Vid: Unnatural Selection - Battlestar Galactica/Terminator: Sarah Connor

[charmax]

kiki_miserychic & zombiep0rn were the inspiration behind the vid.


Video Title: Unnatural Selection
Song Title/Artist: Pussycats Gone To Heaven (Pixies vs Pussycat Dolls) - DJ Lobsterdust
Shows/Source: Battlestar Galactica, Terminator: Sarah Connor, Terminator movies.
Summary: That body was made to look like a person. We were made in God's image.
***Images of apocalypse and violence that some may find disturbing.***
Length/Format: 3.36, (Xvid, Stream)
Notes:
OK so first off this is so far outside my comfort zone as to be in another continent. This vid is one big experiment designed to help me evolve (geddit?) as a Vidder. Everything from the song (first time using a mashup) to the physical editing process (storyboarded in Premiere but mostly edited in AE) to the tone and themes (my dark side, let me show you it.)

The inspiration for the vid came from the fact that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of "The Origin of Species" and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. I've always been struck by the similarities between T:SCC and BSG and I tried to show some of that here. As humanity teeters on the edge of extinction they slide down the evolutionary tree of life whilst the machines evolve into better beings.

kiki_miserychic has written an insightful commentary for this vid over at vid_commentary. A little more of my choices is discussed in the comments.

Unnatural Selection - Battlestar Galactica/Terminator: Sarah Connor - Charmax

Links: Download Xvid (720x400 - 40MB) | Download Xvid (416x240 - 20MB) | Stream@Imeem | Stream@Youtube

Comments

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I wanted this vid to be about the comparison of humans and machines not the source they were from.
I think that was completely successful in a way that I think is very hard to pull off so I'm very impressed.

the most disturbing thing for me was a devout man like Ellison being prepared to use a church as a trap
Ohh that is something I hadn't thought a lot about. Wow! Thanks for the new angle on that one. I love T:SCC so much--there's always more to explore! It really repays multiple viewing and reflection.

the turtles and Ellison's voice-overs help redress the balance.
*nods* They totally do. And BSG is great fodder for such things, I agree, even if its execution overall is more flawed.

I think I must go and watch your vid again now... ;)

[charmax.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you find its creepiness awesome and not just y'know, creepy. I hope you continue to enjoy it when you rewatch it.

Thanks for commenting.

[ecila-etc.livejournal.com]

That is amazing!

I'm teaching a masters class on science fiction and want to show this to my students as an example of images of science and technology in fan works - would that be ok with you? We'll just watch it along with reading a load of fic. They won't sit and critique it for hours or anything.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you kindly. I'd be honoured for you to use the vid in your class. It's hugely flattering that you think it will be of interest! I hope it all goes well.

[parallactic.livejournal.com]

Whoa. I'm sitting here stunned, sure that I have to watch this vid several times to let it seep in. I've never watched BSG, but the TSCC, Darwin, voiceovers, and song choice parts are perfect. The vid feels seamless as well.

This monkey's gone to heaven, indeed.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you didn't find the BSG footage confusing or intrusive. Frankly, it's quite a relief to get some feedback from someone who only watches T:SCC because I really wanted to do justice to that show and not have it feel like it was playing second fiddle to BSG.

I love your icon, there should definitely be turtles!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_omnivore_/]

Completely stunning!!! Just... made of pure frakking win. *fails at words*

[charmax.livejournal.com]

It may be few words but they mean such a lot to me. Thanks for commenting!

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

I'm back.

I think what I love best about this, upon reflection, is how visually delicious it is. I love the multi-layer compositing that remains so crisp and saturated -- it's so easy to get things muddy and indistinct when the images are that complicated. The vid is rich and colorful and toothsome. It makes my mouth water.

And you've blended the sources seamlessly. I wouldn't have thought you could get those two palettes to meld so well.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thanks for returning with your thoughts.

