on air | Sony • Innovators talk with After Earth film stars

feature with: Ray Kurzweil
February 8, 2019


— in this post —

~ panel conversation
~ film trailer
~ visual effects montage
~ panel topics
~ about the film
~ posters
~ companion books
~ costume sketches
~ reading


brand: Sony Pictures • by Sony
show title: the After Earth innovators panel
date: April 2013


— about the conversation —

Top thinkers join film / television stars — actors Will Smith + his son Jaden Smith — on air to talk about themes from their science fiction survival story After Earth.

The film takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth where nature and animals have taken over the planet. The Smiths engage innovators in a lively discussion hosted by futurist Ray Kurzweil — about science, tech, and possible futures.


— watch the conversation —

title: the After Earth innovators panel
hosted: by Ray Kurzweil
watch: conversation


— watch the film trailer —

title: film trailer: After Earth
film year: 2013
watch: trailer


— visual effects montage —

watch | end title sequence: After Earth — by design studio • PictureMill
watch | graphics showcase: After Earth — by design studio • Method Studios

watch | mobile game trailer: After Earth
watch | mobile game gallery: After Earth — by designer • Adreienne Wollman



— the innovators panel —

moderator: Ray Kurzweil
bio: inventor + futurist
bio: best selling author
bio: a Director of Engineering • Google co.
note: He’s a leading thinker on tech progress.

guest: Will Smith + son Jaden Smith
bio: award winning actors
bio: producer
note: They’re the stars of the film After Earth.

guest: Elon Musk
bio: founder • Space X co.
bio: co-founder • Tesla co.
bio: co-founder • PayPal co.
note: He’s an entrepreneur innovating space travel + electric cars.

guest: Alexandra Cousteau
bio: film-maker
bio: Emerging Explorer • National Geographic
bio: Senior Advisor • Oceana org.
note: She’s an environmental advocate, grand-daughter of ocean scientist Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

guest: Sunita Williams
bio: space astronaut • NASA
note: She was a US Navy officer + held the record for longest space flight by a woman.


— conversation topics —

  • current condition of planet Earth
  • humanity’s future
  • our natural environment
  • preserving ecology
  • new tech + space travel


— about the film —

In the film After Earth a crash landing leaves teenager named Kitai Raige (played by actor Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith) and his legendary father named Cypher (played by actor Will Smith) stranded on Earth 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape.

The story takes place in the 31st century: Earth has long been abandoned and humans have been in conflict with a mysterious alien race. It tells the story of a high-ranking general in the peacekeeping organization Ranger Corps and his son — who, after an incident during a spaceflight, find themselves fighting for survival on a hostile + unfamiliar Earth.

With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help. He faces uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and dangerous alien creature that escaped during the crash. The father + son must learn to work together and trust each other — if they want any chance of going back home.

The film’s production was directed by film-maker M. Night Shyamalan, from a screenplay crafted by Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan — and a story written by Will Smith.


poster | film After Earth


poster | film After Earth


special section companion books
for the film: After Earth


read | companion book

book title: After Earth
deck: United Ranger Corps Survival Manual
author: by Robert Greenberger
publication year: 2013

this book on Good Reads | visit

— about the book —

Go beyond the film After Earth with this unique, in-universe journey into the world of the United Ranger Corps. From the history of the United Rangers — to humanity’s exodus from Earth, and the on-going battle against the fearsome alien race called the skrel .

The United Ranger Corps Survival Manual immerses you in the After Earth universe. Study the secrets of ghosting — the art of slaying the vicious ursa. Complete your mastery of the cutlass — a ranger’s greatest weapon. Discover what it takes to be one of Nova Prime’s elite.

Filled with interactive elements, including a schematic of the ranger base, a complete guide to the highly evolved animals of Earth. Plus a hand-written journal entry from character Cypher Raige. The United Ranger Corps Survival Manual is the essential companion to the film After Earth.

image | left
Sketch for film After Earth by designer Amy Westcott.

drawing | by Amy Westcott


read | companion book

book title: After Earth: a Perfect Beast
label: The official pre-quel novel of the epic film.
label: Includes bonus After Earth short stories.
author: by Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger, Peter David
published year: 2013

this book on Good Reads | visit


read | companion book

book title: After Earth: Kitai’s Journal
label: Based on the feature film.
label: Includes bonus After Earth short stories.
author: by Christine Peymani, Jason Adam Katsenstein
published year: 2013

this book on Good Reads | visit


read | companion book

book title: After Earth
label: The official novel of the epic film After Earth.
author: by Peter David
published year: 2013

this book on Good Reads | visit


read | companion books

book set title: After Earth: Ghost Stories
label: An e-book pre-quel short story collection.

short story 1: “Hunted”
this book on Good Reads | visit

short story 2: “Peace”
this book on Good Reads | visit

short story 3: “Birth-Right”
this book on Good Reads | visit

short story 4: “Redemption”
this book on Good Reads | visit

short story 5: “Savior”
this book on Good Reads | visit

short story 6: “Atonement”
this book on Good Reads | visit

author: by Peter David
author: by Robert Greenberger
author: by Michael Jan Friedman
published year: 2013

image | left
Sketch for film After Earth by designer Amy Westcott.

drawing | by Amy Westcott


read | companion book

book title: After Earth: Innocence
label: A graphic novel.
author: by Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger
illustrated: by Benito Lobel
published year: 2012

this book on Good Reads | visit


on the web | pages

Will Smith | home
Jaden Smith | home
Alexandra Cousteau | home

Sony Pictures by Sony | home
Sony Pictures by Sony | film: After Earth


on the web | reading

For the film After Earth IronHead Studio worked closely with costume designer Amy Westcott to create actor Jaden Smith’s costumes — that are called “life suits” in the film.

Clothes on Film | After Earth: costume designer Amy Wescott explains life suit
IronHead Studios | After Earth



— notes —

NASA = US National Aeronautics + Space Admin.

* Alexandra Cousteau is Alexandra Marguerite Clementine Cousteau
* Ray Kurzweil is Raymond Clyde Kurzweil
* Elon Musk is Elon Reeve Musk
* M. Night Shyamalan is Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan
* Jaden Smith is Jaden Christopher Syre Smith
* Will Smith is Willard Carroll Smith • Jr.
* Gary Whitta is Gary Leslie Whitta
* Sunita Williams is Sunita Pandya Lyn Williams

* Sony Pictures is under the umbrella of Sony co.