Emmy-nominated series
40 million views
Watch trailer and 2 seasons below
The Future Starts Here is a short-form series that captured audiences, tackling a wide range of subjects including the science behind social media, parenting with technology, the creative process, gender and transgender identities, and the relationship between humans and robots.
WATCH TRAILER
SEASON 1
SEASON 2
BONUS BEHIND THE SCENES
NEW PREMIUM DOCUSERIES
24/6
The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week
If The Social Dilemma showed us
the problem, 24/6 offers a clear path forward.
Dear Human: Sold-out one woman live performance at MoMA New York
February 2020
THE STORY
When Tiffany Shlain first saw the Web in her 20s, she said, "this is going to change the world." She founded the Webby Awards, and built a career illuminating the potential of the Web.
Then in 2010, after a series of dramatic events, she discovered a practice that transformed her life. Tiffany and her family (professor of robotics husband and kids, now 12 and 18) decided to turn off screens for 24 hours.
The benefits began immediately. Not only did they feel more connection, creativity, and joy during that one day, they were clearly more productive, focused, and rested the whole week that followed.
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They decided to do it the next weekend, and the next. The benefits only amplified over time. They’ve now been unplugging for a full day every week for 12 years.
ON THE HEELS OF HER
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
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"Part of a pioneering movement."
Maria Shriver, TODAY SHOW
"I gave Shlain's idea a try, and I highly recommend it."
The New York Times
NEW BOOK WORTH READING
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
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A CAREER OF 30+ ACCLAIMED FILMS
"Incredibly engaging....
I could not take my eyes off of it."
The New York Times
AND A HIT ORIGINAL SERIES
COMES 24/6
24/6
Founder of The Webby Awards Tiffany Shlain has a solution to our burned out society: embrace the benefits of technology, but turn screens off one day each week. It will rejuvenate your brain, body, and soul.
In this docuseries, Tiffany, a rare female tech pioneer, and a select cast of characters (doctors, celebrities, and everyday people) -- go on a riveting journey through the past, present, and future of technology, to illuminate how we got to where we are, what is happening to our minds and our society by being online 24/7, and what happens when we turn the screens off regularly. Each of these characters will unplug multiple times as part of the series, and we’ll watch as their transformations unfold.
With Tiffany's trademark humor and charisma, and her powerfully unique point-of-view, Dear Human empowers us to rethink and rebalance the way we’re living with technology, in a world that urgently needs it.
FORMAT + STYLE
We are open to format: 3-Part Limited Series, 6 episodes, 4 episodes, etc.
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24/6 is a Premium Docuseries with a variety of documentary elements:
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Direct to camera - Tiffany shares captivating stories throughout the series.
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Mesmerizing animation and archival - science, history, and big ideas are unpacked in highly-visual unique ways
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Verite - We'll be following each guest's journey through unplugging, watching their transformation (and the ups and downs that get them there) and their insights throughout the season.
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Creative live interviews - In addition to unplugging, and the stories that keep us hooked through those threads, each character's story and expertise (doctor, influencer, neuroscientist) also unfolds through interviews.
As the season unfolds, each episode leaves you hooked to find out more - both in the guest's journey to become more balanced and present, and in the bigger story that Tiffany is building about the past, present and future of humanity and technology. The last episode of the season brings all the guests -- and all the ideas built throughout the season -- together in a crescendo finale.
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THE CHARACTERS
The season would have 5-8 additional characters that we will meet in the first episode.
They will be selected for both their expertise, and as subjects that will unplug each week as part of the show.
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Possible special guests include: ​
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Public figures like Oprah, Steph Curry, or Harry Styles
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Everyday people and families
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Doctors like Dr. Angela Duckworth, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Michael Rich
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Comedians like Ali Wong, Demitri Marin, Gary Gulman
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Tech leaders
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TikTok influencers
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Luminaries from the past we bring back to life via animation interviews
We have a long track record of securing premium talent, from the Webby Awards to our films to our global events. Past talent includes Prince, Eva Longoria, David Bowie, Tan France, Alan Cummings, Harrison Ford, Margaret Cho, Jada Pinkett Smith, Moby, and Ava Duvernay.
