open loop time travel,
alternate timelines
- Back to the Future trilogy, Somewhere in Time, Time After Time (1979), Bill &
Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Final Countdown, The Philadelphia Experiment,
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Timerider - The Adventure of Lyle Swann, Time
Walker, Trancers, The Time Guardian, etc.

SCI-FI/HORROR
- Genre-stradding
- Fear in space, terror from within, alien invaders on Earth
- Including The Thing, Predator, Aliens, The Fly, The Blob, Re-Animator, Critters,
Lifeforce, KIller Klowns From Outer Space, Creepshow, Chopping Mall,
Phantasm II, Creature, Galaxy of Terror, Inseminoid, Invaders From Mars, etc.

10
SCI-FI COMEDIES
- Sci-Fi wasn’t all seriousness; laughter was the alternative cure to Cold War
tensions and a way to tame otherworldly threats.
- Spaceballs, Weird Science, Back to the Future trilogy, Galaxina, Night of the Comet,
Earth Girls Are Easy, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,
Airplane II: The Sequel, The Creature Wasn’t Nice (aka Spaceship! aka Naked Space),
Making Mr. Right, Brother From Another Planet, Morons From Outer Space,
Electric Dreams, Howard the Duck, Hell Comes to Frogtown, Amazon Women
on the Moon, Critters 2, My Stepmother Is An Alien, Not Of This Earth, Meet the
Hollowheads, The Return of Swamp Thing, etc.

WEIRD SCIENCE
- Mad Scientists, top secret labs. and experiments gone wrong
- The Fly, Re-Animator, Weird Science, Ghostbusters, Swamp Thing, Altered States,
Real Genius, My Science Project, Project X, Looker, Zapped, Back to the Future, etc.

SCI-FI IN ANIMATION & ANIME

- Cartoons take over the big screen, Heavy Metal gives Ralph Bakshi a run for his
money, and Japanese anime goes international and makes an impact
- Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Heavy Metal, Rock & Rule, Be Forever Yamato (Star
Blazers Japanese), Starchaser: The Legend of Orin, Project A-Ko, Transformers:
The Movie, Jetsons: The Movie, The Time Masters, Robot Carnival, etc.

COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES - SCI-FI MEETS SAND,

SUPERHEROES, SWORD & SORCERY
- Fantasy flicks incorporate space, science, supernatural and tech
to blur genre lines
- Masters of the Universe, Krull, Hercules, Highlander, Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones, Yor The Hunter From the Future, Superman and the superhero
connection, The Boy Who Could Fly, Godzilla, etc.

THE 3D MOVIE WAVE

- The brief 3-D wave of the ‘80s had its share of fun Sci-Fi entries, and
Charlie Band’s Empire Pictures led the charge.
- Spacehunter, Metalstorm, Starchaser, Parasite, etc.

FUTURISTIC VISIONS/REAL SCI-FI TECH

- Imagineering concepts: movies and visions as a springboard to imagination and
wonder and possibility.
- How ‘80s visions influenced today’s technology: cells, wifi, drones,
transportation, Boston Dynamics robots, self-driving cars, Internet and
Dark Web, crypto-currency, etc.

11
SPACE, ABOVE & BEYOND
- International Space Station
- The space shuttle program
- How the Challenger tragedy changed our outlook from optimism about space
travel to one of fear of death for many
- Elon Musk, Space X and Mission to Mars - launched convertible into orbit just
like Heavy Metal movie

THE FANDOM PARADOX

- What separates Sci-Fi fans from other genre fandoms?
- Why do fans turn on their masters?
- Why do we take such ownership in the product of others?
- Why do we get angry when the story does not fulfill our needs?
- We argue and debate because we love it, want to dissect it, understand it,
make it our own.
- Judgment/cynicism vs. unfettered appreciation

CONCLUSION
- Remembering roots, standing on the shoulders of giants
- The influence and nostalgia of ‘80s Sci-Fi today
- The need to recontextualize
- Tech perfection: Lucas and Spielberg “improving” their visions: Star Wars: Special
Editions and E.T. replacing guns with walkie talkies; Close Encounters extra
scenes. Aliens and Abyss Special Editions, Blade Runner: Director’s Cut/Final
Cut, etc.
- New ways of telling classic stories…

12
Below is an initial, expandable list of films for possible individual-
attention segments (subject to change due to time restrictions and/
or talent/content availability). Films in order of release.

TIMELINE FILMS

1980 1983
Saturn 3 Le Dernier Combat
The Empire Strikes Back The Deadly Spawn
Outland Blue Thunder
Galaxina Spacehunter: Adventures in the
Hangar 18 Forbidden Zone
The Final Countdown Return of the Jedi
Battle Beyond the Stars WarGames
Flash Gordon Superman III
Krull
1981 Space Raiders
The Incredible Shrinking Woman Yor The Hunter From the Future
Inseminoid/Horror Planet Metalstorm: The Destruction of
Superman II Jared-Syn
Escape From New York Hercules
Heavy Metal Strange Invaders
Galaxy of Terror Brainstorm
Looker 2019, After the Fall of New York
Heartbeeps Endgame

1982 1984
Battletruck Android
Forbidden World Repo Man
The Road Warrior Def-Con 4
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan The Ice Pirates
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Iceman
Firefox Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Blade Runner Ghostbusters
MegaForce The Last Starfighter
The Thing The Philadelphia Experiment
TRON Dreamscape
Liquid Sky The Adventures of Buckaroo
Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Brother From Another Planet
The Terminator
Night of the Comet
2010: The Year We Make Contact
DUNE
Starman
Runaway

13
1985 1988
Escape from the Bronx Hell Comes to Frogtown
1984 Alien From L.A.
Trancers Critters 2: The Main Course
Back to the Future Earth Girls Are Easy
D.A.R.Y.L. The Nest
Cocoon Not of This Earth
Lifeforce Miracle Mile
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Explorers Short Circuit 2
Weird Science Akira
My Science Project Mac and Me
Godzilla 1985
Creepozoids
Brazil
Alien Nation
Enemy Mine
Cherry 2000
My Stepmother Is An Alien
1986
World Gone Wild
Black Moon Rising
Eliminators
TerrorVision 1989
Highlander DeepStar Six
Critters Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Star Crystal Leviathan
Short Circuit Cyborg
Invaders From Mars Lords of the Deep
SpaceCamp Moontrap
Aliens Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Flight of the Navigator Ghostbusters II
Howard the Duck Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The Fly Tetsuo: The Iron Man
Zone Troopers The Abyss
Deadly Friend Millennium
Solarbabies Communion
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Back to the Future II
Godzilla vs. Biollante
1987 Slipstream
Making Mr. Right The Terror Within
Project X
Predator
Spaceballs
Innerspace
RoboCop
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Masters of the Universe
The Curse
Amazon Women on the Moon
The Hidden
Nightflyers
Steel Dawn
The Running Man
*batteries not included

14