John D. Boswell

A filmmaker, composer, and editor from the pacific northwest. His work spans from television and music production to viral remixes and mashups, and has drawn over 100 million views online. Most recently, created the 8 part series ORIGINS for National Geographic, and has done extensive work with Disney, PBS, and many other collaborators. A TED guest and Webby Award winner, he strives to evoke a sense of awe with his work by celebrating the musicality of life, nature, and pop culture.

Works

THE HUMAN FUTURE: A Case for Optimism

What is the future of humanity? It might seem bleak, but the case for optimism is strong. Humanity has what it takes to reach transcendent futures.

Release Date2023-08-15

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count1

The Sights of Space: A Voyage to Spectacular Alien Worlds

This short film is an interstellar road trip to the most amazing places we have discovered in our galaxy, as well as some stops to speculative worlds we think will exist, to see up close the wildest, weirdest destinations in the universe.

Release Date2022-11-01

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count2

Origins: The Journey of Humankind

Hosted by Jason Silva, Origins: The Journey of Humankind rewinds all the way back to the beginning and traces the innovations that made us modern.

Release Date2017-03-06

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count8

Vote Count12

Funny Or Die's High Science

Two stoner lab assistants get high on science, literally, by smoking various topics from a robotic bong to blast off to imaginary realms full of real facts and mind-blowing insights.

Release Date2023-04-20

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count5

Vote Count2

Timelapse of the Future: A Journey to the End of Time

How's it all gonna end? This experience takes us on a journey to the end of time, trillions of years into the future, to discover what the fate of our planet and our universe may ultimately be. We start in 2019 and travel exponentially through time, witnessing the future of Earth, the death of the sun, the end of all stars, proton decay, zombie galaxies, possible future civilizations, exploding black holes, the effects of dark energy, alternate universes, the final fate of the cosmos - to name a few.

Release Date2019-03-20

DepartmentProduction

JobProducer

Vote Count22

LIFE BEYOND

Life Beyond explores humanity's future, the evolution of technology, and the mysteries of the universe. From AI and space exploration to philosophical reflections on existence, each chapter combines stunning visuals with emotional music, creating an immersive experience.

Release Date2019-11-20

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Episode Count4

Life Beyond - Visions of Alien Life

Release Date2024-04-17

DepartmentCrew

JobCreator

Vote Count1

ENGINEERING EARTH: Sci-Fi Solutions to Earth's Problems

Mankind has become the pilot of spaceship earth, whether we like it or not. Half of all habitable land on earth is now dedicated to supporting human activity. And as of the year 2020, the mass of all man-made materials now outweighs the mass of all life forms on earth. Despite all this, we are still newcomers – untrained pilots steering an ancient, ever-changing planet. If we want to survive long-term and continue to grow, we will have to make bigger technological leaps than ever before. This film explores the wildest, most ambitious, most dangerous ideas to keep Earth and humanity thriving, by protecting each of its layers – from the lithosphere to the stratosphere. Many of our ideas may never materialize, but by dreaming them up, we can open our minds to the full potential of human willpower and intellect. The future is ours to build.

Release Date2025-06-03

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector