Scott Ross – This isn’t about technology. It’s about responsibility.

00:00:11: Titanic, the fifth element.

00:00:15: Apollo XIII fight club true lies interview with a vampire The Lord of the Rings day after tomorrow and iRobot.

00:00:25: all different genres Different directors different cinematic experiences A sinking ship futuristic opera a crippled spacecraft fractured psyche a mythic quest.

00:00:39: What could they possibly have in common?

00:00:41: I'll tell you what.

00:00:42: They're having common.

00:00:43: Scott Ross alongside James Cameron and Stan Winston Scott helped build one of the most influential digital production studios in modern cinema.

00:00:54: Not just a company, but a revolution in how stories could be told.

00:00:58: either his direction Digital Domain reshaped the visual language or film.

00:01:04: It earned multiple Academy Award nominations and claimed its first Oscar for the ground-breaking visual effects in Titanic.

00:01:13: A moment when technology and storytelling fused so seamlessly that audiences forgot the machinery, and believed the

00:01:23: impossible.".

00:01:25: For well over a decade Scott Ross oversaw a studio.

00:01:29: they didn't merely add effects.

00:01:31: it expanded imagination.

00:01:33: Oceans were made to swallow empires, cities bent reality.

00:01:37: Robots felt real.

00:01:39: fantasy worlds breathed.

00:01:41: the common thread isn't just innovation it's vision.

00:01:44: Scott Ross wasn't simply running a studio.

00:01:47: he was steering the future of cinematic illusions and in doing so helped define an era.

00:01:53: And with that I'm gonna introduce you my incredible friend Scott Ross.

00:01:59: welcome to The Programme Scott.

00:02:02: Thanks, Mark.

00:02:02: Good to see you.

00:02:04: Scott.

00:02:05: You and I first met years ago in China back when the digital future still felt exciting.

00:02:09: It was so full of hope And not consequences.

00:02:13: We both lived long enough To see how that story actually played out.

00:02:17: now wanted to start at The very beginning with you.

00:02:20: what?

00:02:20: Was it as a human being That first pulled you towards storytelling?

00:02:24: Well storytelling is probably the most powerful form of communication ever, I mean you know movies and story telling.

00:02:31: And to an extent art.

00:02:33: but storytelling Is deep in our soul.

00:02:37: it runs back millions Of years.

00:02:41: It allows us To understand where we came from Where were going too What are hopes and desires Are?

00:02:50: Its The greatest Form of Communication

00:02:54: Absolutely.

00:02:57: This is, I think why we're all together in this field here.

00:03:01: and you know when you look back at those early days especially an industrial like light-and-magic ILM do remember them mainly as a technological breakthrough?

00:03:11: And i would love to hear your thoughts about that period when you were heading up ILM.

00:03:17: You know the transition from analog filmmaking was exciting as hell.

00:03:26: You know, I had come from digital video post-production and doing commercials and whatnot.

00:03:32: so i would...was heading up a video post production company And at the time computers were very much part of A lot of things that we are doing.

00:03:43: but when got to industrial light magic it was film resolution.

00:03:47: So the digital tools hadn't caught to the ability to create film resolution material, so when I got there it was still all optical and analog.

00:03:59: And to me it was shocking because i hadn't really dealt with optical in analog since the early nineteen seventies when I was at university um...and less from a technological point of view, though that was difficult enough.

00:04:18: But more from an zeitgeist's point to be more from the folks who were deeply involved with analog and optical work saw this transition could easily put them out.

00:04:34: And so there's nothing like a scared employee who feels that his job or her job is gonna be removed.

00:04:42: A lot of folks at Industrial Light and Magic had felt that way, it was transition.

00:04:48: I have to slowly move the analog optical people into digital world.

00:04:54: many survived some did not who up until that point in time, very famous.

00:05:06: Up to that point we're painting on glass because that's how matte paintings were done for decades upon decades.

00:05:15: and when I brought the digital guys they freaked!

00:05:21: Wow amazing.

00:05:23: so you had this early-on where a warning system about how fast it was going which is one of the issues that we would love to talk about today as well.

