Inventing Reality is a feature-length documentary by the makers of PBS Space Time. 

For the past 7 years, Dr. Matt O’Dowd and the team have produced more than 80 hours of science videos on the most challenging topics in physics and astronomy, from string theory to the physics of wormholes. In the process, we’ve built a reputation for clarity, depth, and uncompromising rigor. Now it’s time to bring it all together to tackle the biggest questions of all.​

In Inventing Reality, Matt will travel the world in pursuit of answers. We will visit labs and observatories, talk to experts of all stripes, and build a map of our best current understanding of what reality really is. Even more importantly, we’ll explore the gaps in this map—the “here be dragons” of theoretical physics! There, progress will require delving into the meta-questions of how we know what we know. After all, our models of reality depend on how we do science, and even on how our brains construct our subjective worlds. 

Matt will be guided in his journey by leaders in astrophysics, quantum theory, neuroscience, systems theory, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, the history and philosophy of science, and more. Expect beautiful, cinematic storytelling paired with evocative animation that will help us comprehend the strangest ideas that might actually be true. We’ll pursue these ideas with the right balance of wonder and skepticism. Matt is well known to have no patience for pseudoscience. We’ll be brutally honest as we sort out the hocus-pocus and seek genuinely promising paths forward. Paths that may answer questions about the world and about ourselves, such as:

• Are space, time, and particles even real? We’ll delve into what relativity, quantum mechanics, and candidate theories of quantum gravity have to say about the emergence of space, the nature of time (do the future and the past exist?), and what the fundamental building blocks of reality might actually be.

• Is reductionism a dead end? Can we really find ground truth by pursuing ever smaller and simpler elements of reality? In fact, does a singular ground truth even exist? We’ll explore theories that diverge from the reductionist tradition and may break the current deadlock, from the holographic principle and dualities of string theory, to the amplituhedron and the emergence of spacetime.

• Can physics ever hope to find the ground truth? Are all our theories just approximate models of a reality that may remain forever beyond our grasp? We’ll explore the obstacles that scientists are currently facing in the search for an all-encompassing description of nature.

• What is the role of the observer in quantum mechanics? Must we accept one of the extreme solutions to the measurement problem: Is consciousness the true fundamental, giving rise to the physical? Or are we a single thread in the splitting timelines of the quantum multiverse? We’ll explore the problems and the implications of both, and ask if there’s a more comfortable middle ground.

• In a mechanical universe, what is a conscious mind? We’ll explore the relationship between the fundamental and the emergent in the context of systems theory to better formulate questions about emergent phenomena such as our own minds and free will. 

• Does our subjective world look anything like actual reality? We’ll investigate what neuroscience, cognitive sciences, and AI teach us about how we actively construct our internal worlds, and why we organize reality the way we do. Our world feels like a hierarchy of objects, interacting by forces over space and time—it is physical and causal. How much of this is imposed on our experience by our own brains versus being inherent to the universe?

• Do we need a scientific revolution? History and philosophy of science can help contextualize today’s position. Are we really on the verge of a major paradigm shift? Understanding the past can help us be more level-headed when confronted by radical new ideas, and help us navigate the path to the next scientific revolution.

Dr. Matt O’Dowd is an astrophysicist who researches black holes, quasars, and the evolution of galaxies, and for the past 7 years he has been the host and writer of PBS Space Time.

He has authored more than 80 hours of rigorous and compelling video content across all fields of physics. His work on PBS Space Time has reached viewers in every country in the world and has built a YouTube subscriber base of more than 2.75 million people. He has proven his ability to make very complex ideas accessible, in a way that enables real comprehension. Matt is passionate about education, and he’s also obsessed with the fundamental questions! He is one of the most singularly capable people to lead us on this journey.

Our science filmmaking values are guided by two key principles:

Never underestimate the intelligence of our viewers. In order to serve the global audience that is hungry for a meaningful understanding of complex science, we don’t avoid the hard stuff. We help viewers dive into hard problems and guide them to the most accurate and meaningful understanding possible.

Scientific rigor is critical. Science requires unbounded imagination. That said, it is necessarily an empirical process. We should always communicate the difference between observable reality and theoretical speculation Science fiction is fun and inspiring, but it should never be passed off as science just to get views, streams, or ratings.  

We have a long track record of producing ambitious science media that defies the watered-down status quo. Inventing Reality will be no different.

We are fortunate that a very kind supporter has pledged to match every dollar raised in this campaign, up to $400,000.  And as a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association, your contributions are tax-deductible, less the value of any goods or services received. 

Inventing Reality is a feature length documentary with a base budget of $800,000. That means that with our $400,000 matching grant, if we can raise $400,000 here we can make the movie. 

This base budget includes:

• Full Feature Length Film: With a target running time of 90 minutes, we will create an immersive experience for our viewers that allows them to dive deeply into the ideas they care about.

• Interviews with Top Experts:  We will bring you into contact with the scientists who are doing the best work in the fields of astrophysics, quantum mechanics, neuroscience, philosophy, and AI so you can hear their thoughts on the nature of reality and the state of their cutting-edge research. And backers will get exclusive access to extended interview material that doesn’t make the final cut.

• 45 Minutes of Stunning 2D & 3D Animation: Animation is the best tool available to portray the grandeur of the cosmos, the imperceptibility of the quantum realm, and the fascinating complexity of the human experience. For the past 7 years we have been refining our skills in bringing stunning AND scientifically rigorous animations to viewers all over the world. In Inventing Reality we’ll create 45 minutes of new, never before seen animation.

