New BSG vid

[hazelk]

Title: Safe From Harm
Artist: Massive Attack
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica
Spoilers: Miniseries through to S3.04 (Exodus)
Characters/Pairings: President Roslin
Format: DivX
Size: 38.3 MB

Summary: Laura dreams

Big big thanks to laurashapiro for betaing.

Download:
DivX (Right click and Save Target As)

Lyrics
Midnight ronkers
City slickers
Gunmen and maniacs
All will feature on the freakshow
And I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate

You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight

You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight

Tell us what it is dangerous
Friends and enemies I find it's contagerous
And they're spreading through your system like a virus
Yes the trouble in the end it makes you anxious

I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me
To see me lookin' back at you
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me
To see me lookin' back at you

But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight



Short Notes
I had two ideas starting out with this vid, one that “what’s mine” for Laura was humanity and, two to use the image of the peace treaty blowing away in the wake of the Cylon bombs to represent the destruction of the colonies. Other than that and the narrative device of Laura dreaming her past and her future I more or less began at the beginning and let it flow from there.



Feedback all welcome

Comments

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

I don't have time to rewatch and comment in depth right now because I should have been asleep hours ago -- but this is very, very cool. I enjoyed it a lot and I will come back later to tell you more.

[kelinea.livejournal.com]

...It's very good...great ! I love it ! Thanks for sharing ;)

[monsie.livejournal.com]

That was...excellent! Honestly... One of the best edited videos I've seen lately.

Well done!

[theladylucilla.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

[yourlibrarian]

I was glad this didn't contain more recent material so I could watch it now and not get spoiled! I liked this a great deal, and am very glad it focused on Roslin who to me is such a marvelous character. This seems so apt for her, she was thrust into greatness but she seems to have a good understanding of her own role in things. Beautifully done.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Oh, it came together so *well*! The choruses are a lot stronger now, I think, and your ending really works.

I remain in awe of the movement in this vid, the way you took advantage of BSG's signature camerawork. The thing makes me drool. Go you!

[txlsplash.livejournal.com]

I love it! Awesome work. I loved how the whole thing was so cohesive, tied together by the clips from Epiphanies. Great concept, and wonderfully executed!

[carla-scribbles.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was interesting, and it is making me think thoughts, but sadly I will need another rewatch or two to figure out what those are.

In the meantime, may I just point out that it is also just plain visually awesome.

[aurora]

Oh wow, that was amazing. You have an amazing sense of timing. I loved the 'looking back at you - looking back at me' sequence.

[dualbunny.livejournal.com]

This is fantastic! :D I adored the way you wove in the treaty--it was absolutely gorgeous. I loved how in the first few shots the shadows across her face look like they could be coming from the papers flying over her. The movement in this is to die for.

Everything is braided together so beautifully. Gaius as a snake was another perfect transition. I also love how through the whole vid you take scenes and transcend their original context and meaning so deftly and powerfully. Without ever negating that original context. Her dream for example.

The "I was looking back at you" section is inspired. I love this Roslin *so much*, along with the too-sharp world that she lives in. Gah--just love it all round--amazing work. :D

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

This is an absolutely gorgeous vid and I will be reccing it. 'Safe from harm' is one of my all-time favourite tracks and you've made this work for Laura so well. I saw obsessive24 mention that trip-hop is a huge challenge, and I can only imagine it must be so. I'm particularly impressed with how much movement you managed to pack into this vid. The effects were not intrusive, but really match the musical density of the track (if that makes any sense at all!).

I love the way this draws out the weight that Laura carries, her strong drive to protect her people, but without sinking into depressive reflection--rather there's a drive and an intensity to the vid, created by the power of the track and the strong imagery.

There's so much going on in this vid, it's sparked lots of meta-y thoughts for me. The integration of Gaius and the way Roslin sees the danger in him was wonderful. But a less immediate reflection I drew from the vid was the way freedom and violence are linked--whether deliberately or not, I thought that was a very interesting subtext to your vid. There have been so many explosive moments (often literally) that have thrust the human survivors forward (from the Olympic Carrier, through Pegasus, to the suicide bombings). There is loss in those moments, but also an escape or an opportunity, if temporary. And Roslin's desire to keep everyone 'safe' remains, despite the terrible sacrifices.

Beautiful work!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Here via galactica_vids

Absolutely amazing. Thank you.

[obsessive24.livejournal.com]

Ack! Ack ack ack! I watched this, was so bowled over that I had to set it on the "rec now, feedback later" pile (and believe me, there ain't many vids in that pile), and then life exploded and I just realised that I never got around to sending you feedback at all. Much apologies.

Even now I can't put the love into words. It's just too perfect, too amazingly executed to be broken down. I am only capable of loving it as a whole, which sounds like a cop-out but it really isn't. It's so rich and textured, as is your wont, and... gah. Words escape me completely at this point. I think it's by far your best work to date, which is saying A LOT.

My favourite part is the genius snake-shot of Balter, and the wonderful POV switch in the 3D vocal segment around the 1:50 mark. God, so awesome.

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. That was good. It gave me shivers.

[sextagteam.livejournal.com]

I loved this, pure Laura Roslin and the song selection was perfect for her. I saw a discussion the other day about Roslin as a female anti-hero and I think this vid really captures that aspect of her, not "good" in the traditional sense but she adheres to a code of her own and has the power to back it up. I especially loved the "if you hurt what's mine" sequences and the way you used clips of the white board, the fleet, etc... to illustrate what she's fighting for.

Favorite moments:
:28 - I love the way you set up Six and Roslin, especially the contrast between Six in a populated area and dream!Roslin all white and glowing in the forest alone.
1:28 - Love the push-in with the music here, Laura Roslin: kickin ass and takin names pretty much 24/7.
1:41 - I really like this clip of Roslin, mostly just cause it's pretty ;)
1:47 - Her shaking Baltar's hand on "virus" is so perfect.
2:08 - 2:13 - I really like this sequence.
2:44 - This clip of the fleet overlayed on her sleeping face really works well.

I love how powerful and complex Roslin is in the vid, makes me love her character even more. Thanks for posting!

[cordelianne.livejournal.com]

This is fantastic!! What a great song choice. The speed of the vid really worked well with these sense of dreaming and the blending of the past and present. Really enjoyed this! :D

[projectjulie.livejournal.com]

It's a travesty that I didn't see this vid until recently, when par_avion sat me down with it. I love it more and more each time I watch it -- it makes me FEEL the loss and the rage that Laura feels. It's particularly effective how you anchor the vid in her physical frailty, contrasting that with her ferocious power of spirit. Telling her story largely chronologically stitches a convincing case out of the escalating atrocities for a totally coherent and moving interpretation of Laura -- not making her actions justifiable, but certainly comprehensible. OH LAURA.

[midwifeonboard.livejournal.com]

What an amazing vid! Really wonderful, creative editing, and a great take on Laura that I don't think has been done before.