00:05:41: Did you have a sense, that's the intention of digital filmmaking was going to replace real intention?

00:05:50: When you say Real Intention, Mark what do mean by that?

00:05:52: Define that, real intention.

00:05:54: I'm in the intention on enhancing films rather than

00:06:00: using using traditional methods you mean?

00:06:03: Traditional

00:06:03: methods, yes.

00:06:06: Oh absolutely and it was... I've been in show business so we have to always be careful of an aware of insensitive to the business part.

00:06:23: within the film industry people are looking for faster cheap or better.

00:06:28: faster, not necessarily cheaper though at times it was and in some instances better.

00:06:39: but the cheaper part is what studios were excited about.

00:06:44: Correct

00:06:45: And so um... It happened to a point of let's make things faster and cheaper and better.

00:06:56: But I mean, and that's why i was saying Was there a moment when you realized That technology wasn't just changing how films were made but who had the voice And he had the power.

00:07:04: Who is protected?

00:07:06: This changed everything.

00:07:09: Well, you know things there are certain things that haven't changed and That is it's always faster cheaper better Faster cheaper better.

00:07:16: And from the financing point of view apart The show business part of show business Ever all the clients want things cheaper?

00:07:27: And they wanted faster.

00:07:29: to an extent They wanted better.

00:07:31: so digital allowed for that.

00:07:35: as a result in terms of the power structure, as you asked.

00:07:39: The power structure still sort of remains the same except that movie stars no longer have the same kind of power... Right!

00:07:47: ...that the movie stars had let's say twenty years ago.

00:07:50: and they don't because of global box office not because digital technology but because movies are now a global business which they weren't forty years ago.

00:08:02: It is very interesting how he brings it up.

00:08:04: I mean It's such a rapid moving part of the world.

00:08:10: And so I wanted to say, do you think that we chose this direction or are we just moving too fast?

00:08:19: To stop and ask better questions because That's one of the things that i worry about in humanity Are we moving too quickly right now?

00:08:28: The answer is there's yin and yang for everything.

00:08:32: So they're good & bad there's wonderful and terrible, they're both sides of things.

00:08:38: And most of the time we enter into a new era thinking it's going to be wonderful only to discover that yeah ,there is great parts about but also terrible part about .

00:08:51: The internet was perfect example.

00:08:53: The internet first came of age in the mid-nineteen nineties.

00:08:57: We thought we would build communities and revisit with old friends, see each other like we do now.

00:09:03: but you know...the suicide rate amongst young women is incredibly high!

00:09:09: And it's created a lot of social problems.

00:09:11: I couldn't agree more.

00:09:13: i mean this one byproducts moving very fast technology.

00:09:20: One of the interesting things about you and I is that we have a history together in China.

00:09:25: And, um...I would love us to talk about it because i think that the Dutou Masters Academy had great idea!

00:09:34: That was bring masters all different fields together To help next generation become better generations from learning our expertise.

00:09:45: But wasn't exactly like this.

00:09:47: No there were I think the Dital Academy, in many ways...I wonder if you'll agree with me.

00:09:56: The Dital academy was much more of a fruitful endeavor.

00:10:06: for

00:10:10: Well, and for anyone's the for our listeners who don't understand what they're the Chinese government did And especially in the region we were in in Shanghai is that they brought us together Experts in all of our fields.

00:10:24: basically if you have an Academy Award and Emmy a Grammy In your field where there'd be architecture filmmaking music They've brought us under one roof when one building so that we could help The next generation.

00:10:36: but we all became the social experiment.

00:10:40: Yes

00:10:42: I

00:10:42: actually think you've said to me one day, like we're all in the zoo.

00:10:47: In a very expensive zoo but uh...the beauty of it is that's almost a decade later and were connected on social level.

00:10:57: so...

00:10:58: In some ways Mark.. The intention by Chinese government was bring western masters into east China Pass surpass Western capabilities, which by the way they have.

00:11:16: They do in no and

00:11:18: no part.

00:11:19: In no part due to the masters but as a country.

00:11:22: They have.

00:11:23: And then their hope was that we would be able to imbue our Expertise to the younger generation Which we tried?