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We are also excited to work with a production partner that brings relationships.
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SAMPLE EPISODES​
We also have a structure for a 3-part limited series. All structures are character-driven journeys that explore these topics.
EP 1: HOW WE GOT HERE
A riveting journey through the early days of the web: the visions it started with, what went wrong, and how we got to where we are.
EP 2: TIME ON AND TIME OFF
Traveling through centuries and cultures, we explore the fascinating history of time and time off, and why every culture values it.
EP 3: THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING
Tiffany translates the science that shows why unplugging leads to more joy, connection, and better health.
EP 4: CREATIVITY + PRODUCTIVITY
What happens to our minds, bodies, and souls when we unplug, and why does it lead to the ultimate flow of creativity and productivity?
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EP 5: HOW OUR BRAINS ARE CHANGING
We know smartphones are rewiring our brains, our attention and our memory. Tiffany and her guests translate why and how.
EP 6: BUILDING A BETTER WEB
Tiffany heads to the future, looking at the tech industry, government, and ourselves, and presents a path forward that lets us all thrive.
SAMPLE EPISODE
EPISODE 1: HOW WE GOT HERE
OPENING STORY
Tiffany engages the audience immediately with the story of how she went from living an always-on 24/7 mother + tech-pioneer life to completely changing her life by going 24/6.
She pulls us in through her deep love of technology, her history as an early adopter of new technologies, and her acknowledgment that she was one of the first to become addicted. She then reveals the series of dramatic events that led to her epiphany of the power of unplugging.
A TRIP BACK IN TIME
To the world before the Web we go. Through stories about her childhood tech obsessions and her proposal to use personal computers between rival nations that brought her to Russia in the 80s, Tiffany shares her unique perspective of the pre-Internet world — and reminds us that it wasn’t long ago that we lived without supercomputers in our pockets.
SPECIAL GUESTS
We meet our first guests -- people who will both bring their expertise and then begin their unplug journey.
"Father of the internet” and long-time friend Vint Cerf joins Tiffany for a fascinating conversation about the original vision of the Internet. “So who’s the mother of the Internet?” Tiffany jokes. Enter two phenomenal women from the past, brought back to life through Tiffany’s signature animation: Victorian mathematician Ada Lovelace and pioneering programmer Katherine Johnson, to offer their perspectives.
Vint will then be the first expert to unplug. He will unplug for four weeks in a row, and will come back throughout the season so we experience the transformation and all that comes with it.
SEGMENT 3:
THE EARLY DAYS OF THE WEB
EARLY DAYS OF THE WEB
(This is the Google founders rollerblading on stage to accept their first Webby Award).
Tiffany brings to life the largely unknown feeling of the early days of the Web -- the excitement over the potential of this new medium, and the idea that the Web would be nonprofit, open-sourced, and decentralized. The vision was that the Web would be unlike mainstream media, which was controlled by a few powerful corporations.
This all lays the groundwork for Tiffany's insights of how to create a better web going forward, which we learn throughout the season.
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GUESTS AT THE TABLE
For this first episode, Tiffany welcomes all the guests of the season to a "Shabbat table." With such a wide range of backgrounds, ages and levels of tech use, the table lights up with questions and conversation about unplugging until the moment Tiffany says: “OK everyone, let's see what happens.” And the lights go out.
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Each of the guests' stories and unplugging transformations will be woven throughout the season. By the last episode we'll bring them all back to see what happened.
SEGMENT 4:
SPECIAL GUESTS
EMOTIONAL HOOK TO NEXT EPISODE
Tying together all the insights thus far, Tiffany offers a big picture synthesis of the early days of the web, where we went wrong, and how we can begin to get back into balance.
Throughout the season, as the emotional arc and character journeys develop, these ideas build toward a more complete picture of what we can do as individuals, businesses, governments, and culture.
24/6 SERIES TAKEAWAYS
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That taking breaks from tech leads to more connection, productivity, creativity, and joy
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That everyone staring at screens all the time was not the vision of the Web.
