Future Ready, Past Perfect
As a prequel viewing to the Blade Runner 2049, I recently watched the original Blade Runner that was released in 1982. What seems amazing is the vision of the creators (mentioned below), who about 40 years ago, imagined the future for the year 2019. We are nearing 2018 now, already engaging and adapting to the then-envisioned ideas in our everyday lives. Surprisingly we are future ready (present now) with the past almost perfectly predicted.
Voice operated elevators and computers, motion responsive habitats, iris-scanning devices, omnipresent digital advertising screens, images with high-end meta-data were ideas conceptualized then and made real on screen. In the movie, Artificial Intelligent bots have a high EQ, understand and instill desired emotional responses in humans, thereby outsmarting them. Ordinary folks running small businesses on streets are tech-adept and equipped with DNA readers. One can relate this to today’s scenario of about 300 million smartphone users in India with access to the Internet and plethora of information and services.
A special mention to the visualization, graphics and production teams who have been able to create a flawless, edgy and at times a surreal visual representation of the future with the technical challenges back then. The original background score composed by Vangelis further enhances the immersive experience.
The scenario of a multi-tier highly dense habitat, interspersed with digital displays, a dark sky with consistent downpour of rains, and garbage strewn streets, though unnerving and true of today, is alarming. Perhaps we need to envision ourselves in healthier, problem-solving and sustainable environments 40 years from now. Thereby, make ourselves present ready to make the future perfect. Almost.
Design & Vision Team - Blade Runner 1982:
Director - Ridley Scott
Writers - Hampton Fancher and David Peoples
Visual Futurist - Syd Mead
Cinematographer - Jordan Cronenweth
Production Designer - Lawrence G. Paull
Music Score - Vangelis
Inspiration & Story of Origin - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick, 1968
Voice operated elevators and computers, motion responsive habitats, iris-scanning devices, omnipresent digital advertising screens, images with high-end meta-data were ideas conceptualized then and made real on screen. In the movie, Artificial Intelligent bots have a high EQ, understand and instill desired emotional responses in humans, thereby outsmarting them. Ordinary folks running small businesses on streets are tech-adept and equipped with DNA readers. One can relate this to today’s scenario of about 300 million smartphone users in India with access to the Internet and plethora of information and services.
A special mention to the visualization, graphics and production teams who have been able to create a flawless, edgy and at times a surreal visual representation of the future with the technical challenges back then. The original background score composed by Vangelis further enhances the immersive experience.
The scenario of a multi-tier highly dense habitat, interspersed with digital displays, a dark sky with consistent downpour of rains, and garbage strewn streets, though unnerving and true of today, is alarming. Perhaps we need to envision ourselves in healthier, problem-solving and sustainable environments 40 years from now. Thereby, make ourselves present ready to make the future perfect. Almost.
Design & Vision Team - Blade Runner 1982:
Director - Ridley Scott
Writers - Hampton Fancher and David Peoples
Visual Futurist - Syd Mead
Cinematographer - Jordan Cronenweth
Production Designer - Lawrence G. Paull
Music Score - Vangelis
Inspiration & Story of Origin - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick, 1968
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