00:11:32: But the thing that really worked well was from all over the world, these various masters still to this day are close friends and share their experiences.

00:11:43: And the experience in Shanghai at the Tao... Exactly!

00:11:46: ...was

00:11:46: extraordinary.

00:11:47: Yeah I believe it changed my life In many ways.

00:11:52: Mine

00:11:52: too Mine

00:11:54: too.

00:11:54: I would love to see more of that kind of social experiment although little different from what we expected, where we can all work together.

00:12:04: I mean, we live in a world that's so polarized right now.

00:12:09: it sort of has its tentacles everywhere and one of the things that i'm concerned about is... What about innovation?

00:12:17: Is wonderful!

00:12:18: And what can be dangerous you

00:12:19: know?!

00:12:19: I mean innovations great but I think the speed of the progress right now especially with AI is something of so much concern.

00:12:28: um..I would love to hear your thoughts.

00:12:31: I think that the changes happening in AI, once again getting to that paradox of yin and yang.

00:12:38: There are a lot things going be better because it but there's a whole lot worse.

00:12:47: It could be fatalistic or away.

00:12:55: We as a society, as the human race no longer exists.

00:12:59: Yes I agree it's an incredible concern and i think we have to look at the world in a different way with so many jobs being taken over.

00:13:11: And you know In some instances You know...I had my own thoughts about this.

00:13:16: But which ways do feel that AI cannot replace a Human?

00:13:22: Well, so that's an interesting conversation and I hope you give me a couple of minutes.

00:13:27: I

00:13:27: certainly shall.

00:13:29: AI is think of AI as a toddler now.

00:13:37: And however its growth pattern and it's ability to become an adolescent Instead of going from three years old two sixteen years old which takes thirteen years

00:13:49: yes

00:13:50: could take you know, a month and then from going from an adolescent to a young adult it's maturation level.

00:13:58: And its capability to be able to learn and grow and become more powerful is as fast anything we've ever seen in ten times faster than that.

00:14:10: so there are many concerns I have from the point of view, a seventy-four year old man is that at least in United States because we're capitalist nation and driven by profit oftentimes guardrails to save humanity go away.

00:14:39: We are only driven towards.

00:14:41: how much money can I make today?

00:14:44: Yes absolutely!

00:14:46: That concerns me.

00:14:49: It's a huge concern and motivation.

00:14:55: And I'm going to take it just a little bit backwards, you know?

00:15:00: How does power change collaboration?

00:15:04: There is this famous story around you in Titanic... ...and I know it from you but i would love for you two have few words about your experience on Titanic.

00:15:17: Titanic was, you know I guess in the words of what it was a David Copperfield.

00:15:23: It was The Best Of Times and it Was The Worst Of

00:15:26: Times.

00:15:28: So um no all was at Attila Two Cities i don't recall.

00:15:32: so as I look back on my career with project that is most famous And That I'm Most Known For Yes Titanic.

00:15:44: yes I wear the Titanic badge on my sleeve, and i'm very excited to talk about it because people are excited.

00:15:53: However during the making of Titanic It was horrific all of the trades.

00:16:03: And I had a partner, Jim Cameron who

00:16:06: was

00:16:06: a partner in my company and chairman of The Board but he was also my client which reminds me of that scene from Chinatown.

00:16:13: she's my sister...she is my mother!

00:16:16: She's my

00:16:16: Sister!!

00:16:18: So there definitely conflicted interest on Jim's part right?

00:16:23: Right..and i had to manage it so deep that he and I don't speak one another.

00:16:30: Are you still not speaking?

00:16:33: Still not speaking.

00:16:34: I've reached out to him on several occasions, but narcissistic personality disorder is a terrible thing.

00:16:41: Yes...I certainly know that It's interesting.

00:16:48: people ask me about the first song i ever wrote which was twenty six years ago actually and it's interesting how labels can define for the future generation, but it's not really who I am.

00:17:04: I'm more of a serious classical composer and a concert pianist than i am a pop songwriter for Donna Summer.

00:17:10: But so be it you know?

00:17:11: It opens doors And uh...I Know everyone asks You about Titanic!

