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m_a_r_i_k_s
m_a_r_i_k_s
09 January 2009 @ 07:19 pm
New Video: Illusion & Dream  



Song: Illusion & Dream
Artist: Poets Of The Fall (I'm not obsessed, honestly! :D Blame the band for writing such wonderful songs)
Characters: Lee and Laura in a very canonical way, glimpses of Kara, Cain, Baltar, Bill and others
Spoilers: up to 4x10 Revelations !

Download/Youtube links, lyrics and vidder's notes below
 

Download links: axifile or sendspace
Youtube link: here
Vidder's notes:

One of the things that I liked about S4 was that it didn't drop the ball on Lee and Laura's relationship. I'm very glad that the last 13 episodes (from Baltar's trial on) gave me an opportunity to fully explore their mutual journey.

I have to say, I've been a fan of Laura and Lee's dynamics since the miniseries and obviously, I love both characters. It is their dedication to what they're doing, mutual respect and open willingness to criticize one another's judgment and actions when they think those should be questioned that fascinate me, the way they strive for making things better, sacrifice, argue and defend their  viewpoints, the way they betray each other's trust and still keep coming back and restoring faith in one another.

That said, whereas this video brings up lots of strong personal feelings of  both Laura and Lee, I'm not trying to make a point by persuading you that one of the POVs is the only right one. Quite on the contrary. So if you're looking for a scapegoat in their misunderstandings, if you have an urge to blame and accuse, do me a favor and do not try to explain me how amorally autocratic and blind Roslin is or how cruel, easily manipulated and childishly emo Lee is. I've heard it all before. And I don't agree. :)  It also means you came to the wrong league, and again I say - I love *both* of these extremely strong and complex characters. Sure enough, they have many flaws, but it makes them even more real and appealing to me a lot of the times. 

So I welcome you to join me and see the story in a very specific form of dialogue. It's the first time I took a song and transformed it into two part polemics from different points of view, while trying to tell a story of mutual trust, personal betrayals and differences at the same time.

***

Поскольку значительная часть русскоязычного фандома состоит из преданных фанов Лоры Розлин, мне кажется необходимым прокомментировать этот клип и по-русски тоже. Этот клип фокусируется на взаимоотношениях Ли и Розлин, максимально близких к канону, причем в форме двучастного диалога-полемики, в каждом из куплетов я как автор, своего рода "даю высказаться" персонажам поочередно. Клип затрагивает глубоко личные чувства и переживания, и должна подчеркнуть, что я в данном случае преследовала своей целью показать историю Лоры и Ли с двух совершенно разных точек зрения, создать более-менее целостную картину, подняться над происходящим и посмотреть с высоты орлиного полета, так сказать, чтобы передать всю красоту динамики отношений двух персов, а не искать козла отпущения чьих-то бед, проблем и разочарований.

Мне нравились взаимоотношения этих двух персов с самых минисерий, всегда восхищало их взаимное уважение, доверие, возникшее спонтанно и удивительно естественно, то, что они всегда готовы критиковать поведение друг друга, если оно кажется им по каким-то причинам неправильным, умение аргументировать и отстаивать свою позицию, признавать ошибки и слушать, даже когда очень больно и неприятно и упрямство норовит пересилить... :)

Если вы не любите Ли или Розлин и готовы сразу доказать мне, что один из них белый и пушистый и тотально прав по всем статьям, а другой только и делал, что портил жизнь человеку, который ему доверял всей душой, то сразу могу сказать - что пришли вы не по тому адресу. Я уже неоднократно говорила на это, что в любой ссоре виноваты оба. Могу продолжить развернуто в комментариях :)

Так что любого желающего снять шоры и посмотреть более широко и объемно на историю взаимного доверия, взаимного расположения, личного предательства (с обеих сторон) и становления на путь примирения и воссоединения - я приглашаю нырнуть в "Иллюзию И Сон". Без понимания слов песни этот клип мгновенно потеряет всю свою суть, так что настоятельно рекомендую скачать субтитры тут   или  тут.       

