Help Support ‘How to Build a Time Machine’, a Documentary on Time Travel!

Posted by on February 13th, 2012   Filed under: Documentary, Sci-fi, Site News, Trailers

Good news everyone! Hot Docs has just kicked off their own crowd sourcing initiative called Doc Ignite, and my next film, ‘How to Build a Time Machine’, is the first project they’re supporting!

After having a blast making Beauty Day, I wanted my follow up film to be something equally entertaining and fun to make, so I decided to return to a subject I’d dealt with before; time travel. As some of you may know, in 2005 I directed a short student documentary called Obsessed & Scientific. I’d always wanted to return to that subject matter and give it the treatment I felt it deserved, and now I have the chance to do just that. Now, with the help of Hot Docs, we’re hoping YOU might be interesting in helping support this project!

Our goal is to raise $25,000 to help cover some of our production costs, and in exchange, we’re offering some cool incentives. We’ve got DVD’s and Blu Ray’s of the final film (when it’s finished of course), a limited edition poster by artist Jesse Philips, Hot Docs screening tickets, and an AMAZING one-of-a-kind ‘Time Machine Zoetrope’ lamp designed and created by Rob Niosi, one of the subjects of the film. All of this — plus many more cool items – is up for grabs if you support our film! Just head over to our Doc Ignite project page and choose the incentive level that looks best for you!

Also, be sure to check out our campaign trailer, embedded above. It tells you a little about our campaign and features a sneak peek at some footage from the film! (There’s also an appearance by Film Junk’s own Reed Farrington). Thanks in advance to all of you who choose to help support our film!



  • Jersey Jason

    Hey J.
    I will definitely donate. Just curious, what camera are you shooting with?

  • Sven

    Like the looks of it already. Is this all new footage or from back in the day?

    Also, no one’s gonna support this now if you tease Reed like that in the end there. That’s what people want to see, I know I do!

  • It’s all new footage shot with the Panasonic AF100.

  • Mark

    This looks fantastic! I’ll definitely contribute. To be honest after hearing about the new time travel documentary i was skeptical for some reason, but the story sounds super cool and the visuals already look great.
    The one negative? Reed probably won’t be in the final production! That bit was great.

  • bullet3

    AWESOME! I’ve always been fascinated by this topic, its great to see you already hard at work on a new feature!

  • Vikke_AJ

    Looks great! Incentive sent!

  • Ozymandias

    Time is like a river.

  • Kasper

    I don’t know if this problem is just with me, but instead of seeing the proposed video, I just see blank space.

    Also, something that would definitely get the money to hang looser here, is the promise of another making-of podcast, like you did for Obsessed & Scientific :-)

  • swarez

    Reed scenes need to be on the DVD.
    Hope you guys get all the funds you need. Looks tops already and I personally would love to have Reed re-enact the scenes but I guess it would throw off the balance of the film.

  • All the best with this, Jay. I’ll definitely contribute when payday arrives! Liked the music/ambience…

  • Haha, brilliant little trailer. The real story looks very interesting and a short with Reed surely has to be made!

  • Mike H

    Good Luck with this new project Mr. Cheel! I know that you will complete a fantastic product and I cannot wait to see this flick, the topic of your new documentary is very interesting and I look forward to seeing the finished flick.

    Also, I know that its still a month away, but I want to wish you luck at this years Genies, I will be watching and cheering you and Beauty Day on brother!!!

  • Looks very promising. I was caught off guard with Reed’s appearance at the end. Funny guy, that Reed.

  • anonymiss

    looks so good!

  • Ha. Reed. Master stroke, sir. Nicely done.

    Really though, it’s looking great already! I loved your original time travel doc, so I’m looking forward to seeing this one.

    Is that Temporal guy the one who refused to meet with you for the first one?

  • Cy-Ed

    Next to porn its the best use of my money!!

  • I have to drop at least $100 to get anything I wouldn’t already get. Jay, being your friend is expensive, asshole.

  • kyri

    Jay, what is up with the computer voice, I can’t stand that crap, couldn’t you afford a proper narrator?

    I am sure Greg would have done a much better job.

  • Napalm

    Daaaaaaaaamn this looks so good visually! Loving it already! And the story seems intriguing to me as well. Good luck Jay!

  • curtis talls

    As soon as I get paid I’ll be funding this. Reed’s part was hilarious, hope you keep it in there, at least in the special features. Looking really good so far Jay, congrats.