00:17:16: But..you know AI is-is-is The next human test and Its now inevitable.

00:17:24: its faster cheaper and more efficient.

00:17:26: you said that before.

00:17:30: What does it quietly take away from us, all this AI?

00:17:36: Well again Markit.

00:17:37: It depends upon at what point in time we're talking about it.

00:17:40: so I give a talk this afternoon and i start off my talk saying these things that basically levels with stages of artificial intelligence.

00:17:56: The first stage is machine learning, which teaches computers to learn from data and find patterns so that they can make decisions or predictions without being programmed.

00:18:07: The second one is agentic AI.

00:18:09: It's a smart autonomous assistant that doesn't just follow commands but understands goals, it makes its own decisions and uses tools to achieve complex tasks with minimal human help.

00:18:23: We're at the level right about now.

00:18:26: so we've moved

00:18:27: from machine learning into agentic AI And third-level is generative AI And those are systems that are distinguished from other systems because it has an ability to create novel content and output, meaning It won't need any human interaction.

00:18:46: It can create movies in music and architecture and scientific discoveries without Any involvement from a human being?

00:18:56: Yes

00:18:58: What level would you like me to talk about so we could talk about today?

00:19:03: I would love to talk about today because it's very important.

00:19:05: you know that most people That uh, that approach me are concerned about what's happening.

00:19:11: Today

00:19:13: All right.

00:19:13: so today At least in my field There are the People that Are um?

00:19:21: That are The worker bees.

00:19:22: they're the people that actually Take the information So the Information flows.

00:19:27: the director has an idea.

00:19:30: He or she passes it off to a visual effects supervisor who is creative, but also technical.

00:19:36: The Visual Effects Supervisor turns it over two department heads and the Department heads turn it over to the worker bees.

00:19:43: Who actually do the work right following?

00:19:45: Yes sort of manufacturing.

00:19:48: at the end the Manufacturing people far outweigh all of the other People.

00:19:54: for example in India today there are probably seven thousand visual effects workers, they will all be out of work very soon because the ability for AI to replace their tasks is obvious.

00:20:12: And remember that client only wants it cheaper.

00:20:16: It's going make it considerably cheaper and so all those people would be at

00:20:21: a worse Leads into the future.

00:20:25: I mean, that's not just a present You know.

00:20:29: Well.

00:20:29: so what do you do?

00:20:31: What are you doing when you have all these out-of-work people?

00:20:34: I mean what did they do and And what will their buying power be?

00:20:40: and So what does that?

00:20:41: due to the economy right?

00:20:44: so i think interestingly enough greed.

00:20:48: Not For dinosaurs, it was meteors that put an end to their sort of time on the planet.

00:20:55: I think greed will put an into the time in our planet.

00:20:58: very well said.

00:21:00: um i'm horrified by what that looks like but uh i am in agreement with you there especially ah you know having lived so long to see all these changes and you know to see what's coming ahead.

00:21:18: you've created some of the most visually overwhelming moments in cinema and This point in your life.

00:21:25: It's like what matters to you more?

00:21:29: Spectacle or intimacy?

00:21:31: I would love to hear your thoughts on that.

00:21:34: You know, I don't even it's funny.

00:21:36: The Academy Awards are coming up And I haven't watched all Of the films that are nominated for best visual effects.

00:21:45: really

00:21:46: I have not.

00:21:47: I have watched all the films that are nominated for best screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Film but I haven't because i just don't care about The Shiny Object.

00:22:01: you know it's The Shiny object means nothing to me.

00:22:04: um You know my favorite film of year is a movie called Hamnet and It Just Ripped Me Apart Emotionally.

00:22:12: And so That's What means something to me is the real meaning of art.

00:22:18: To move people emotionally, intellectually and allow them have an experience that reminds them they're human beings.

00:22:29: Exactly what I believe in...I was going talk about it because for me AI cannot replace a human struggle are the stories and music.

00:22:46: It just doesn't feel right when it's done by AI.

00:22:49: for me, I think that...

00:22:52: Let me push back a little bit more.

00:22:54: so remember we're on time continuum of learning.

00:23:00: If you spend some time with a toddler, unless it's your toddler.