[parallactic.livejournal.com]

I wasn't too confused because I have a basic idea of BSG via fannish osmosis. I also constructed a story where future!John failed to beat back the robot apocalypse, future generations militarized up and tried to escape in space, but the robots catch up to them. And much later on, the robots are more interested in studying humanity as an endangered species, while the humans are caught in a self-destructive violent loop. The only thing that confuses me is the last few shots: baby, robot helping someone out of a bath?, and the dead blonde.

Thanks! It's from Terry Pratchett's Discworld. It's oddly appropriate for TSCC. I also loved what you did with the turtle in the vid. I loved how the robots were devils, snakes, apples (knowledge), and then was followed by them holding the turtle (symbol of compassion in TSCC). I also liked what you did with the skulls.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Well, there's definitely something to be said for filling in the blanks with your own narrative. Nobody had mentioned the robots studying/experimenting on humanity up til now and it's probably my favourite section of the vid. The last few shots are all cylons or in the case of the baby half cylon, thus it's the robots developing more compassion as the humans spiral downward committing more and more acts of violence. The dead blonde represents the machines becoming mortal and thus taking over from humans altogether.

The Galapagos Tortoises are such an iconic part of Darwin's research that I couldn't resist using the TSCC ones to show not only compassion but also the way in which the evolutionary baton is passing from humanity to robots. The Snakes and apples were specifically meant to call to mind the garden of Eden and starts with Weaver and a snake (she even has a moray eel in her office) representing the serpent in Eden and then switches to Cameron with the apple (temptation, Eve) then to Roslin and the snakes(humans are now the serpents.)

[turnonmyheels.livejournal.com]

stunning

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[roving-rez.livejournal.com]

Hope its ok but I just recc'd this vid on my lj with a link.
Let me know if you don't like links to your lj.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Oh a rec and a link is absolutely awesome. Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

wow! just wow!

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[skipthedemon.livejournal.com]

This vid just blew my mind. Awesome.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Really?! Fantastic.

[aurora]

Dude, this is amazing!!

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Glad you think so! Thanks.

[threezerotwo.livejournal.com]

Sorry if I'm a bit late with this but I've just watched it and wanted to comment.

This is a really thought-provoking vid with so much impact. You know, like a punch in the face =] I love it. You really didn't hold back.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Hi! Like a punch in the face! It's not often I'd take that as a compliment but that is precisely the sort of reaction I wanted for this particular vid. Glad you found it thought provoking.

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

This vid is incredible, and actually rather intimidating. Normally watching excellent vids makes me want to create my own. This? I look at it and think "Holy shit, I will NEVER be able to make anything half so clever or beautiful."

I've watched it three times so far, and I'm sure I'll watch it many more, but let me list a few early impressions.

1) Gorgeous. Simply as a work of art, the editing, rich color, and flow of movement in this make it beautiful. The fluttering bird, beautiful and panicky both. The song is a mash-up, and there's a real weave to the clips you use, punctuated by these sharp, brutal moments - the smashing skull at 0:48, the zoom-in on the terminator and tincan faces at 1:52.

2) Smart. Just the parallels between SCC and BSG would have mde a perfectly good vid. But you brought in Darwin and God and that pushes it to a whole other level. I'm sure I'll get more out of it each time I watch. For example, "The Devil is Six" is clever and all, but what are you saying with the apple and snake? Are we tempted by these superior versions of ourselves we've created? By our fear, have we been ejected from the Garden of Eden of a possible future which has creation between humanity and our creations? I don't know, but it's lots of fun to think about. Also, the turtle, which of course ties into Galapagos, but can we hope that they, our creations, might take pity and save us from our own limitations?

3) Technical excellence. I've no clue how you created and merged some of these effects, but they're exactly what's needed for your story-telling. I've tried inserting audio into vids before, and it's so damn hard. Yours is crisp, resonant, and timed perfectly around the song and captions. (YOUR CAPTIONS! I LOVE THEM SO!)

Really, I'm in awe.