View source for Timelapse of the Future

{{short description|2019 short film by John Boswell}}
{{about|the short film|the timeline|Timeline of the far future}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}{{Use Oxford spelling|date = August 2020}}<!-- When specifying time, use UTC and 24-hour format unless statement require custom time. -->
{{Infobox film
| name           = Timelapse of the Future: <br />A Journey to the End of Time
| image          = Timelapse of the Future thumbnail.jpg
| alt            = Mars in future ring close-up, looking like small rocks hovering. The title is enlarged at the center.
| caption        = The [[YouTube]] thumbnail
| director       = [[John Boswell (musician)|John Boswell]]
| writer         = John Boswell
| screenplay     = 
| story          = 
| based_on       = 
| producer       = John Boswell
| starring       = 
| narrator       = [[David Attenborough]] <br />[[Craig Childs]] <br />[[Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox]] <br />[[Neil DeGrasse Tyson]] <br />[[Michelle Thaller]] <br />[[Lawrence Krauss]] <br />[[Michio Kaku]] <br />[[Mike Rowe]] <br />[[Phil Plait]] <br />[[Janna Levin]] <br />[[Stephen Hawking]] <br />[[Sean M. Carroll]] <br />[[Alex Filippenko]] <br />[[Martin Rees]] <br />[[Andrey Lysenko]] (in Russian version)
| cinematography = 
| editing        = John Boswell
| music          = John Boswell
| animator       = John Boswell <small>(several)</small>
| layout_artist  = John Boswell
| background_artist = John Boswell
| studio         = Amber Mountain Studios
| distributor    = Amber Mountain Studios
| released       = {{Film date|2019|03|20}}
| runtime        = 29 minutes 21 seconds
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = 
| gross          = {{estimation}} [[US$]]US$29,300-314,000{{efn-ua|An auto-calculated estimation based on [[Cost per impression|the number of page views]] according to [[Social Blade]], as of January 31, 2022.}}
}}

'''''Timelapse of the Future:''''' '''''A Journey to the End of Time''''' is a 2019 [[Short film|short]] [[epic film|epic]] [[documentary film]] created by American [[astronomy]]-themed musician and filmmaker [[John Boswell (musician)|John D. Boswell]], made as a follow-up to his other short film ''[[Timelapse of the Entire Universe]]''.<ref name=":2">Boswell, John D. (February 14, 2019). [https://www.patreon.ctm/posts/coming-soon-my-24631684 "Coming soon: my most ambitious release yet"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722142055/https://www.patreon.com/posts/coming-soon-my-24631684 |date=July 22, 2020 }}. ''Melodysheep''. Retrieved July 22, 2020 – via [[Patreon]]. {{Open access}}</ref> Running at 29 minutes, it is a [[wiktionary:flowmotion|flowmotion]]—a combination of a [[Hyperlapse|hyper-lapse]], [[Time-lapse photography|time-lapse]], and regular shots—of the [[universe]] from 2019 to the [[Ultimate fate of the universe|end of time]], with the lapse rate doubling every five seconds. The film consists of self-made and [[fair use]] footage from films, the [[Internet]], and speeches by scientists, using current knowledge and combining different hypotheses.

Boswell spent six months on production, beginning in mid-2018, with several months of research prior. It was initially conceived as an art installation without dialogue, but later changed due to the weight of the subject matter. The film's soundtrack combines original music with [[Stock music|stock audio]]; the former was later released in an album titled ''The Arrow of Time''.

''Timelapse of the Future'' was released on Boswell's [[YouTube]] channel melodysheep and screened on several venues; it also won the [[2020 Webby Awards]]. The film became [[Viral video|viral]], garnering millions of views and received positive reviews for its audiovisual craft, though some of the plot points were noted as mere speculations. The film inspired a song and [[music video]] by [[Noah Cyrus]].

== Plot ==
<!--Please review WP:FILMPLOT before adding material. Plot summaries are between 400-700 words unless there are restrictions on compressing. Word count is 537 words as of December 25, 2021.-->{{Hatnote|Due to the speed of the film, the years may not reflect the actual timeline and are just estimations.}}

The film opens and closes with a quote by [[Helen Keller]]: "Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence. And I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content."

The [[Anthropocene]] era begins. Following natural events, humans land on [[Mars]], and [[Earth's magnetic field]] flips. [[Comet Hale-Bopp]] returns in the year 3357, followed by extreme [[Sea level rise|sea-level rise]], an [[asteroid]] [[Impact event|impact]], and [[Antares]] going [[supernova]]. The [[Sahara]] becomes tropical in the year 14,811, constellations beginning to wander, ''[[Voyager 1]]'' passing [[Gliese 445]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Voyager - The Interstellar Mission|url=https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar-mission/|access-date=2020-08-18|website=voyager.jpl.nasa.gov|language=en|archive-date=September 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914060928/https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar-mission/|url-status=live}}</ref> in the year 38,874, and the Interglacial Period ending. In the year 97,583, [[supervolcano]] [[Yellowstone Caldera|Yellowstone]] erupts, followed by the [[Apollo 11]] footprints fading in the year 968,657, [[Betelgeuse]] going supernova, and stone monuments eroding. Next, a [[gamma-ray burst]] occurs, [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]] becoming a [[ring system]], whereas [[Rings of Saturn|Saturn's rings]] disappear. [[Antarctica]] then melts in the year 43,343,155, followed by a significant asteroid impact in the year 70,606,131, and the formation of a [[supercontinent]] in the year 153,793,159. The [[Sun]]'s luminosity increases in the year 427,821,025, causing [[plant]]s to die in the year 833,270,413, followed by life as a whole in the year 2,952,729,059, as oceans evaporate. The Sun then expands and becomes a [[red giant]] — destroying [[Earth]] in the process — before dying as a [[white dwarf]] in the year 7,650,412,497. Other stars then slowly die, making the [[universe]] end in [[Heat death of the universe|a whimper]]. The last [[red dwarfs]] die in the year 100,000,000,000,000.

With stars having completely run out of fuel, the [[Degenerate Era]] begins. The universe contains [[pulsar]]s, [[black hole]]s, and [[brown dwarf]]s, barely lit up by white dwarfs. Over time, [[gravity]] ejects most cosmic remnants into the freezing [[interstellar space]]. Notably, [[neutron star]]s may collide and make [[superluminous supernova]]e. [[Extraterrestrial life]] might live around aging white dwarfs, which someday die and become [[black dwarf]]s. At some point, the [[supermassive black hole]] at the center of each [[galaxy]] will suck up all [[degenerate matter]] that fails to escape it, a similar process to the fate of the Sun.

Theories predict that civilizations could utilize black holes as a source of power and slow down their time to survive the [[end of the universe]]. However, if [[proton]]s are unstable, they begin to [[Proton decay|decay]], and atoms [[Nuclear disintegration|disintegrate]], erasing all the remaining degenerate matter in the universe.