00:23:06: They're not going to emotionally move you into great intellectual insight or artistic

00:23:13: sensibilities.".

00:23:15: So I recall that when I was young...I lived in New York City and I would go the museum ...and then we'd see all of these art students sitting copying masters.

00:23:29: Yes, because

00:23:30: they were honing their materials.

00:23:32: So if we get to generative AI where there's no need for human interaction hasn't the toddler learned through the experiences of his or her life what that human struggle is?

00:23:49: What makes us think artificial intelligence having learnt and built an entire massive experience cannot be Sentient.

00:24:00: Yes, I do think it can be maybe not in my lifetime but at some point.

00:24:07: yes i have one other thing i want to say about that.

00:24:10: so there are three prongs right now and new technology.

00:24:15: One is artificial intelligence as we've talked about.

00:24:18: the other one is biology And The ability To create human type organs and understand the genetic code.

00:24:29: And the third one is robotics, so when all three of those come together like in Ghostbusters... I remember yes that's right!

00:24:39: When it all comes together as holy cow what do we got?

00:24:43: We have androids.

00:24:45: So how far away Do you have a human-like robotic creature driven by generative AI?

00:24:55: And then, you know a great-great thinker Yuval Harari calls it the new species

00:25:02: Homo

00:25:03: Deus.

00:25:05: I am a great fan of his by the way and he said we will have body parts completely made from machines... ...and we'll be living coexisting with them.

00:25:14: this is something that i'm okay with but um It's scaring me and i'm sure a lot of people about.

00:25:21: You know as you say sentient learning and where that's going.

00:25:28: I just recently interviewed an explorer who was warning us about climate change, and I believe people would like to bury their heads in this sand.

00:25:37: And you have a similar story of warning...I'd love for you talk about your book Upstart!

00:25:43: We're going to go into the link on where to buy it.

00:25:47: Before that Mark i want bring up one other issue which is something.

00:25:53: There's a great book out called The Coming Wave by a fellow, the name of Mustafa Suleiman and he talks about this process called pessimism aversion.

00:26:04: And so humans are have over our verse to being pessimistic.

00:26:09: they always want To see the light at the end of it tunnel right not the oncoming train Right?

00:26:14: So as a result we have a tendency to say oh It'll all work out if you're gonna workout.

00:26:19: Oh This is never Gonna happen.

00:26:21: Well, you know it might.

00:26:24: So um You want to talk about the book?

00:26:26: I do!

00:26:27: i certainly do.

00:26:28: We're gonna have a link To your books and where we can buy this right you should absolutely.

00:26:33: i would love you to Talk About Your latest book recent book called upstart.

00:26:38: And uh and why you wrote It?

00:26:41: Um

00:26:43: i wrote it for several reasons.

00:26:45: The altruistic reason is to pay it forward.

00:26:48: So the lessons learned and mistakes made, you know.

00:26:52: The successes AND the blemishes need to be talked about.

00:26:56: And they NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENTLY.

00:26:59: I don't want to whitewash anything!

00:27:00: The last thing i wanted do was make a book like They Made A Movie About Melania.

00:27:05: I'm interested in sort of saying this is who I am.

00:27:08: This Is The Mistakes.

00:27:10: Don't Make These Mistakes Or Put These Clothes On.

00:27:13: Wear Them If They Fit Great And If They Don't Trash them.

00:27:16: The second reason I wanted to do it is because, iIwantedto get the truth out.

00:27:22: Yes And It turns out that and not unsurprisingly so That people with power are the People who create the Truth.

00:27:34: Joseph Goebbels said if you tell the truth enough times they believe in it.

00:27:39: So...you know..the problem was after I left Lucasfilm and started my own company, i was written out of the history of industrial light magic in lucasfilm which really was unfortunate because i was the person from a management executive position that transitioned ilm from an analog company to digital

00:28:01: company.

00:28:01: correct.

00:28:02: Really

00:28:02: important.

00:28:03: yes right?

00:28:03: Yes!

00:28:04: And then when i started Digital Domain it was me You know, I hired everybody.

00:28:11: I set its

00:28:11: agenda.".