И еще раз, С Днем Рожденья тебя, Ира! :)

***

Illusion & Dream

Look in my eyes I'll make you see
We're drifting aimlessly
Blind in a world of make believe

 

Hear them sing their songs off key
N' nod like they agree
Buying the need to be discreet

I've got no hand in matters worldly, I hardly care at all
What's going on fails to concern me, Cos I'm locked behind my wall
But you know what drives me out
Out of my mind?!

It's whatever makes you see, makes you believe
And forget about the premonition you need to conceive
That the images they sell are illusion & dream
In other words dishonesty

If I speak Ill, please, humor me
Won't rant on endlessly
Just thought I'd try to make you see

It doesn't solve a thing to dress it in a pretty gown
A stone will not need you to guess if
You're still going to drown
So you know what drives me out
Out of my mind?!

It's whatever makes you see, makes you believe
And forget about the premonition you need to conceive
That the images they sell are illusion & dream
In other words dishonesty

So can you name your demon?
Understand its scheming
I raise my glass and say "here's to you!"
Can you chase your demon?
Or will it take your freedom?
I raise my class and say "here's to you!"
 

 

 
18 comments | Leave a comment
 
( 18 comments — Post a new comment )
Silja: bsg - kobol[info]siljamus on January 9th, 2009 07:33 pm (UTC)
I'm pretty speechless over here at the moments in the very best way. I think you've captured Lee and Laura's journey in a most interesting way -- and very much in the same way as I tend to see it; a very complicated relationship between two very complicated characters.

Much food for thought in this one. (You'll have to forgive me for the lack of actual feed-back, seeing as I'm not much of a vid-watcher, so my reaction is very much just an emotional one.)

P.S. Just wanted to let you know that I've posted a rec at my journal.

Edited at 2009-01-09 07:49 pm (UTC)
m_a_r_i_k_s: duel[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 9th, 2009 08:23 pm (UTC)
Thanks a lot for commenting, dear. First comment always means much, because as every mortal I can feel uncertain about the way I tried to deliver the material... whether it was felt and understood or not and somesuch. I don't usually work with beta's help, and so the first person to watch my vid is always the actual viewer who sees the completed version and judges it as a whole.

I'm very glad you enjoyed watching it. Lee and Roslin are just captivating to see on screen together. I love their story to bits. It is probably my second favorive relationship on the show after Pilots'.

And thank you for reccing this vid, it's a very high praise! :)
The First Evil: Lee/Laura - By Your Side[info]asta77 on January 10th, 2009 04:45 am (UTC)
I loved what you had to say about my favorite couple (and two favorite characters on the show). Especially this:

So if you're looking for a scapegoat in their misunderstandings, if you have an urge to blame and accuse, do me a favor and do not try to explain me how amorally autocratic and blind Roslin is or how cruel, easily manipulated and childishly emo Lee is.

Word! :) And I'll never understand people calling him Emo Lee. He has emotions and shows them on occasion. Ron Moore did not want to create the a stereotypical male TV action hero and I thank him for that.

Do keep vidding them. Lee/Laura fans are such an underrepresented group.
m_a_r_i_k_s: Lee and Laura[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 10th, 2009 08:11 pm (UTC)
Thank you for commenting. :)

Moore did not want to create the a stereotypical male TV action hero and I thank him for that.

I think that for many women in the fandom Lee Adama just doesn't fall into a pattern of what an ideal male character shall be like: confident, decisive, the one who never shows doubt, tears or the one who generally has the best timing and always comes off clear doing the right thing. I love how Lee's character breaks stereotypes. :)

Lee/Laura fans are such an underrepresented group.