With protons having completely decayed, the [[Black Hole Era]] begins. The universe contains "zombie galaxies" of black holes and [[light particle]]s lounging around. Finally, [[binary black hole]]s might come to life, releasing massive amounts of energy as [[gravitational wave]]s when merging. In the year 159 [[novemdecillion]] (159 &times; 10<sup>60</sup>), [[Hawking radiation]] finally makes the first black holes die. As they explode, they light back interstellar darkness. The universe then expands further by [[dark energy]], which, if it persists at that time as it is now, will cause the universe to expand forever, making it colder, darker, and emptier.

Theories predict that civilizations, including [[humans]], could create [[Simulated reality|virtual]] or real-life universes of their own, looking at the possibility of a [[multiverse]] and evolution between universes. However, if escaping the universe is impossible, [[entropy]] will destroy the remaining black holes. The last black hole evaporates in the year 15 [[untrigintillion]] (15 &times; 10<sup>96</sup>), making the universe become "nothing but a sea of [[photon]]s gradually tending towards the same temperature as the [[expansion of the universe]] cools them towards [[absolute zero]]" according to [[Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox]]. During this time, everything in the universe decays to nothing, making the universe end in the year one [[googol]] (10<sup>100</sup>).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=March 16, 2019|title=We will travel from...|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1106647867303747584|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170813/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1106647867303747584|url-status=live}}</ref> When this happens, [[time]] no longer has any value (it "becomes meaningless").
[[File:Timelapse of the Future last scene.jpg|thumb|290x290px|The scene at the very end of the film, featuring the last black hole ([[Gravitational singularity|singularity]] pictured) finally exploding and dying, emitting light in the universe one last time. Invisible light particles are simplified as stripes, similar in appearance to [[sperm]]. Red stripes represent heat.|alt=A bright, white sphere, emitting light and heat as it dies. The year is 38 billion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion, and the event is "Last black hole evaporates."]]
After the short credits, a text appears that says ''"For Ash,"'' the name of Boswell's son, who was born on January 1, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=January 1, 2019|title=Ash. Welcome to Earth.|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BsEajoQgsSO/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/melodysheep_/1946797736548549774_1946797523729510083 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |url-access=registration|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Instagram]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Production ==

=== Film ===

Production of the film started in mid-2018. On October 9, 2018, Boswell posted on his [[Twitter]] account an image of an early experiment of the film: a picture of an animated black hole. The screenshot differs from the final result absolutely: the extremely huge years numbers expressed with powers, no moving counter, and texts directly on the frame, instead of on the lower [[hard matte]];<ref name=":16" /> There is not much statements about production of the film, other than that "Creating it required months of research into [[physical cosmology]], where speculations about the ultimate fate of the universe are legion, and often contradictory." He stated that he was inspired, "years ago," by the idea of the Sun nearing its death in five billion years, asking: "What happens after that? What happens not in 5 billion years, but 5 trillion? The answers are out there, but they are [[wiktionary:piecemeal|piecemeal]] and not strung together in a compelling way. So I took the opportunity to create something unique that highlights our collective predictions about the future, both [[Timeline of the near future|short-term]] and [[Timeline of the far future|long-term]]." Writing the concept first involved research and then constructing the timeline which is "the scaffolding around which the visuals and music would be built." After writing, he then broke down the timeline to several, appropriate sequences.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last1=Andersen|first1=Asbjoern|last2=Walden|first2=Jennifer|date=May 16, 2019|title=Behind the sound for the mind-blowing 'Timelapse Of The Future: A Journey to the End of Time'|url=https://www.asoundeffect.com/timelapse-of-the-future-sound/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=A Sound Effect|language=en-US|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725084410/https://www.asoundeffect.com/timelapse-of-the-future-sound/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Via [[Long Now Foundation]], he then further explained:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Kabil|first=Ahmed|date=April 10, 2020|title=This is How the Universe Ends|url=https://medium.com/the-long-now-foundation/this-is-how-the-universe-ends-c0ed0bf2e3dc|url-access=limited|access-date=July 11, 2020|website=[[The Long Now Foundation]]|via=[[Medium (website)|Medium]]|archive-date=July 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711212028/https://medium.com/the-long-now-foundation/this-is-how-the-universe-ends-c0ed0bf2e3dc|url-status=live}}</ref><blockquote>My original plan was to make something more like an [[art installation]] piece where there wouldn't be so much talking and facts; it would basically just be the timeline and some [[chill music]] and meditative imagery of black holes that would just span for like 10 minutes at a time, and you'd get this abstract impression of how long the future is going to be, and how much emptiness there is. But the more I dug into it, the more I found there's so much to talk about, and so much to say, that it would be foolish to waste this opportunity. I had a draft of this [in summer 2018], and felt it needed to be taken to the next level. So I spent another six months really digging into the [[Vfx|VFX]] of it all, and the research, and figuring out how to build the flow of it and the structure and how to make it work. And I am glad I did. There's just so much to say, and so much I had to leave out. But it came together really well and I am pretty stoked about how it turned out.</blockquote>Like his other films, animating and editing uses [[Cinema 4D]], [[Octane Render]], and [[Adobe After Effects]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2020-02-14|title=Cinema 4D + Octane, and after effects + element 3D|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1228024936683339776|access-date=2020-08-15|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=February 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213192336/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1228024936683339776|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Closed captioning]] is made by volunteers from [[Amara (subtitling)|Amara]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|title=TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE: A Journey to the End of Time (4K) {{!}} Amara|url=https://amara.org/en/videos/4hP0ONMJ1QAp/info/timelapse-of-the-future-a-journey-to-the-end-of-time-4k/|access-date=2020-08-15|website=[[Amara (subtitling)|Amara]]|archive-date=May 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505203411/https://amara.org/en/videos/4hP0ONMJ1QAp/info/timelapse-of-the-future-a-journey-to-the-end-of-time-4k/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[YouTube]].

Boswell, like several of his films, was supported by [[computer scientist]] Juan Benet, thus having his company [[Protocol Labs]], an [[Open-source intelligence|open-source]] [[R&D]] lab, credited.

He also clarified that the video/film is in no way entirely and meant to be scientifically accurate, and that "It's guaranteed you're going to have to do a lot of speculation anyway, so I'm not too concerned about scientific accuracy when it's impossible to predict the future."<ref name=":0" /> In the film, he also disclosed, "We may not know [the future] for certain."

