Set amidst glorious architecture with lushly futuristic decor, New Dawn Reboot shines an unwavering light into the complex reality of a technologically infused, performance driven society unfolding in 2098. Based on the novel, New Dawn Diaries —Reboot, written by Director/Producer, Dominique Luchart, this exciting science fiction odyssey takes us deep into the dynamics of a trans-human world of the future. A virtual planetary network known as DAINN provides every aspect necessary for sustenance of our new and improved race, which is ironically run by the young.
Having produced, co-produced and been directly involved in 7 successful independent films, Dominique brings extensive experience that spans the realms of business, creative development, management and production. A prolific writer and visionary, Dominique lead her own US based advertising firm where she conceptualized, designed and oversaw corporate campaigns for national brands that yielded more than 50 ADDY awards. With achievements that include developing and directing pilots for children’s programming along with derivative products for ancillary markets, Dominique’s passion for creation knows no bounds. Thus I was excited to sit down with Dominique and explore the beautiful balance of fantasy and thought provoking reality that is New Dawn Reboot.
What sparked your desire to write the novel that New Dawn Reboot is based upon?
I’ve always been drawn to peer over the horizon and imagine how the movements and ideas of today are shifting. As I looked at the current advances in science and technology, I thought about the potential trajectory of our quest to improve our lives through these realms. Science fiction gives us the freedom and space to create the new worlds and explore new ways of life into the unknown. Whatever we can conceive of can become reality, so it was a natural fit for bringing my own exploration bout into what I might do, be and face in a future life.
The emphasis in 2098 remains affixed to the power and desire of youth; is this a comment on today’s youth obsessed culture?
Looking at today’s youth I see an increasing desire to be center stage and outdo others in sometimes unusual ways. There is this fascination with being the hero or possessing skills that others don’t have at a young age. There is also a compulsion to be smarter, faster, bigger or more successful earlier. At the same time the direction of technology and science suggests we will no doubt accelerate mental capability and the development of special skills so I thought it was a natural extension of where we seem to be heading. Plus why not have the older generation be able to relax and actually enjoy the golden years that many people are missing out today because of economic issues. The interesting dilemma is that in carrying out all this responsibility, the young sacrifice the interpersonal learning and wisdom that comes with childhood. Still if I had the ability to be much more powerful and accomplish so much more when I was young, would I want that? I think yes, it would be kind of cool.
Some say life is cyclical; if history repeats, how do the goals and struggles people face in Angel City compare to those today in our City of Angels?
What I love about New Dawn is that it’s a new story environment that enable people to deal with today’s world issues tomorrow. There are definitely challenges we face that we’ll see become worse in 2098. Concerns such as the distribution of resources and the need for clean water have evolved and changed throughout the decades, though they’ve always been there in some way. Overpopulation will become more problematic with enhanced technology helping people live longer. We’ll see all of these same issues we are facing today intensified in the future.
What does New Dawn Reboot give its viewers and fans?
Along with the entertainment value, incredible visuals and storyline people can relate to, it provides a view of us tomorrow. Instead of dealing with the typical alien race, we are dealing with the consequences of our choices, belief and actions that came before. It reacquaints us with the reality of how our personal actions today are shaping our future and gives us an opportunity to look more closely at that. People hopefully will be entertained and provoked to think about what they’re seeing.
The New Dawn Reboot website gives us an incredible view in the world of 2098; what was the process of constructing the visual components of the City and life like?
It was an extremely collaborative process and I love architecture. Once I realized that I needed visuals to help me in the process of building the structure of the site, I found a CGI artist who loves sci-fy. I assembled images of structures being built around the world and that resonated with me while pointing to the future of architectural design. Then we dove into the textures, layers and horizontal and vertical aspects of what I felt the metropolis of tomorrow should be like and what we wanted to portray. For example with people talking about chartering the first planes into space, I thought about an aerial anti-gravity platform that would give you a sense of coming down into the City. The result is a sleek elevated structure for the shuttles in 2098 to land.
Aside from the entertainment value, what would you like the audience to gain most from watching New Dawn Reboot?
I love to entertain and make people think and take action. I would love it if we were able to raise awareness around some the issues we face today. What if we could even incorporate some of the solutions we come up with for similar issues in 2098 back into those same concerns today? Now that would be cool! On the production side I see the entire process of content creation changing. I would love to develop an interactive network in which the audience had a voice in what they’re watching. Social media already gives us instant feedback on how the audience feels about what they’re watching. I see the audience and content creators becoming a team that sustain and support each other interactively to preserve the entertainment value.
Speaking of interactive, the New Dawn Reboot website incorporates social media in a way that enables actors to submit themselves for roles and site visitors to participate in the casting process. What led to such an innovative approach?
I believe entertainment media networks need to evolve. The next generation will demand more participation. The audience is already looking for ways in which it can be more involved in what’s created. They want to craft, influence and shape what they watch so they see and feel their imprint on the entertainment they invest their time tuning in for. In response to this shift, I thought it would be cool to give people visiting the New Dawn Reboot website the ability to role play different characters and actually help craft Angel City from the inside out. The next phase will be an online game that gives sci-fi lovers a way to play in our world, blog about problems in 2098 and even problem solve its issues as the world continues to develop.
Any other thoughts?
Great writing, compelling characters and unusual twists and plots with great production are necessary for a successful series. With science fiction it’s also about the look, feel and rhythm. You want better, richer texture so you can relate to it even though the story is taking place in a new environment. New Dawn Reboot introduces a world no one has seen before so it’s new to all of us and must have compelling visuals, persuasive characters, riveting plots and hip and cool effects that will draw us into life in 2098.
