I have been given permission by the producers to allow a FREE viewing for Nexians of the rough cut of the documentary "The Medicine: Science & Psychedelics."

As this is a rough cut, the producers are looking for feedback before they finalize their film. This is a great opportunity for Nexian voices to be heard. It would be great if anyone who watches the film can post a reply here about what they liked and did not like about it. Please provide whatever suggestions and creative criticism you feel would make it a better film overall. Please note that the producers have an extensive library of interviews about a number of different psychedelics and want to create additional films dealing either with a specific psychedelic substance or a certain treatment (ptsd, cancer, anxiety about dying when terminally ill, etc) This film focuses mostly on psilocybin research. Your feedback could help shape the final version of this film and perhaps other films done by these producers. I will forward all comments and suggestions posted on this thread to the producers.

Here's how to watch.
1) Go to this link: http://vimeo.com/41963416
2) Password = PM me for password
3) Watch film
4) Post your comments and suggestions here

Thanks everyone!

Thank you!

I love how the testimonies of the volunteers does a great job at times of embodying the grace of psilocybin. The whole film seems to be about psilocybin really..I love DMT and psilocybin the most and feel that psilocybin is the best medicine we have for this type of work. Nothing brings me into these states of grace the way DMT and psilocybin do..no other psychedelic compares and I think it is not by chance that psilocybin is doing this work at this time for humanity. Ayahuasca and DMT can do it as well but the ease of oral dosing making for longer slow release experiences without worrying about maoi's makes psilocybin ideal.

It is a beautiful molecule and it is doing beautiful work.

I really enjoyed that, thanks for getting us a sneak peak!

I thought the testimonies were the best part as well, they made it more personal than a lot of documentaries I've seen. I think the personal touch will allow it to resonate well with people. The part at the end where they are all at the little get together and they talk about how psilocybin is good for end of life anxiety seems a little redundant and odd since we just watched the whole thing where they all participated in it and that was the message the whole time. Minor complaint though, I thought it was good.

To comment on your post Jamie, although I don't have as much experience as you probably do with mushrooms, personally I think mescaline would work just as well if not better than psilocybin. But thats just what I've experienced and I've only had one mescaline experience but it seemed so much more meaningful than what I get from mushrooms. Every vision and message I received was brought around full circle and I could grasp the cycle of life and death completely and it seemed more intuitive and a lot less confusing than the messages from mushrooms. Different strokes I guess

Thank you for giving us the chance to watch this. The content is great. There are awesome pieces of footage. I like the way the docu addresses psychedelics, and they succeed in using testimonials and concerns that the audience can relate to.

I work in the media and am familiar with editing, so my comments are not meant to discuss the information provided, but rather the way to deploy that information.

Keeping in mind this is, as stated, a rought cut, I'm overlooking minor pace issues and fine cutting. That said, I am making an assumption... basically, that the authors want the film to have the biggest possible impact in the largest possible number of people.

We will agree that this documentary covers very important information. That means we want it to reach as wide an audience as possible, and once promotion and distribution manage to place the film in front of an interested (or just mildly curious) audience, we have to make sure that the message is properly and fully delivered, that the audience gets fully involved with the film, that the points are made, and that people don't only go through the film, but also experience it. I apologize if this sounds like a stream of platitudes, but if we are taking motion images at a serious level, it never hurts to repeat it. We should not assume that the audience is already interested. We have to make them interested, try to bring reluctant audience along, and if they are already receptive, hook them real good. Once we have a solid syntax, we have to think about rhetoric.

I think the film would grow a lot if it explicitly included a question, or a promise made to the audience in the first part of the film. Or a storyline to follow. I'm pitching a few ideas that I would consider and try if I was editing the film myself. They can also involve a little additional scripting.

- Use more questions (which you will reply yourselves later on) and less statements. Make the audience ask things to themselves. Either about the facts presented, or about the outcome of the testimonials stories. For instance, in the beginning, right before the title, I really miss a question or a promise that starts to be addressed by the film title itself.