00:28:13: I was the CEO James Cameron because of the issues that we had over.

00:28:20: Titanic as i said doesn't really talk to me and every time he does an interview He talks about The founding of digital domain That he and his partner Stan Winston founded this company never mentioning my name.

00:28:34: i can't believe it again.

00:28:35: jim is a lot more powerful than i am and he's everywhere, what happened.

00:28:55: Now, you know unfortunately I've only sold a thousand copies but at least i have sort of.

00:29:01: this is what happened.

00:29:03: and then from the management point-of view there are a lot younger folks that come up in various tech companies really understood the ability to manage technical people, as well as creative people.

00:29:20: And it's sort of a learning Bible for those kinds of folks to be able to understand what are the things that might work with managing those kind of people?

00:29:31: Which I was going ask you so if a young person read today What do you hope they get out and just answer that

00:29:39: yeah

00:29:39: You know.

00:29:40: um i'm learning So much about you.

00:29:42: It's incredible This past.

00:29:47: the podcast is called towards humanity because it assumes we're not there yet.

00:29:51: I know.

00:29:51: We're not.

00:29:51: they get that on if you'll ever get their.

00:29:53: after everything You've seen industries rising systems failing and ideals being tested.

00:29:59: What does humanity mean to you now?

00:30:02: Not me in your words.

00:30:05: Well, there's almost like by your statement.

00:30:08: There are two questions there.

00:30:09: one of what as humanity means to me into you know Do we ever get there?

00:30:13: well I think i answered them.

00:30:16: Do we ever get there?

00:30:17: Yes, but I would love your insight into that.

00:30:21: It still shocks me That there is tribalism in the world...I just don't get it.

00:30:27: You know its sort of like..i dont care And We've heard this a lot But i truly Just Don't Understand Why There Are Groups That are Afraid Of All The Other Groups and Make Them Out To Be The Enemy.

00:30:40: So Humanism to Me Means the human family, to accepting that we're all the same flesh and blood.

00:30:51: And that you should all care for one another.

00:30:55: The whole I-me me mind thing is ridiculous!

00:31:00: There's more than enough of us... It shocks me.

00:31:04: there are people in America That are starving while Jeff Bezos has forty four yachts and just right a hundred million dollars on his wedding And sends rocket ships up to the moon.

00:31:16: It's just it's disgusting Yeah, and so if there was If there was a place where at?

00:31:24: A time when we all recognize that We could share and we should help each other out you know in I'm not a Christian at all but in the words of Jesus Christ, it's like if we could live to those words as opposed to these modern age Christians who are fake Christians and live a life that we gave to one another and cared for one other.

00:31:49: That is what humanism is to

00:31:50: me.".

00:31:51: I think this is very beautiful answer because humanity has broad spectrum.

00:32:01: personally I'm delving into, especially with music and film.

00:32:05: And people who have helped change the world like yourself?

00:32:10: Just to go back a question...I think you kind of answered it but i wanted to ask if we had to rewrite cinema again today by machines that can only generate images scripts and voices themselves is there any human value non-negotiable?

00:32:28: so

00:32:29: If cinema is to be rewritten again, only by machines that can generate all the stuff for themselves.

00:32:35: As you said images scripts music voices dialogue.

00:32:39: um Is there human value?

00:32:41: That is to being non-negotiable in this.

00:32:47: Well, you know again today they can't do that.

00:32:50: I think tomorrow at some tomorrow maybe and have x number of years it can.

00:32:57: And yeah You know sort of what his art Right.

00:33:02: And for me, the definition of art is making sense out of chaos.

00:33:09: and so because our lives... The human experience is somewhat chaotic—the ability to be able feel like there's a sense out-of it and that there's compassion —and that it touches your

00:33:23: soul.".

00:33:24: So I think if we were to rewrite cinema today Using the tools of today and only computers in whatnot.

00:33:33: Yes, we would be missing that human soul.

00:33:36: yeah Yeah That's the thing that scares me a lot.

00:33:41: I mean You've known Me for a long time And you know that i like to write dark music.

00:33:48: but For me Dark Music always has A sense Of hope.