=== Sound and music ===
{{Further|#Soundtrack|label1=Soundtrack}}
[[File:Waltzmusic_Fledermauss.JPG|thumb|351x351px|A Waltz section by [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]]''.'' Boswell cited Strauss on "Hawking's Waltz"; he nearly decided to just license his music, but then decided to do it by himself.<ref name=":3" />]]

Boswell stated to have used several [[Stock sound effect|stock audio]] on [[Spitfire Audio]], [[Komplete]], 8dio, and [[Spectrasonics|Omnisphere]] as well rather than solely original [[soundtrack]] composed using [[Ableton Live]]; [[synths]] played using the [[Yamaha CS-80]] and [[Moog Sub 37]].<ref name=":3" /> [[Piano]] tunes were played by a [[Gulbransen (musical instrument manufacturer)|Gulbransen]] [[Upright piano|upright]], an instrument he repeatedly uses.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2019-06-25|title=Summer beats|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1143229843292639232|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170754/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1143229843292639232|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Music Library|url=https://www.melodysheep.com/library|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Melodysheep|language=en-US|archive-date=June 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625142033/https://www.melodysheep.com/library|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Boswell|first=John D.|title=Cradle|date=2018|url=https://soundcloud.com/melodysheep/cradle|at=The artwork cover|language=en|access-date=2020-08-16|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151516/https://soundcloud.com/melodysheep/cradle|url-status=live}} (via [[SoundCloud]])</ref> He considers the [[album]]/[[LP record|LP]], ''The Arrow of Time'', to be his album with "unique sonic and musical challenges." He stated that the idea behind the theme is to "feel huge, open, at times lonely and eerie — in short, to reflect the future of the universe itself," and that he "also wanted to convey some sense of melancholy, as this story foretells the fate of our species in a pretty somber way." The soundtrack's first track, "Sun Mother," uses a 120 [[Beats Per Minute|beats per minute]] [[rhythm]], increasing as the time evolves to "highlight the accelerating rate of [the time-lapse]." The music's timing is also taken into consideration, saying that "It was important to me to have moments where the music, visuals, and [[sound effect]]s could breathe, and the viewer could take in what they have seen."<ref name=":3" /><blockquote>The line between [[sound design]] and music is blurred throughout the experience. From the onset, the [year] counter [in the video] acts as a [[metronome]] driving the first piece of music. In many places, the deep [[Rumble (noise)|rumbles]] of black holes take the place of synth [[Bassline|bass lines]], creating a symbiotic bond between the music and the visuals. I often didn't distinguish between whether I was sound designing or composing; it all came from the same place — the need to create a mood, a sense of being present at an alien time and place. [...] The intensity and variety of the events, the interplay with the music all combined made it difficult to not get muddied into a sonic mess. It took very careful tweaking and sound selection to make it work[,] I recall spending a couple days just on a 10-second span of sound and music.<ref name=":3" /></blockquote>

=== Methodology ===
[[File:Timelapse_of_the_Entire_Universe_math.png|alt=Two parts of mathematical calculations regarding the time per frame and conversion ratio of Timelapse of the Entire Universe.|left|thumb|271x271px|The methodology of time used in ''[[Timelapse of the Entire Universe]].'' With ''Timelapse of the Future'', the time per frame is just {{Estimation}} 0.5 months, or 15 days, at the start.]]
The method of time in the film is "a lot more thought and trickery" from the predecessor ''[[Timelapse of the Entire Universe]],'' where every second is 22 million years, and that every [[Frame rate|frame]] is approximately 958,000 years, thus having 13.8 billion years in nearly 10 minutes.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|title=Timelapse of the Entire Universe|url=https://www.melodysheep.com/timelapse|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=Melodysheep|language=en-US|archive-date=July 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705122128/https://www.melodysheep.com/timelapse|url-status=live}}</ref> Boswell chose a different methodology in ''Timelapse of the Future,'' saying that:<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>It could have been every three seconds, and the video would have been over in fifteen minutes. But then you're really cramming a ton of stuff into the first few minutes. Everything from the present day to the death of the earth would've occurred in one minute instead of three to four. That would've made it really hard to breathe. But then you have to apply that same rule to the rest of the video, and ensure you've got enough stuff in there to fill the time. It's a balance.</blockquote>In ''Timelapse of the Future'', the time per frame reduces to approximately 0.5 months per frame (film is [[24 fps]]) at the beginning, increasing as it evolves. It uses the calculation: {{Math|12/24 {{=}} 0.5|big=}}, in which: {{Math|12 {{=}}}} months, {{Math|24 {{=}}}} frames rate, and {{Math|0.5 {{=}}}} months.