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Inspiration to unplug regularly
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That it's easy -- anyone can do it
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That society and businesses on the whole would thrive through this model
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That there is a simple, healthy, sustainable way to rebalance tech + society
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SHOW REFERENCES
24/6 is similar to many popular series and documentaries in both topic and format.
But Tiffany's unique point-of-view and style make 24/6 fresh, relevant, and original.
The universal question of what to do about technology.
24/6, however, is pro-tech and provides a balanced solution., and is delivered by one of the only women in the field, who has been there from the start.
The charismatic expert that embarks on an inspiring journey full of emotion, humor, and joy.
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The curiosity and deep exploration of the world and our place in it.
But science and tech explorations are usually guided by men.
The exploration of science and ideas in visual and accessible ways.
Tiffany (who's style predates Explained) adds the emotion, stories, and personal connection.
The humor and animation that makes complicated ideas engaging, entertaining, and accessible.
Tiffany uses humor to elevate a powerful and urgent global need.
“With humor and insights all her own, Tiffany illuminates the issues that affect us all.” - Al Gore
UNIQUE, FRESH, RELEVANT VOICE
GLOBAL AUDIENCE
This show speaks to all ages, all races, around the globe, and builds upon Tiffany's global track record:
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50 Million views across channels
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150,000 followers
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195 countries participated in our global initiatives
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Films sold to 27 countries
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Films translated into 85 language
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Always ahead of the curve, with her finger on the pulse of what's next, Tiffany’s ability to connect with audiences of all ages and combine her unique knowledge with wisdom, emotion, intimacy, humor, and infinite charisma has defined her career.
THE TEAM
GERALYN DREYFOUS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Geralyn Dreyfous is an executive producer of many Oscar and Emmy-Award winning films and series. She co-founded Impact Partners, which has been involved in financing over 30 films, including The Great Hack; The Cove (Academy Award for Best Documentary); Freeheld (Academy Award Best Short); The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (Emmy Award for Best Documentary); The Garden (Academy Award Nomination); and Hell and Back Again (Academy Award Nomination). Geralyn’s executive producing and producing credits also include Born Into Brothels (Academy Award Best Documentary); The Day My God Died (Emmy Nomination); and multiple film festival winners such as Tiffany Shlain’s Connected as well as Kick Like a Girl, In A Dream, The Invisible War, Anita, The Crash Reel, and The Square. Geralyn has also taught Documentary at Harvard University.
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THE TEAM
TIFFANY SHLAIN
CREATOR, TALENT
Tiffany Shlain is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, bestselling author, and founder of the Webby Awards. She has received 80 awards and distinctions, including Newsweek’s list of “women shaping the 21st Century,” NPR’s list of Best Commencement Speeches Ever, and Albert Einstein Foundation’s Genius: 100 Visions for the Future. Her national bestseller 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week received wide acclaim from the New York Times, People Magazine, and Harvard Business Review, was called “a wise, wonderful, fascinating work” by Publishers’ Weekly and won the Marshall McLuhan Outstanding Book Award. Tiffany’s one-woman show Dear Human premiered at MoMA New York. She was the on-air Internet expert on Good Morning America for many years. She serves on the Leadership Board for the Digital Wellness Lab at Harvard. Her writing has been published in Boston Globe, Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today and CNN. Her work has been covered in all major media outlets. tiffanyshlain.com
THE TEAM
SAWYER STEELE
PRODUCER, CO-CREATOR
Sawyer Steele is an Emmy-nominated Producer and co-founder of Tiffany Shlain & The Let it Ripple Film Studio. He has produced, edited, and co-written several award-winning films including Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death, and Technology; which premiered at Sundance. He was Voice Over Director for the award-winning Sundance film The Royal Road. He produced and co-wrote the Emmy-nominated Original series The Future Starts Here, which includes an episode TransBoom, where he shares his experience being transgender and his thoughts around the past, present, and future of being trans. He co-founded Character Day, an annual day that grew to over 200,000 events in all 50 states and 125 countries, all on the same day.
THE TEAM
PRODUCTION COMPANY - TBD
FUTURE PROJECTS
Tiffany has a branded line of products in development that could be released with the series.
She is also in development on her next book (and series) about
Creativity + Making Things Happen.