- Also in the beginning of the film, maybe right before the title, a short, faster paced montage including selected bits of the most intriguing, interesting facts and ideas presented along the film. Teasing people with what we are about to see. Also, introducing people featured in the documentary - people that we want to make the audience care about and wonder about.

- As for the ending, and considering that the (many, strong) points are scattered along the film, I would try to elaborate a closure clip. A final statement. Either repeating, in a new fashion, the most concise and lucid points made earlier by several people, or reserving for this purpose a compilation of some of the spot-on statements about the central topic of the film. Also, answering that starting promise or question.

- In this sense, the testimonials and experience reports are golden assets in the film. Even if you never have done psychedelics, you can relate to them. They work, and they particularly do so when you learn about their problems, concerns and circumstances. Overall, I'd trim or condensate the amounts of factual information and promote the experiences. If we start earlier to learn about their lives and cases, particularly of those who we find out they passed away in the end of the film, we'll have a more solid storyline to follow. Empathizing with characters is a powerful tool.

- Is it possible to shuffle a little more the interviews? Either that, trimming them a little or illustrating them more with additional footage.

- Consider diversifying a little the music, if possible. The tracks used and the overall peaceful, new-age-y tone certainly go along with the subject, but right now the natural target of this editing is rather mature people (also for the kind of testimonials involved) and I think it wouldn't hurt to rejuvenate it a little.

I hope some of the things I said will be useful for the film producers. Thanks again for sharing, and congratulations on the great work

I thought that was awesome. Thank you for linking it and getting permission for the private screenings.

I really hope this continues to gain traction and finds a foothold in the mainstream scientific community. They are doing the good work for sure, and I found the film to be a thoughtful, dogma free presentation.

Thank you for sharing.

I really love that movie!!!

Although, I found my self paying more attention to the experience reports than to the technical interviews. But I know that thats a must have if you want to gain credibility on the scientific community.

Once again, Thank you and I wish you the best.



"The Medicine will always be there for those who seek it"
~Al Dimentiz~

Thank you to everyone who watched the film and especially to those who commented on it. Apparently the search engines have picked up the Vimeo link and password, so the producers are changing it as of today, but would still like to offer viewing to those at the Nexus who wish to watch the rough cut of this film.

Anyone who wants to watch this film should PM me for the password.

Thanks!!!

This was a really good documentary, especially because a big part was about the experiences. In general that's what should be brought more to the attention of the masses so they know what it's really like in a good environment, it's not about jumping from windows or other cliches.

If I had to give some criticism, well it seemed like the sound editor was on shrooms himself... There was no glitch/noise filtering or level/channel balancing. But like Vodsel said maybe that's because it was indeed just a "rough cut". Also the visual interface could have been alot more thought out (font, colors, animation).

I wish good luck to the makers and hope they reach a wide audience with this, and all future projects!

Thanks daedaloops,

Yes, they have not done much sound work yet, mixing to come later. Also, they are currently working with a graphic artist on titles and transitions. I think they did not want to make it too much like a kaleidoscope as that might distract from what was being said.

If anyone else wants to watch just PM me for the password.

Thanks

Thank you for sharing this, I really enjoyed it!

In particular, I enjoyed the reports given by the subjects, which I found heart warming, life affirming, and generally inspiring.

While the scientific content had less emotional resonance, as would be expected, I also enjoyed it.

Overall, I found this documentary to have an upbeat, sober quality, which I appreciated.

Thanks.

Actually i watched this a few days ago. Yes, it's an especially GOOD one to watch, recommended!

FREE viewing will most likely end the first or second week of June 2012 for the rough cut of this documentary film. Anyone who still wants to view this film and give feedback, please let me know by then and I'll provide you with the password. Thanks again to everyone who has already commented. Peace & Love.

Mitakuye Oyasin - We are ALL related and interconnected.