== Release ==
The first known tweet regarding the film was a tweet on July 21, 2018, about [[Pangea-Ultima|Pangea Ultima]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=July 21, 2018|title=Pangaea Ultima, 250 million years in the future.|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1020375243313983488|access-date=August 5, 2020|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170826/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1020375243313983488|url-status=live}}</ref> an event featured on the film. The first tweet explicitly mentioning the production of the film was posted on October 10,<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=October 10, 2018|title=The past few months, I have been working on an experimental long-form video that chronicles the future of everything and the death of the universe|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1049750269163012096|access-date=August 5, 2020|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170822/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1049750269163012096|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as another tweet indirectly mentioning the film's ending eight days later.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=October 18, 2018|title=Whatever your troubles, just know in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years it will all be over, when the last black hole has evaporated and the universe decays to nothing.|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1052667190128734208|access-date=August 5, 2020|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170821/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1052667190128734208|url-status=live}}</ref> The first teaser was posted on Boswell's [[Patreon]] and [[Vimeo]] on February 1, 2019,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=February 1, 2019|title=Thanks for 100! Teaser for my next release|url=https://www.patreon.com/join/melodysheep/checkout?rid=3259512&redirect_uri=%2Fposts%2Fthanks-for-100-24362548|url-access=subscription|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=July 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723142905/https://www.patreon.com/join/melodysheep/checkout?rid=3259512&redirect_uri=%2Fposts%2Fthanks-for-100-24362548|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite AV media |last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=February 1, 2019|title=Timelapse of the Future - Teaser|url=https://vimeo.com/314556075|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Vimeo]]}}</ref> followed by an announcement on his Patreon, mentioning the film "my most ambitious release yet."<ref name=":2" /> A photo of a scene in the film was leaked on Boswell's Twitter on March 15,<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=March 15, 2019|title=Something big is coming. Teaser drops tomorrow.|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1106334431575367680|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170813/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1106334431575367680|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by a 70-second teaser the next day.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=March 16, 2019|title=What does the future look like?|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1106647557717934080|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[YouTube]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170813/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1106647557717934080|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film was released on Boswell's YouTube channel Melodysheep on March 20, 17:15 [[UTC]], <!-- The time is an accurate data from https://citizenevidence.amnestyusa.org/ (insert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD4izuDMUQA&t=1543s for the data) --> with the premiere being a paid [[Advertisement|ad]]-free viewing available on his Patreon nine hours earlier.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=May 20, 2019|title=TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE: A Journey to the End of Time|url=https://www.patreon.com/join/melodysheep/checkout?rid=3259512&redirect_uri=%2Fposts%2Ftimelapse-of-to-25497317|url-access=subscription|access-date=July 28, 2020|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=July 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722143313/https://www.patreon.com/join/melodysheep/checkout?rid=3259512&redirect_uri=%2Fposts%2Ftimelapse-of-to-25497317|url-status=live}}</ref> The film screened at event venue 393, [[New York City]] on May 2, using the [[multi-monitor]] format but the year counter invisible;<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=April 19, 2019|title=People of NYC!|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1122556435919847430/photo/1|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151457/https://pbs.twimg.com/hashflag/config-2020-12-19-15.json|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|date=June 7, 2019|title=Take a trip through the cosmos with @melodysheep_'s Timelapse of the Future.|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/ByYL0i_ln04/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/lumestudios/2060448819020463416 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |url-access=registration|access-date=July 28, 2020|website=393nyc|language=en|via=[[Instagram]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> his Patrons offered free tickets.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=May 1, 2019|title=Free tickets to a special video screening in NYC|url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/free-tickets-to-26478288|url-access=subscription|access-date=August 12, 2020|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151515/https://www.patreon.com/posts/free-tickets-to-26478288|url-status=live}}</ref> Another screening in the [[Exploratorium]], [[San Francisco]], on July 25 at 9:30 pm [[Pacific Time Zone|PT]] took place,<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|date=June 3, 2019|title=After Dark: Out of This World|url=https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calendar/after-dark-july-25-2019|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[Exploratorium]]|language=en|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718110944/https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calendar/after-dark-july-25-2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=June 26, 2019|title=People of San Fran!|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1154456848403013634|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170750/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1154456848403013634|url-status=live}}</ref> with the last screening in dubbing by Atomic Studio project with voice-over of Andrey Lysenko taking place in the historic [[Rodina Film Centre]], [[St. Petersburg]], [[Russia]], on November 3 on 6:30 pm [[Moscow Time|MSK]], participating in [[The World of Knowledge International Film Festival]].<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|title=Показ фильма "Путешествие к концу времени" / События на TimePad.ru|url=https://mir-znaniy.timepad.ru/event/1092313/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=TimePad|language=ru|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022153630/https://mir-znaniy.timepad.ru/event/1092313/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite web|title=Timelapse of the future: A journey to the end of time – World Of Knowledge 2019 – II|url=http://mir-znanij.info/2019-en/programme/%d0%bf%d1%83%d1%82%d0%b5%d1%88%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b2%d0%b8%d0%b5-%d0%ba-%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%bd%d1%86%d1%83-%d0%b2%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%bc%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=World of Knowledge Film Festival|language=en-US|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151446/http://mir-znanij.info/2019-en/programme/%d0%bf%d1%83%d1%82%d0%b5%d1%88%d0%b5%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b2%d0%b8%d0%b5-%d0%ba-%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%bd%d1%86%d1%83-%d0%b2%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%bc%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8/|url-status=live}}</ref> A hosted presentation at the [[Treefort Music Fest]]— specifically at its sister event Hackfort Fest— was supposed to take place on March 28, 2020, but was [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage|postponed]] to either September 23 or 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=February 7, 2020|title=⚠️ THiS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS! Stay tuned for updates...|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B8PiKLWpbaY/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/melodysheep_/2238157772793689752 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |url-access=registration|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=Melodysheep |via=[[Instagram]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hackfort 2020 Lineup|url=https://www.treefortmusicfest.com/hackfort-2020/|access-date=2020-08-16|website=[[Treefort Music Fest]]|at=February 2020|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151501/https://www.treefortmusicfest.com/hackfort-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The soundtrack was mainly released on Boswell's [[Bandcamp]] (as it is his hub), but also on [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] for sale, [[Last.fm]], [[SoundCloud]] (select tracks), [[Google Play Music]], [[Spotify]], etc. A [[hidden track]] was published only for his Patrons.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=March 23, 2019|title=Bonus track & free soundtrack download|url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-music-free-25560110|url-access=subscription|access-date=August 12, 2020|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151519/https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-music-free-25560110|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Reception ==
The film received generally positive reviews online, by regular viewers, [[YouTuber]]s, experts, and critics. Analytics company [[Social Blade]] reported high rise in [[viewership]] and subscription as the video was released,<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 14, 2020|title=melodysheep's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile)|url=https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=wise&passive=1209600&continue=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dXBQ9CZT3Id_Q4tNO1z2e09jDuirp4n9/view?usp%3Dsharing&followup=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dXBQ9CZT3Id_Q4tNO1z2e09jDuirp4n9/view?usp%3Dsharing|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151501/https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=wise&passive=1209600&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F1dXBQ9CZT3Id_Q4tNO1z2e09jDuirp4n9%2Fview%3Fusp%3Dsharing&followup=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F1dXBQ9CZT3Id_Q4tNO1z2e09jDuirp4n9%2Fview%3Fusp%3Dsharing|archive-date=December 19, 2020|access-date=August 14, 2020|website=[[Social Blade]]|page=2|format=[[PDF]]|via=[[Google Drive]] by Potato Is Life}}</ref> and is thus also categorized as [[Viral video|viral]]. The film reached 10 thousand views on March 29,<ref>Johnson, Dominique (March 29, 2019). "[https://theamericanminvra.com/2019/03/29/stunning-visual-timelapse-of-the-future-a-journey-to-the-end-of-time/ Stunning Visual TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE: A Journey to the End of Time] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814194539/https://theamericanminvra.com/2019/03/29/stunning-visual-timelapse-of-the-future-a-journey-to-the-end-of-time/ |date=August 14, 2020 }}". ''The American Minervan''. [[Illinois]]. Retrieved July 31, 2020.</ref> and the 10 million views point on May 21 as reported by Boswell.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=May 21, 2019|title=10 million views on Timelapse of the Future|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1130543505971879936|access-date=August 10, 2020|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228170800/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1130543505971879936|url-status=live}}</ref> As of December 29, 2022, the film has 88,054,235 views, with 2.8 million likes. Based on the [[Cost per impression|number of views]] the film has received, Social Blade estimated revenues of US$40,600 to US$324,500.<ref>{{Cite web|title=melodysheep's Most Recent YouTube Videos|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/melodysheep/videos?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=8759cfe358ca40525d2239ee1f4483561595e7bb-1597315948-0-ARg6CepHdc-LlKEtYcO_d9sz_WCkRFLKMmdeq9uPQl4LeeIxCLR5T1H9EFoCAQS3HLD5NQeCgKPYF-AE-_oXeQPgYh9WeGWxGYSz0BkIchmmUuQwWUP50vObyBTKRnyt0c9O0JIuzWz1ouFUXupTFZl3miqZgbsEp2uFCfmG-2OPO0_Jzj31gt-yQMttSyonuZn4falhcqKJ5Dpc-1lJs5Xr4N6MzKtX-RU8Qk2HLgxBQDlalxmdI6Z56mk5kBhHdftetaVoWx0Rym7J3_KdM3q-6tRpWZZJMqWja16ZMt18QkQbN3q-nwV6HW1CKdTptg|access-date=August 13, 2020|website=[[Social Blade]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151444/https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/melodysheep/videos?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=8759cfe358ca40525d2239ee1f4483561595e7bb-1597315948-0-ARg6CepHdc-LlKEtYcO_d9sz_WCkRFLKMmdeq9uPQl4LeeIxCLR5T1H9EFoCAQS3HLD5NQeCgKPYF-AE-_oXeQPgYh9WeGWxGYSz0BkIchmmUuQwWUP50vObyBTKRnyt0c9O0JIuzWz1ouFUXupTFZl3miqZgbsEp2uFCfmG-2OPO0_Jzj31gt-yQMttSyonuZn4falhcqKJ5Dpc-1lJs5Xr4N6MzKtX-RU8Qk2HLgxBQDlalxmdI6Z56mk5kBhHdftetaVoWx0Rym7J3_KdM3q-6tRpWZZJMqWja16ZMt18QkQbN3q-nwV6HW1CKdTptg|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Positive reviews on notable people/org -->