00:33:51: and Hope is still as you said Maybe We built that Where As Human Beans?

00:33:58: the essential words I'm looking for in all those, what gives you hope?

00:34:08: What gives me hope.

00:34:13: Well lately and I live in America... And under that current regime yesterday The morons took away the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency all in the light of making money.

00:34:35: And so what gives me hope, my hope is that at some point this cycle I think...I forget who said it.

00:34:44: Barack Obama had brought it up.

00:34:45: but the cycle goes like this we repeat things But were constantly moving forward and you know today's world Is far better than a hundred years ago, five-hundred years ago.

00:35:01: Our existence is better and our lifespans are longer and there's a lot more opportunity for joy.

00:35:11: so I keep thinking we're moving in that direction.

00:35:22: this technology can run away and we need to put guardrails on it.

00:35:26: And I think part of those guard rails, too...I have hope like you do two but i also believe that we have to bring these concerns so the forefronts avoid them in order for us actually make light of them.

00:35:40: This is one reason why l love having a conversation with you.

00:35:44: Absolutely remarked!

00:35:47: here in California when I'm a news junkie.

00:35:50: Oh,

00:35:51: I know!

00:35:51: And i am very much in touch with what's going on.

00:35:54: and my friends some of them will say...I never watch the news.

00:35:58: you know it upsets me too much.

00:36:00: It just upsets.

00:36:07: Get hip to it, you need to understand what's happening.

00:36:11: We're in the old

00:36:15: boiling frog routine... Exactly!

00:36:19: Time-to-jump.

00:36:20: Yeah Well I think having awareness about everything that is going on and being really clear Is the answer That i'm looking for And i'd like to shed light In all these areas.

00:36:33: So For me It's important having this podcast called Towards Humanity, so that we can actually do specifically that.

00:36:42: And and that's what the pleasure to have you on Scott.

00:36:46: Just as a final question I have for you when storytellers help shape how humanity understands itself?

00:36:54: What responsibility do they carry not just for what their create but for what they make possible?

00:37:03: It is an interesting about storytelling, and if storytelling is told by AI I don't understand what's gonna happen.

00:37:13: I think storytellers great storytellors have a responsibility to instill love and hope in art... And many ways tell the truth.

00:37:25: even that truth might be in fantasy.

00:37:28: it's important.

00:37:29: They're like shamans.

00:37:32: if we go back in time, you know I agree shamans would sit around the fire.

00:37:37: and there's this one person who Would tell the stories of history?

00:37:41: Of their tribe.

00:37:42: And i think We need to do The same thing as storytellers.

00:37:46: um i'm afraid that Because of greed That ai will not have those guardrails.

00:37:55: i Do believe it has at some point.

00:37:58: It has possibility of telling stories that are emotive, exciting and hopeful.

00:38:05: And want to save humanity.

00:38:11: but there's those forces in the world who don't want it happen?

00:38:19: Well

00:38:19: as Obama has always stated you know... I don't know how much of that i believe.

00:38:29: I used to believe that because the trend has certainly not been like for quite a while and, um-I'm really hoping that... For me, just in October last year performed for Pope Leo & The Vatican And one of the messages that I gave to the Vatican That really made me very proud was I said that arts Storytellers filmmakers and musicians are going to save the world!

00:38:57: something I think... I agree.

00:39:01: Artists and storytellers, musicians those that can move the human soul could help save the planet.

00:39:10: Planet's going to be fine!

00:39:13: Humanity?

00:39:15: The planet will be here no matter what.

00:39:17: Planet would be fine

00:39:18: anyway.

00:39:19: on that note Scott i cant thank you enough for Being part of this humanity, you're at the very beginning towards humanity.

00:39:28: And it's been an absolute pleasure to have you on and I hope your message gets to a lot people... ...and I really hope that a lot of young filmmakers and everyone reads your book Upstart!

00:39:43: Thanks!

00:39:44: Hey Mark- You are my friend..I love you to pieces.

00:39:48: ..and ummm.... I'll do anything for ya.

00:39:51: Especially Everything that you want to do is save humanity.

00:39:55: Exactly, exactly I have a mission.