• Subtitled in the World’s 10 Most-Spoken Languages: Science is a global language and it is critical to make the film accessible to as many people as possible. Included in our minimum budget is translation and subtitling in Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, French, Standard Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Indonesian, and of course English. In addition, we’ll translate and subtitle in German, Swedish, Japanese, and Korean.

We will produce an amazing movie at our base budget of $800,000, but we do have stretch and ultra-stretch goals so we can deliver an even more incredible experience for viewers around the world. These include: 

• Original Score ($50,000): Great music is an essential part of the cinematic experience. With an additional $50,000 we’ll be able to work with a brilliant composer to craft original music that will bring you deeper into the experience. And if we meet this stretch goal all backers will receive a downloadable mp3 as well as the film download.

• International Experts ($150,000): Science is a global endeavor. If we’re able to reach this stretch goal we’ll travel internationally to visit labs, observatories, and experts across the world. This will help the film connect with even more people worldwide. 

• Cel Animation ($250,000+): Cel animation is what you imagine when you think of classic Disney animation or The Beatles film Yellow Submarine. Though it is very time-consuming to produce, it is a wonderful medium for storytelling. It will give the film a level of cinematic beauty that transcends the expectations of the science documentary genre. This is an example:

• Ultra-Stretch Goal – Limited Series: There is a huge amount of ground to cover in this topic area. This concept could easily be expanded to a limited series with 6 one-hour episodes. If you are interested in exploring this avenue please reach out to hello@inventingrealityfilm.com.

Everyone who backs the documentary will receive a link to the film once it is complete. And we’ll hold a virtual launch party and AMA with Matt and the filmmakers after it is released!

Come behind the scenes during the filmmaking process with these special events: 

• 2 x Sixty Minute AMAs – We’ll have two special AMAs during the film production to talk about the the science we are exploring and share clips from the work in progress.

• Behind The Scenes Content – We’ll share extended interview cuts with our interviewees, behind the scenes photos, and high-res stills of our animation.

We have three sweet posters and t-shirt designs for you to choose from. Back now and get Inventing Reality merch to show your friends and family just how awesome you are!

We’ll be hosting an exclusive film premiere and after party in New York City!

Experience the film with the team and other backers in a cool NYC movie theater and hang out with everyone during a raucously nerdy after party. There will also be live 30 and 60 minute AMAs with Matt O’Dowd and the filmmakers on the premiere day. 

For our highest level donors there will be an exclusive dinner with Matt and the filmmakers before the premiere. The food will be fancy. The conversation will be astrophysical!

Back us today and get involved in a groundbreaking film! It’s going to be an exciting journey and we’d love to have you along for the ride.

Inventing Reality is the start of a huge new endeavor for us. In addition to our incredibly important work with PBS Space Time, we want to grow our impact in the production of films and TV series that explore the most powerful and world-changing scientific ideas. We want to raise the bar of science media by creating rigorously thought-provoking experiences that are still highly entertaining.

So many topic areas need better, more sophisticated treatment: the origin and destiny of the universe, the pursuit of theories of everything, the future of intelligence and humanity, the mystery of black holes, the true possibilities of becoming an interplanetary or even interstellar species, and more. 

We want to bring our values and principles to the science media landscape to tell stronger stories that do the science justice and have a greater impact on the viewer’s imagination and understanding. And this Indiegogo campaign is where it all starts!

We need help making this film a reality and there are three major avenues of support: publicity, relationships, and funding.

• Publicity: This is an independent production so we are hoping that the community can help spread the word about this campaign on social networks, chat communities, in Slack channels with interested colleagues, and with any individuals or organizations who have large audiences online. Please help us get the word out!

• Relationships: If you know anyone who would be excited to lend financial, industry, or publicity support and would like to make an introduction, we’d love to hear from you and them. Reach out to us at hello@inventingreality.com and let’s chat!

• Funding: Supporting this Indiegogo campaign is a tremendous help! Or reach out to us at hello@inventingrealityfilm.com to explore other avenues. 

Film production timelines are always slightly variable based on funding, scheduling and creative development, but we have an ambitious 1 year timeline. Pre-production for Inventing Reality has already started. Filming commences Spring 2023. Post-Production will be on-going throughout 2023, with the goal of having the final cut of the film December 2023. If there are unforeseen delays we will keep everyone updated.

T-shirts and posters will ship at the end of the Indiegogo campaign. Backers will receive a tracking number and our items are sent in very sturdy packaging to ensure everything arrives to you safely.

Because shipping costs vary substantially depending on whether you are in the US or international, we must charge shipping in addition to the pledge amount. Costs are as follows:

USA & Canada (T-Shirt) – $6

USA & Canada (Poster) – $10

International (T-Shirt)  – $8

International (Poster) – $12

Please note that travel costs to the premiere is not included in any of the support tiers. 

We have accurately portrayed our project as it stands at this point in time, however, creative projects are always subject to change. By making a pledge you acknowledge that elements of the project, including but not limited to the artwork, cast, and content, is subject to change, and that the final project may differ from what is presented during this Indiegogo campaign.

Tax-Deductible Donation

Your donation is tax-deductible! Inventing Reality is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions in support of Inventing Reality are payable to IDA and are tax-deductible, less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law.