''[[Aeon (digital magazine)|Aeon]]'' says that the film "impressively translat[es] [[theoretical physics]] and astronomically vast scales of time and space into 29 breathtaking minutes, [...] tak[ing] us [...] into the [[Sublime (philosophy)|sublime]] of the unimaginable, with all the wonder and terror that might provoke."<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 18, 2019|title=Deep time and beyond: the great nothingness at the end of the Universe|url=https://aeon.co/videos/deep-time-and-beyond-the-great-nothingness-at-the-end-of-the-universe|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[Aeon (digital magazine)|Aeon]]|language=en|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729163647/https://aeon.co/videos/deep-time-and-beyond-the-great-nothingness-at-the-end-of-the-universe|url-status=live}}</ref> The Long Now Foundation writer Ahmed Kabil says that "The effect of [the Sun's] demise coming so early in the video is unsettling, akin to [[Hitchcock]] killing off [[Janet Leigh]]'s character less than a third of the way through ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]''."<ref name=":0" /> Filmmaker [[Eugene Lee Yang]] said that it is "a breathtakingly brilliant education video that has rendered my perpetual [[existential crisis]] shook to its core."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Yang|first=Eugene Lee|author-link=Eugene Lee Yang|date=2019-03-26|title=Everyone please take a mere 30 minutes out of your day to experience trillions of years into the future.|url=https://twitter.com/eugeneleeyang/status/1110269856417353728|access-date=2020-08-15|website=Eugene Lee Yang|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151504/https://pbs.twimg.com/hashflag/config-2020-12-19-15.json|url-status=live}}</ref> A writer from the ''[[Miami Herald]]'' referenced ''The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook'' by [[Chris Jones (filmmaker)|Chris Jones]] on the film.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Frías|first=Carlos|date=April 18, 2019|title=Reading Chris Jones about 8 years ago, I really started to think about that.|url=https://twitter.com/carlos_frias/status/1118645494497140742|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Carlos Frías|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151504/https://twitter.com/carlos_frias/status/1118645494497140742|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Michael Nielsen]] said: on Twitter "Gorgeous. We're in a golden age of explanation," adding "I always find this... odd, and must admit anticipation of that reaction is making me increasingly hesitant to post things like this."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nielsen|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Nielsen|date=June 10, 2019|title="Timelapse of the Future" is stunning: an evocation of the entire future of the Universe.|url=https://twitter.com/michael_nielsen/status/1137768112139276288|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Michael Nielsen|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151505/https://twitter.com/michael_nielsen/status/1137768112139276288|url-status=live}}</ref> It has also been featured on futuretimeline.net.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fox|first=Will|date=April 12, 2019|title=TIMELAPSE OF THE FUTURE – A Journey to the End of Time|url=https://www.futuretimeline.net/videos/71.htm|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=futuretimeline.net|language=en|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000459/https://www.futuretimeline.net/videos/71.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Psychedelia]] magazine ''Psysociety'' recommends it, leaning towards [[Visual arts|visuals]] and sound design.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sam|date=July 16, 2019|title=Timelapse of the Future: A Journey to the end of time|url=https://www.psysociety.net/timelapse-of-the-future/|access-date=August 15, 2020|website=Psysociety|language=en-GB|archive-date=July 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712114746/https://www.psysociety.net/timelapse-of-the-future/|url-status=live}}</ref> Publication ''La Boite Verte'' said that the music "complements [the breathtaking visuals] for a grandiose cosmic power."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-05|title=Le timelapse du futur : un époustouflant voyage vers la fin des temps (en 4k)|url=https://www.laboiteverte.fr/le-timelapse-du-futur-un-epoustouflant-voyage-vers-la-fin-des-temps-en-4k/|access-date=2020-08-22|website=La boite verte|language=fr-FR|archive-date=December 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201235045/https://www.laboiteverte.fr/le-timelapse-du-futur-un-epoustouflant-voyage-vers-la-fin-des-temps-en-4k/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kevin Pang on [[G/O Media]]'s digital [[publication]] ''The Takeout'' says, "I found the [[Existentialism|existential]] questions conjured frightening, but also sobering and breathtaking and beautiful. It has the ability to make viewers hold two opposing thoughts simultaneously—that everything is beautiful and none of it means a damn thing."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pang|first=Kevin|date=April 17, 2019|title=Last Call: The most frightening video on YouTube|url=https://thetakeout.com/the-most-frightening-video-on-youtube-timelapse-future-1834124040|access-date=July 30, 2020|website=The Takeout|language=en-us|archive-date=August 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810190324/https://thetakeout.com/the-most-frightening-video-on-youtube-timelapse-future-1834124040|url-status=live}}</ref> The film has also been similarized with the novel ''[[Evolution (Baxter novel)|Evolution]]'' by [[Stephen Baxter (author)|Stephen Baxter]], as well as the novels of the [[Xeelee Sequence]], with the comment: "All these works repeatedly lead readers to the limits of imagination – how one can imagine that [[superstrings]] or entire galaxies are used as weapons? And that's exactly how I feel about this video."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Aysa|first=John|date=April 8, 2019|title=[ZUKUNFTSVISION]: Grandios - Timelapse of the Future|url=https://www.johnaysa.net/news/zukunftsvision-grandios-timelapse-of-the-future/|access-date=August 1, 2020|website=John Aysa|language=de-DE|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151522/https://www.johnaysa.net/news/zukunftsvision-grandios-timelapse-of-the-future/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Mixed reviews to criticism by notable people/org. Combine it with the non-notable, at least until a paragraph break is needed. -->

Scientists think that "the [film] is well done and sends a message 'very powerful about the humble role of humanity in the history of the universe,'" however, it is also criticized by [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias|IAC]] researcher Jonay González Hernández via ''[[El País]]'' for taking the confusing phrase by [[Sean M. Carroll|Sean Carroll]] "universes that have no intelligent life are [[infertile]]," in which Hernández states that "A universe in which there would be life of any of these types would be a [[fertile]] universe. But if we [look at the context], in the part where we talk about the creation of baby universes, it is logical to think that a fertile universe would be one in which there was a civilization intelligent enough or advanced enough to be able to create a new universe to escape from and, in that case, the phrase would make sense."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Salas|first=Javier|date=August 3, 2019|title=Aciertos y errores del vídeo que muestra el fin del universo|language=es|trans-title=Successes and errors in the video showing the end of the universe|work=[[El País]]|url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/08/02/ciencia/1564739222_702954.html|access-date=August 4, 2020|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812045356/https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/08/02/ciencia/1564739222_702954.html|url-status=live}}</ref> <!-- Do not mention the criticism of the first scientist, as it is just opinion on a subject -->

=== Inspiration ===
{{External media|float=right|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXglbtShiRA The music video for "The End of Everything"] (3 minutes 8 seconds)|video2=[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVsVFwWDxk88SXtgfkK-XlOBEtm4W-mkB The playlist of the EP (all audio) ''The End of Everything''] (8 tracks)|video3=[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mz7alDuClOpY8kOUso4Cw7RhRYYgXjQjo The playlist for the EP (partially video) ''The End of Everything''] (8 tracks)|title=External video and playlists|headerimage=[[File:Red Giant Earth warm.jpg|250x200px|alt=Burnt, overcooked Earth approaching the giant Sun. Surfaces started to form lava.]]}}

Singer and actress [[Noah Cyrus]] released the [[music video]] for the song The End of Everything in collaboration with Boswell on May 19, 2020, in which she states that it is inspired by ''Timelapse of the Future.'' The music video is a refreshed art installation-like version of ''Timelapse of the Future,'' similar to [[#Film|the draft version tweeted by Boswell in 2018]], with some points omitted to fit the song's duration, and with some points shuffled to fit the lyrics. Some of the videos on the other songs on [[The End of Everything (EP)|the EP of the same name]] also used imageries from Boswell. Via her [[Instagram]] account, she states: "I had the pleasure of working with him on this as well. I've never been more inspired to go and write a song based on a visual."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cyrus|first=Noah|date=May 19, 2020|title=Official music video for The End Of Everything is out now. This video was inspired by John Boswell's/ @melodysheep_ 's time lapse to the...|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYCRk0p3ox/|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=noahcyrus|language=en|via=[[Instagram]]|archive-date=October 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003212321/https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYCRk0p3ox/|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with [[NPR]], she said:<ref>{{Cite web|last=Garcia-Navarro|first=Lourdes|date=May 24, 2020|title=Noah Cyrus On Growing Up In Public And 'The End Of Everything'|url=https://www.wfae.org/post/noah-cyrus-growing-public-and-end-everything|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=[[NPR]]|series=[[Weekend Edition Sunday]]|language=en|via=[[WFAE]]|archive-date=July 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717090111/https://www.wfae.org/post/noah-cyrus-growing-public-and-end-everything|url-status=live}}</ref><blockquote>Th[e film] hit my heart so heav[ily]. My mom is my best friend and I immediately started thinking about her when I watched this. My time with her and my family is so limited — and with everybody on this earth. The mountains that I look at outside of my window from my view, they're going to explode and obliterate and there's not going to be a me or a you or my mom or my dad. And there's something really terrifying, but also comforting about that, when you think about how much fear and how much hatred there is in the world, and that will also end.</blockquote><blockquote>For me, it really put into perspective how shortly lived our moments here as humans are. Situations from when I was younger started entering my head that I wanted to apologize for. There were people I wanted to reach out to that I hadn't checked in on in a while. There were wrongs that I felt needed to be made right. I realized I needed to appreciate the current moment more, and to let the ones I love know I love them. The message that what we have ''right now'' is what matters. Nothing else.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tanskul|first=Nicky|date=2020-05-26|title=Watch Noah Cyrus' animated timelapse music video for 'The End of Everything'|url=https://asialive365.com/watch-noah-cyrus-animated-timelapse-music-video-for-the-end-of-everything/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Asia Live 365|language=en-US|archive-date=June 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606075513/https://asialive365.com/watch-noah-cyrus-animated-timelapse-music-video-for-the-end-of-everything/|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>Boswell, who became the director of the music video, went to ''his'' Instagram account, saying: "She captured this subject more elegantly in 3 minutes than I could in 30. We worked together on creating a custom short-form version of my original piece to fit the song, which is hauntingly beautiful, as is the rest of her [[Extended play|EP]] of the same name. Thanks to Noah and her team for making me a part of this."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=May 20, 2020|title=I had the honor of directing the music video for the beautiful new @noahcyrus song, The End of Everything.|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYKGhZJs2L/|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Instagram]]|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004050327/https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYKGhZJs2L/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Accolades ==
''Timelapse of the Future'' won the [[2020 Webby Awards]] as the People's of Voice winner and Webby winner in the 'Science & Education General Video' category, with the 5-word speech being "Thanks a million, billion, trillion,"<ref>{{Cite web|year=2020|title=Timelapse of the Future: A Journey to the End of Time|url=http://winners.webbyawards.com/2020/video/general-video/science-education/112295/timelapse-of-the-future-a-journey-to-the-end-of-time|access-date=July 19, 2020|website=[[The Webby Awards]]|language=en|archive-date=July 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719085417/https://winners.webbyawards.com/2020/video/general-video/science-education/112295/timelapse-of-the-future-a-journey-to-the-end-of-time|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|year=2020|title=BIG NEWS 🙌 Melodysheep won a #webby! - Webbys From Home|url=https://webbysfromhome.com/speech/QjZYMfw9JKbccAg5qjnR|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=Webbys From Home|language=en|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718113958/https://webbysfromhome.com/speech/QjZYMfw9JKbccAg5qjnR|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=May 27, 2020|title=Two Webby awards for Timelapse of the Future!|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1263580457926451201/photo/1|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219150932/https://twitter.com/i/api/1.1/branch/init.json|url-status=live}}</ref> making it his second and third [[Webby Award]] since his first for remixing quotes from [[Fred Rogers]] on [[PBS]].<ref>{{Cite web|year=2013|title=NEW Webby Gallery + Index|url=http://winners.webbyawards.com/2013/video/general-video/video-remixesmashups/147611/mister-rogers-remixed-garden-of-your-mind|access-date=August 1, 2020|website=[[Webby Awards]]|language=en|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151533/https://winners.webbyawards.com/2013/video/general-video/video-remixesmashups/147611/mister-rogers-remixed-garden-of-your-mind|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Award
! Result
|-
|-
| 2019
| N/A
| [[The World of Knowledge International Film Festival|World of Knowledge International Film Festival]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[2020 Webby Awards|2020]]
| People's of Voice
| rowspan="2"|[[Webby Award]]s
| {{win}}
|-
| Science & Education General Video
| {{win}}
|}

== Effects ==
Many viewers were reported to be triggered with existential crisis<ref>{{Cite web|title=Timelapse of the Future - Fictional Future|url=https://www.futuretimeline.net/forum/topic/22620-timelapse-of-the-future/|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=FutureTimeline.forum|language=en|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718171937/https://www.futuretimeline.net/forum/topic/22620-timelapse-of-the-future/|url-status=live}}</ref> due to the film pace to the end of time being fast, and the representation of the size of [[Humanity (virtue)|humanity]]. A lot of these effects were seen in the [[comments section]]. Examples of results include comments saying: "If you see my comment saying 189 years ago,[...] it's because I'm dead by now,"  "Why are we still here? Just to suffer?" etc. An anonymous writer wrote: "In all those years watching videos on YouTube, never has a video moved so much with me to the point that I'm speechless at the end, unable to understand the existential emptiness that it caused in me. It's a terrifying feeling, a mixture of emotions, as if the entropy finally won and you no longer know what you're feeling."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ilusionista|first=O|date=April 2, 2019|title=Timelapse of the Future - A journey to the end of time|url=http://www.chronocrash.com/forum/index.php?topic=4384.0|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=Chrono Crash|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151447/http://www.chronocrash.com/forum/index.php?topic=4384.0|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Philosophy]] [[essayist]] Oshan Jarow on his publication ''Musing Mind'' said that the film "reminds us how improbable our sentience is, how improbable our capacities for feeling & intelligence are. Insane. Meaningless."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jarow|first=Oshan|date=2019-05-07|title=Mind Matters: Total Work, Deep Time, & The Backdrop of Consciousness|url=https://musingmind.substack.com/p/mind-matters-c2d|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Musing Mind - Mind Matters|archive-date=June 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629233751/https://musingmind.substack.com/p/mind-matters-c2d|url-status=live}}</ref>
When asked, Boswell said:<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>I find it comforting. It's beautiful in a way that the Big Bang was started from nothing [[Paradox|and then at the end it's going to be nothing all over again]]. There's an [[Story arc|arc]] to it that I find really poetic. I don't [[Neophobia|fear the nothingness]]. If that's really the way it is, then so be it. I think it puts everything in your life into perspective. It really is about the journey, not the destination. And we're just here to live our moment in the sun as best as we can and enjoy it. We live in this moment when it's not the early days of the universe, where it's this completely [[homogenous]] fireball. And we're not at the end of the universe where it's this completely icy cold void with nothing in it. We're in this [[Goldilocks principle|Goldilocks]] moment. If we play our cards right, we potentially have trillions of years to live this moment and appreciate it as much as we can.</blockquote>

== Spin-off ==
{{Redirect|Life Beyond|other uses|Life Beyond (disambiguation)}}
On August 31, 2019, Boswell released a teaser for his next project, [[web series]] ''Life Beyond'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2019-08-31|title=LIFE BEYOND - Teaser Trailer|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adulqKEo5dg|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Melodysheep|via=[[YouTube]]|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107235657/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adulqKEo5dg|url-status=live}}</ref> which discovers extraterrestrial life and [[Earth's location|human's location in the universe]], in a slowburn and [[nonlinear narrative]] technique, filled with [[Science fiction|science-fictitious]] imageries while holding its scientific [[genre]]. Its first episode, "The Dawn," was released on November 21, 17:00 UTC, <!-- The time is an accurate data from https://citizenevidence.amnestyusa.org/ (insert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUelbSa-OkA for the data) --> with Boswell's Patrons getting an early look nine hours earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2019-11-21|title=LIFE BEYOND - Chapter 1: The Dawn (Patreon First Look)|url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/life-beyond-i-31688243|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151451/https://www.patreon.com/posts/life-beyond-i-31688243|url-status=live}}</ref> It was then revealed that the web series is a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] to ''Timelapse of the Future'', in which Boswell described it as "a more optimistic perspective of human life and our place in the history of the universe."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|title=Life Beyond|url=https://www.melodysheep.com/life-beyond|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Melodysheep|language=en-US|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718114719/https://www.melodysheep.com/life-beyond|url-status=live}}</ref> Boswell's Patrons also get to view a [[making-of]] of the film,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2019-12-10|title=Behind the Scenes of Life Beyond|url=https://www.patreon.com/join/posts/behind-scenes-of-32226277|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151528/https://www.patreon.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a bonus track.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2019-11-22|title=Free soundtrack + bonus music for patrons|url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/free-soundtrack-31747920|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Melodysheep|via=[[Patreon]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151530/https://www.patreon.com/posts/free-soundtrack-31747920|url-status=live}}</ref> It gets generally positive reviews by viewers, and is promoted by the [[SETI Institute]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-11|title=VIDEO - LIFE BEYOND: Chapter 1. Alien life, deep time, and our place in cosmic history - Are we alone?|url=https://twitter.com/setiinstitute/status/1227038545304571906|access-date=2020-08-20|website=[[SETI Institute|The SETI Institute]]|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=February 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211021656/https://twitter.com/SETIInstitute/status/1227038545304571906|url-status=live}}</ref> Its second episode, "The Museum of Alien Life," was released on October 7, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2020-09-18|title=October 7th!|url=https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1306992001296990208|access-date=2020-09-19|website=Melodysheep|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=September 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918162442/https://twitter.com/musicalscience/status/1306992001296990208|url-status=live}}</ref> The theme is said to revolve around "mak[ing] contact with intelligent life, surviving the end of the universe, the [[physics]] of alien life, and more."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Boswell|first=John D.|date=2019-11-21|title=LIFE BEYOND: Chapter 1. Alien life, deep time, and our place in cosmic history (4K)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUelbSa-OkA|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Melodysheep|via=[[YouTube]]|archive-date=August 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823135306/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUelbSa-OkA|url-status=live}}</ref><sup>30:15</sup> In the third episode, "In Search of Giants," it will deal with "making contact with intelligent life, intergalactic civilizations, and surviving the end of the universe."

== In Internet culture ==
The film has caused several parody or similar videos/films to be posted on YouTube. One of the tracks in the soundtrack, "Ether," is used in [[Kevin James]]'s [[satirical]] [[comedy]] short film ''CouchX.''<ref>{{Cite AV media |last=James|first=Kevin|authorlink=Kevin James|date=2020-06-10|title=CouchX {{!}} Kevin James|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEsJAlTs3cA|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Kevin James|via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> The title of a [[science fiction]] video game, ''[[Out There: Oceans of Time]]'', was inspired by one of the soundtrack's songs, "Oceans of Time".<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mi-Clos|last2=Modern Wolf|date=2019-12-11|title=Our journey of discovery continues in today's #MWMeetTheDevs, as we get some more insight into Out There: Oceans of Time.|url=https://twitter.com/modernwolfltd/status/1204754411219832838/photo/2|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Modern Wolf|language=en|via=[[Twitter]]|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151500/https://pbs.twimg.com/hashflag/config-2020-12-19-15.json|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
<!-- FOR PATREONS OF MELODYSHEEP: If the bonus track on https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-music-free-25560110 is not included here, please include the track. -->{{Further|#Original soundtrack|label1=Sound and music}}{{redirect|The Arrow of Time soundtrack|a technical and current research information-filled article regarding the arrow of time|Entropy (arrow of time)}}

The title of the [[soundtrack album]], ''The Arrow of Time'', is taken from a narration in the film by Brian Cox:
<blockquote>[[The Arrow of Time|The arrow of time]] creates a bright window in the universe's [[adolescence]], during which life is possible. But its a window that doesn't stay open for long. As a fraction of the lifespan of the universe, as measured from its beginning to the evaporation of the last black hole, life, as we know it, is only possible for one thousandth of a billion billion billionth billion billion billionth billion billion ''billionth'' of a percent.{{Efn-ua|Numerically, it is 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001%, or <math>10^{-84}\%</math>. Life is naturally possible only until the last star dies — which also marks the end of the [[Stelliferous Era]] of the universe — at about 100 trillion years after the Big Bang. Dividing this period by the entire lifespan of the universe until its heat death at about <math>10^{100}</math> (1 googol) years from now results in a mere <math>1/{10^{86}}</math> (86 zeros before the decimal 1; 1 in 1 [[wiktionary:duooctagintillion|duooctagintillion]]) or <math>10^{-84}\%</math>.}}</blockquote>{{Infobox album
| name         = The Arrow of Time: Soundtrack to Timelapse of the Future
| type         = Soundtrack
| artist       = [[John Boswell (musician)|John Boswell]]

| caption      = The artwork, using the same shot the thumbnail uses, but in a contrasted and squared version. Squeezing of the shot is also implemented in an [[IMDb]] poster of the film.<ref>{{Citation|title=Timelapse of the Future: A Journey to the End of Time (2019)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10460106/mediaviewer/rm3289364225|language=en|access-date=2020-08-15|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219151505/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10460106/mediaviewer/rm3289364225|url-status=live}}</ref>
| alt          = Mars's future ring close-up, looking like small rocks hovering. The album's title is in the center, in small size.
| released     = {{Start date|2019|03|20}}
| genre        = [[Dark ambient]], [[synth bass]], [[dubstep]], [[lounge music|lounge]], [[space music|space]], [[experimental music|experimental]]
| length       = {{Duration|m=31|s=28}}
| label        = 
| producer     = John Boswell
| prev_title   = [[Timelapse of the Entire Universe#Soundtrack|Continuum E.P.]]
| prev_year    = 2018
| next_title   = Life Beyond: Chapter 1 Original Soundtrack
| next_year    = 2019
| chronology   = melodysheep
| misc         = Does not include archived narrations.
}}

This track list still does not include the hidden track posted on Boswell's Patreon. {{Track listing
| length8 = 1:43
| title14 = Passage
| title13 = City of Ghosts
| title12 = The Rising Dawn Bellows Like Thunder
| title11 = Oceans of Time
| length14 = 2:45
| length13 = 1:32
| length12 = 4:12
| length11 = 2:46
| total_length = 31:28
| length10 = 1:15
| title10 = Hawking's Waltz
| length9 = 1:33
| title9 = Black Desert
| title8 = The Long Sleep
| title1 = Sun Mother
| length7 = 1:42
| title7 = Subterranean
| length6 = 1:11
| title6 = Mesa
| length5 = 0:51
| title5 = Afterlife
| length4 = 0:58
| title4 = Wither Away
| length3 = 1:54
| title3 = Ether
| length2 = 5:30
| title2 = The Somnium
| length1 = 3:36
| note14 = Bonus Track
| all_music = [[John Boswell (musician)|John Boswell]]
| all_writing = 
}}

== See also ==
<!-- In order of importance -->
* [[Graphical timeline from Big Bang to Heat Death]]
* [[Future of Earth]]
* [[Global catastrophic risk]]
* [[Human extinction]]
* [[Big Crunch]]
* [[List of unsolved problems in astronomy]]
* [[Minimalism]]

=== Film assets ===
* [[2012 (film)|''2012'' (film)]]
* ''[[Geostorm]]''
* ''[[Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking]]''
* [[A Brief History of Time (film)|''A Brief History of Time'' (film)]]
* ''[[Journey to the Edge of the Universe]]''
* ''[[How the Universe Works]]''
* [[Noah (2014 film)|''Noah'' (2014 film)]]
* [[Deep Impact (film)|''Deep Impact'' (film)]]
* ''[[Wonders of the Universe]]''
* ''[[Voyage of Time]]''

== Notes ==
{{Notelist-ua}}

== References ==
<references />

== Further reading ==
<!-- In order of importance -->
* {{Cite web|last=Nevres|first=M. Özgür|date=April 27, 2019|others=Detailed scientific plot cited with sources, as well as necessary points dismissed in the film.|title=Timelapse of the future: an amazing video|url=https://ourplnt.com/timelapse-of-the-future/#axzz6TgzXqvCg|access-date=July 31, 2020|website=Our Planet|location=[[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]}}
* {{Cite web|last=Merali|first=Zeeya|date=October 20, 2017|title=Scientists Want to Create a Universe in a Lab, And They Actually Could|url=https://futurism.com/scientists-may-create-universe-actually-could|access-date=July 31, 2020|website=[[Aeon (digital magazine)|Aeon]]|via=Futurism, [[Singularity University]]}}
*{{Cite web|last=Francis|first=Matthew R.|date=September 22, 2015|title=Do protons decay?|url=https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/do-protons-decay|access-date=July 31, 2020|website=Symmetry Magazine}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Jones|first1=Chris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7N6oAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA201|title=The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Film Making|last2=Jolliffe|first2=Genevieve|last3=Zinnes|first3=Andrew|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|others=A work referenced on the film's success|isbn=978-1-4411-4705-9|date=October 22, 2015|author-link=Chris Jones (filmmaker)|access-date=August 4, 2020}}
*{{Cite web|last=Cain|first=Fraser|author-link=Meanings of minor planet names: 158001–159000#092|date=April 3, 2015|title=How Do Black Holes Evaporate?|url=https://www.universetoday.com/119794/how-do-black-holes-evaporate/|access-date=July 31, 2020|website=[[Universe Today]]}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD4izuDMUQA Timelapse of the Future]'' on [[YouTube]]
*''[https://www.melodysheep.com/timelapse-of-the-future Timelapse of the Future]'' [[Director's statement|statement]] and complete asset list on [https://www.melodysheep.com/ Melodysheep's official website]
* {{IMDb title|id=10460106}}
* ''[https://melodysheep.bandcamp.com/album/the-arrow-of-time-soundtrack-to-timelapse-of-the-future The Arrow of Time]'' on Melodysheep's [[Bandcamp]]
* ''[https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/9717c3f9-d678-4ed1-a931-41c6656b0043 The Arrow of Time]'' publishing catalog at [[MusicBrainz]]
* {{Official website|https://protocol.ai/|name=Protocol Labs official website}}
* [https://www.melodysheep.com/ambermountainstudios Amber Mountain Studios official subpage] at Melodysheep's official website

{{Webby Awards|cat=Science & Education General Video|year=2020|type=Webby and People's Voice Winner}}
{{Portal bar|Film|Animation|United States|Space|Astronomy|Physics|Earth sciences}}

[[Category:2019 science fiction films]]
[[Category:American science fiction short films]]
[[Category:Films about science]]
[[Category:Films about the future]]
[[Category:Films about outer space]]
[[Category:2019 YouTube videos]]
[[Category:Films released on YouTube]]
[[Category:Webby Award winners]]
[[Category:2019 animated short films]]
[[Category:2019 films]]
[[Category:American animated short films]]
[[Category:Open content films]]
[[Category:Open content short films]]
[[Category:Internet films]]
[[Category:Video art]]
[[Category:Audiovisual art]]
[[Category:Planetarium shows]]
[[Category:Creative Commons-licensed films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:2010s American animated films]]
[[Category:Direct-to-video animated films]]
[[Category:Direct-to-video sequel films]]
[[Category:2019 direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:Pages containing links to subscription-only content]]
[[Category:Pages containing links to account-only content]]
[[Category:Hyperlink films]]
[[Category:Surrealist films]]
[[Category:American epic films]]
[[Category:Films set in the future]]
[[Category:American adult animated films]]
[[Category:2010s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language short films]]