Six months ago, filmmaker Teddy Saunders posted the inventive short film, Oh! The Places You'll Go At Burning Man, and received nearly two million hits on YouTube. As a result of the film, the projected turnout for the upcoming Burning Man celebration in Nevada's Black Rock Desert has soared with a projected 40 percent of this year's event being first time attendees. Oh! The Places You'll Go at Burning Man scored a well-deserved Best Short Film Award at this year's New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles. Using the text of Dr. Seuss' final book, the film is narrated by a colorful parade of Burning Man's inhabitants to surreal, and moving, effect.
Oh, The Places You'll Go At Burning Man:
This year, Saunders returns to Burning Man with an even more ambitious project, the DreamBox.
The DreamBox is a solar-powered video booth that the public can walk into and speak about their greatest dream, or aspiration in life. Using the power of film and social media, Saunders believes those dreams can and will come true.
Custom designed from the ground up featuring an interactive touch screen interface allowing the dreamer to see himself or herself, rehearse their dream, and type in their contact info needed for others to be able to reach out to them. The DreamBox contains an intricate lighting system with LED soft boxes and back lighting, making the dreamer look flawless on camera. Behind the dreamer is a green screen, which will be swapped out with cinematographic time lapse video that thematically supports them.
Saunders says, "Basically, it's designed so the dreamers look as epic as possible when speaking their dreams."
CoFounders Teddy Saunders and Paola Baldion describe the DreamBox:
During the day the DreamBox is covered with shiny rainbow-colored mylar. At night, it will glow with high-powered LED lights, allowing it to be seen from a half a mile away.
When the project appears online as a web series, anyone will be able to watch the "dreamers" share their life goals. As each dreamer speaks, their Email address will be embedded into the video allowing viewers to contact them to help make his or her dreams materialize into reality.
Saunders, a Boston native based in Los Angeles, is working with Kickstarter to launch The DreamBox. To pledge and take part in the DreamBox's construction, here is the link.
In addition to the DreamBox itself, a documentary film is being shot about its making. Saunders describes the documentary:
It's a journey that begins at Burning Man, and ends with miracles. It will prove to the world that we, as a united humanity, all look for one another. So by sharing dreams with others we can make them come true.
If this project goes according to plan we are going to create an online DreamMakers Network that will allow people all over the world to collaborate with one another in order to help each other live their dreams.
Meet the DreamBox team...
Though the solar-powered DreamBox will be making its first stop at the weeklong Burning Man festivities later this month, it is also scheduled to make an appearance in Venice Beach, California, and other yet-to-be-named locations.
In addition to Saunders, the DreamBox includes co-founder Paola Baldion, Toyshoppe Systems' Brett Heyning (designer) and Kim Williams (welder), special effects artist Thomas Bacho, and electronics designer, Jason Willis.
So if you see the DreamBox at Burning Man, or in your neighborhood, step inside, and manifest your desires, by creating the picture for your own future. Oh, the places you'll go -- indeed.
How the DreamBox works: