POTENTIALS MEDIA was created in 1982 to produce the POTENTIALS television series. Founded by Barbara Marx Hubbard and Marta Houske, its purpose was to create programming for television which created a positive vision of humanity’s future. The series was based on Barbara’s decades of research and work with some of the greatest creators, innovators, visionaries and thinkers of the Twentieth Century.

Marta first met Barbara while she was a producer, director and writer for the international hit television series “In Search Of . . .” starring Leonard Nimoy. In 1981, Marta had been assigned an episode entitled “In Search Of . . . The End of the World” and was determined to somehow put a positive spin on it. She contacted Barbara’s “International Committee for the Future” based in Washington D.C., and arranged to interview Barbara for the show. They met at Barbara’s home, and later filmed the interview at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum. Their friendship was ignited through their mutual desire to “do good works” for television.

Barbara had a dream of producing a television series about “the new news, the good news of our time.” She had tried many times to launch this idea, in some cases with major television producers of the day, and yet finally this was the combination that worked. Barbara and Marta began to produce their shared vision: “POTENTIALS: Creators and Innovators of Our Time.”

In July of 1982, some of the most extraordinary individuals of our time joined in conversation with Barbara in a Los Angeles television station to envision a positive future. The taping was conducted over three days, capturing forever on video some of the Twentieth Century’s “master builders” of a positive future.

Ever innovative, Barbara and Marta incorporated some interactive elements into the shows: a section called “Connections” which made books and tapes available to the viewers; an evening presentation and meeting for the viewers to meet each other as well as some of the series’ guests; a discussion-study group for viewers to attend; and other networking opportunities.

POTENTIALS aired on a small but powerful Los Angeles television station to an overwhelmingly encouraging response. The letters poured in! Barbara and Marta tried mightily to get POTENTIALS onto a major television outlet, but it was a different era, and their ideas fell on deaf ears. POTENTIALS was archived.

In 1997, POTENTIALS was reborn. Based upon his longtime admiration of Barbara’s work and as one of the early believers in POTENTIALS, Gordon Beaham III of the Faultless Starch / Bon Ami Company stepped forward to help put the series out on videotape. The original camera tapes were archivally restored in New York, and the effort to “get the word out” about POTENTIALS was once again underway.

POTENTIALS is now available to individuals, schools and libraries who dream of a positive future for the Earth and its people.

“What humanity envisions can often be achieved . . .”

Contributors

Marta Houske

Marta Houske is an award winning director, producer, writer who is a member of the Directors Guild of America, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and Writers Guild of America eligible.

Since producing POTENTIALS, one of her all time favorite projects, she has produced, directed and written hundreds more. In her nearly two decades long career, she treasures most her memories of working with the late Gene Roddenberry, who was her friend and her mentor.

Frank Serafine

At Paramount Pictures in Hollywood Serafine did the special sound effects for Star Trek-The Motion Picture & Star Trek III-Search for Spock.

With the success of the Star Trek films and then later Tron, Frank was able to broaden his credits to include the movies Brainstorm, The Day After, Poltergeist, Short Circuit, The Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity, and the Academy Award winning Hunt for Red October. He has also been involved in entertainment simulation projects and has designed, recorded and programmed for the Department of Defense as well as Six Flags Ride Adventure and Peter Gabriel’s Kiss That Frog.

As a music producer, Serafine collaborated with long time friend Ravi Shankar, on an innovative compact disc project for Private Music. Along with George Harrison, they combine Eastern and Western musical styles with the newest in computer and digital technologies.

Ken Knutson

Ken Knutson’s talents as an artist were recognized at an early age. While in the army Ken was honored with the commission to sculpt the 82nd Airborne Memorial which stands at the gates of Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Upon leaving the army, Ken went to San Francisco to attend the prestigious Art Institute. Through his skill, Ken established himself as a leading painter. He received numerous awards such as First in Oil at the Laguna Art Museum Membership show, First in Oil & Acrylic at the La Mirada Art Festival, and for many years was an elected exhibitor at the renowned Laguna Beach Festival of Arts. In the 80’s Ken collaborated to created The VOYAGER TAROT DECK, the quintessential tarot deck of the New Age. This work established him as an unparalleled collage artist.

Currently, Ken lives in San Francisco and is working on numerous endeavors
including the creation of exciting new works of art for the internet.