You don't need a million movies... Part 2

An example of an invention millions of destitute people could use would be the water filter I first saw on the Australian Broadcasting Commission television show Catalyst. http://http://www.ehow.com/how_2265401_make-coffee-clay-water-filte... You can also find detailed instructions on how to make it here, http://http://www.ehow.com/how_2265401_make-coffee-clay-water-filte.... I chose this clean water invention as I think not only is it a genius concept but I'm concerned it is under utilised. The Key to this invention's genius is the ease of it's construction and the availability of materials required. Tony Flynn chose materials and technologies already available to people living in poverty all over the world, allowing them to make this product themselves. Sure it's not perfect and it won't stop all diseases. It is however a much needed starting point in preventing problems rather than treating their symptoms and better yet it can be done with little cost and on a huge scale.

The common materials are like universal themes in a movie, it's something everyone has and understands, it's the next step where those a built on. A thought provoking, truly ingenious film takes those themes and presents and reconstructs them in new and interesting ways. Films beget other films, in the same way inventions borrow ideas from those that came before it. Was Tony Flynn the first to come up with a water filter? No of course not, he was the first to invent one that anyone could make using animal dung and coffee grounds.

But what if no one uses Tony Flynn's invention? What if no goes to see your film? This is where media comes in, people have evolved sharing ideas and information for mutual benefit and the ways in which we do this have evolved as well. Whether it's 'what is the best hunting ground?' or 'what's a good restaurant?' people want to know things from other people. The more information and Ideas you have in a society the more people will need access to them. Generally there is the depositories of knowledge like libraries, universities, schools etc. and the distributors of information such as television broadcasters, online social networks, newspapers, publishers, etc. and then the creators of knowledge themselves. With out all of these it becomes very hard to "reach a million people."

How do you tell people things, like how to make a water filter, if you have no means to communicate with them? You create and build means through media infrastructure and education. Thats why everyone deserves not only the means to survive, such as clean water but the ability to learn and access complex knowledge in order to be able to better their lives and those around them.

Well I'm thinking big and if I wanted to reach a million people or more to inform them about Tony Flynn's water filter I would start like any media student would, by finding everything I could about my target audience. Unfortunately I not able to research this extensively so I'm going have to rely on assumptions. Assuming people living in poverty don't generally have access to education and information sharing networks I would develop a cheap useful product that could easily be distributed and would only require one for a large group of people. My initial concept would be this, a paper/cardboard version or mould for Tony Flynn's water filter with clearly printed pictures depicting how to create the water filter and it's benefits on it sides and instructions in the local language for those that could read it (these would provide extra information but hopefully would not be crucial to understanding how to create it). Distribution would the be the next problem, perhaps it could be given out to people in conjunction with preexisting water supplying programs and if encouraged once one person/small group had mastered the process of creating it they could mass produce it and share/sell it to neighbouring communities.

I hope one day I can say I did reach a million people and their lives are better for it, be it clean water or a particularly good film. I'll still keep thinking big and maybe then I can act big.

Fin.