  • dan day

    Holy crap, nearly $5,000 raised in ONE DAY. Amazing. I can only afford $30, but it’s coming soon.

    Good luck Jay!

  • Kasper

    #18 The computer voice is excellent. It wouldn’t be the same without it.

  • kyri

    #22 how can you say it is “excellent” mate? I liked the old computer visuals as well but that voice is something that is being used in millions or maybe billions of annoying youtube videoclips. common seriously. And why not use hawking’s voice if you are going down that path, I don’t get it. Why not have Greg making a computer voice. a WAY BETTER result if you ask me.

  • I like the use of the computer voice, because it’s funny that a supposedly unemotional computer recognizes how bad the movie would be with me in it.

  • I’m on this like pubes on porcelain.

    Definitely going for that $100 tier to get the Blu-ray and poster.

    This is exciting stuff.

  • kyri

    See, Reed Likes it. Enough said.

  • KeithTalent

    Are the Hot Docs premiere and after party passes transferable?

  • Hey Keith, good question. I’ll ask.

  • Waldo A

    $30 in. Cant’ wait to see the finished product. Reed as extras would be icing on the cake

  • Kasper

    #23 I don’t really watch stuff on Youtube so I wouldn’t know. I found it entertaining and a it definitely wouldn’t have been the same had it been a regular narrator or Greg doing a computer voice. It also reminded me of GladOS from Portal, which I like.

  • mushroomyakuza

    Jay, visually this is incredible. Seriously, my hat is off to you man. I wish you all the best and I’ll be donating to this worthy cause. Honestly, it’s awesome.

  • mushroomyakuza

    Oh, and Jay, if you ever make a comedy about Kim Jon Il, please cast Reed.

  • kyri

    #30 :) I see your point about Portal, I was being facetious about Greg.. don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the trailer as well and especially loved the way he introduced the talking heads in it as movie characters. But when everything else is so good and treated with so extra care I just don’t understand why you come and use an out of place banal and cheap robot voice that is being used so many times by others. It just takes away so much from it, and I am not being a troll here or anything, easy solutions should be used extra carefully and in a documentary like this Dr Kaku and computer voices should be used sparingly or better avoided.

  • The computer voice is not a part of the film. It’s a tool to convey the message of the campaign through the trailer.

  • Jay did use Greg’s voice originally, but then Greg went back in time and changed it. Thats why Greg has been absent – he built a time machine in Columbia (or New Buffalo from his time period)

  • Kasper

    #33 The thing is, what would have been better in your opinion for a trailer? The typical deep voice going “in a world…”?

    The whole way the trailer has been crafted makes it more of a comedic short generating positive buzz for the project. If it was just an generic introduction and no Reed (because he’s also out of place and technically has nothing to do with the project) it would have much less of an impact and probably wouldn’t have been shared as much around the blogosphere as it has been.

    I think this is great marketing, no matter how many retards on Youtube likes to use computer voices.

  • Scab

    I’m a big fan of the 80s’ ‘feel’ of the trailer (soft lighting, music choices, earnest interviewees, etc).

    It plays on a similar style seen in Beauty Day, so I wonder if aping it is a conscious decision or whether it’s done unknowingly?

    A docu-auteur almost.

  • Wish I could help but alas I am trying to fund my own movie (check out my link for details). If I can scrape together some spare cash though, I’m definitely helping out, loved Beauty Day!

  • Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the whole point of using the cheap, generic computer voice to illustrate what the movie will look like if they aren’t able to raise enough money?

    It’s kind of like National Lampoon’s “If You Don’t Buy This Magazine, We’ll Shoot This Dog” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Natlamp73.jpg only in this case, “Donate Money or This Is The Movie You’ll Get”

    If you used a professional-sounding electronic voice, it would lose all meaning.

  • Maopheus

    The John Titor story is very intriguing and even if you don’t buy as being legit at all, it’d still make for a very interesting movie. In fact, I wonder why no one has made one before. Jay, get this done quick before Hollywood poaches your idea and makes a cheesy fictionalized version of it!

  • Kasper

    Awww, the new Light Speed incentive sounds soooo sweeeetttt. Such a shame it’s US-only, as I was seriously thinking about popping on that sweet deal right until I read that part. Bummer…

  • dan

    update on the doc?