Dispatches from Dreamland: Clear & Present Danger

This week saw a captivating presentation from Tool of North America, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Clouds Over Cuba – an interactive, multimedia documentary created for the John F Kennedy Presidential Library to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The documentary recounts 13 angst-ridden days back in October 1952 when America fell on the cusp of nuclear war after Soviet missiles were discovered hidden in neighbouring Cuba – a move that effectively enabled Russia to target the entire continental United States.

The confrontation is generally regarded as the closest the US ever came to a full blown nuclear conflict during the Cold War, an event that could’ve resulted in the complete and utter annihilation of the US, Russia, Cuba – and a vast amount of their surrounding territories.

The interactive documentary was co-directed by Tool founder Erich Joiner and fellow helmer Ben Tricklebank (who joined Tool earlier this year). It’s a chilling, thought-provoking slice of entertainment that not only recounts those harrowing events, but also offers a fictional “What if…” scenario had a nuclear war unfurled.

Tricklebank is no stranger to interactive experiences, previous work including Arcade Fire's hypnotic The Wilderness Downtown experience that went on to garner Cannes gold and Grand Prix Lions.

Visitors to the Clouds Over Cuba website have the option to watch the documentary as a piece of entertainment or dive deeper to uncover an incredible wealth of information including photographs, letters that JFK wrote, audio and more. The site also unites digital experiences and stock footage to unveil a side of the story that has never been told.

“This was an opportunity to examine what would have happened had we actually gone to war,” outlines Tricklebank on the experience. “It’s definitely not a traditional way to present a documentary. There’s so much information jammed into the site to pique people’s interest.”

Joiner also notes the site’s ease of navigation as an added dimension for users:

“People can become so overwhelmed with technology,” he explains, “audiences need technology that furthers the entertainment value. The site allows you to stop at any moment while watching the documentary to listen to tapes, look at photos, examine dossiers and lots more. It’s technology that allows visitors to become emotionally invested in the material.”

Joiner explains that hundreds of hours of stock footage were combed through to create the documentary, with added fake interviews to underline how different today’s world would be had a nuclear holocaust unfurled:

“We talked to experts to ascertain what life would be like today,” he continues. “The research was very frightening. Anyone with means and wealth would have gone to the southern hemisphere to places such as Australia, New Zealand and South America.”

Advice from military advisors and scientists also revealed that, even after 50 years, huge holes would still be present in the ozone layer today. This would allow dangerous levels of ultra violet light to enter the atmosphere and kill edible plants plus cause countless types of cancers. “People would still be living in the southern hemisphere,” adds Joiner.

Cinematographer Bob Richardson, ASC (who is, along with Vittorio Storaro, the only cinematographers to win three Oscars) lensed footage for the aforementioned fake “what if…” interviews. Footage was shot in four different locations – an old neighbourhood close to LAX Airport, the Salton Sea, Palm Springs and downtown LA – each reproducing various locations in Cuba, Russia and America.

“We had to convey four very different locations to illustrate how different the world would look,” adds Tricklebank. “Each location was used as a backdrop for characters that had effectively survived the war.”

Tool turned to Stitch LA to edit both stock and shot footage with Christopher Catanach editing the main doc, Tracy Hof cutting the "what if…" scenarios and Adam Wood compiling various mini-documentaries.

After two grueling months, Trickelbank looks back on the project fondly:

“It’s edutainment that is indicative of a new wave of storytelling,” he feels. “It’s using technology and ideas that are limitless. This is really the tip of the iceberg on expanding concepts that allow users the opportunity to watch entertaining, interactive content in a new and compelling way.”

Relive the Cuban Missile Crisis 50 years later with Clouds Over Cuba and discover what might have been.