I guess it would be different if RDM didn't loose interest in their relationship development in the middle of S2 after Lee's principles and trust in Roslin were undermined and the problem was plastered. I was actually applauding to the screen in S4's Guess What's Coming to Dinner when they finally risked to share the same space privately. :)

The First Evil: Lee/Laura - Her Captain Apollo - shmarol[info]asta77 on January 13th, 2009 04:40 am (UTC)
They picked up the Lee/Laura relationship so effortlessly in Season 4 and obviously thought it was important to revisit that it irks me what we could have had from the 'Pegasus' arc up until 'The Son Also Rises'. Ultimately, I just have to be thankful that we're getting what we are getting now.

I was actually applauding to the screen in S4's Guess What's Coming to Dinner when they finally risked to share the same space privately. :)

I just finished watching that episode a couple of hours ago. :) I'm trying to complete a series rewatch by Friday. And that scene is one of my favorite between them. It's not only the first step towards reconciliation between the two, it's also the first time in a long time she listens to another persons advice and heeds it.
m_a_r_i_k_s: duel[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 13th, 2009 09:14 pm (UTC)
They picked up the Lee/Laura relationship so effortlessly in Season 4 and obviously thought it was important to revisit that it irks me what we could have had from the 'Pegasus' arc up until 'The Son Also Rises'.

You know, one of the phrases that infuriated me the most in S3 was Roslin's question to Adama in TEoJ: "Are we prepared to sacrifice Lee?" For me as a fan it actually sounded like an insult - to have the connection between two characters put in my face by this and the fact that Roslin called Apollo by his first name twice in this epi while all TPTB were doing before was completely ignoring them - it was a little too much for my nervous system.
I've been trying to heal this sore spot of mine since S2, but I guess you're right, it could be worse, so we should just enjoy what we're getting.

I'm trying to complete a series rewatch by Friday. And that scene is one of my favorite between them.

I wish I had free time to rewatch, but I think I'll just have to do it after the end of the series now. If S4.5 proves to be better than S4.

...it's also the first time in a long time she listens to another persons advice and heeds it.

Isn't it just beautiful? :) I love how Lee is able to get to her even when she's about to loose perspective and how despite her inborn stubbornness, her confidence in her rightfulness (which is natural to anyone who's been long enough in the position of power) and despite the fact that she's been holding a personal grudge after Baltar's trial - she actually considers his opinion.
Becka: laura praying[info]beccatoria on January 10th, 2009 04:38 pm (UTC)
Oh, beautiful!

And LAURA/LEE! More than that, you used them in season four. It's a wonderful portrait of the relationship between them, but also of their individual journeys.

I love the fast, offbeat editing too. Downloading this one!
m_a_r_i_k_s: duel[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 10th, 2009 08:21 pm (UTC)
I'm very glad you enjoyed watching it. :) Thanks for commenting.

And LAURA/LEE! More than that, you used them in season four. It's a wonderful portrait of the relationship between them, but also of their individual journeys.

If there was something S4 was lavish with (and rightfully so!) - it was Lee/Laura sreentime. And since I tend to make meta videos that embody the whole beehive of problems and questions while at the same time trying to tell a story - a Lee/Laura video seemed appropriate and very interesting to explore. In fact, I've been planning to vid them for a long time, it's just that there wasn't enough material in S3 to my tastes. :)
Sira 's Boulevard of Broken Dreams: contemplative[info]sira01 on January 11th, 2009 02:35 pm (UTC)
I watched this video more times than is probably sane by now. *lol* At first I couldn't really get into the cuts but the more often I watched it, the more beautiful the video became. Even hubby, who sat beside me one time, said it's a fantastic video.
This video made me rememeber why I still have a Laura/Lee plot bunny in my story backlog. Laura's and Lee's relationship is one of the most interesting in Galactica and I like how you explored it. It's interesting to see that two people who are so similar in many things take very different approaches to things. Never mind that their journey changed them them in different ways.

Great work and thanks so much for sharing.

Edited at 2009-01-11 02:36 pm (UTC)
m_a_r_i_k_s: Lee and Laura[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 12th, 2009 12:10 pm (UTC)
Thanks a lot for such a wonderful feedback!

I watched this video more times than is probably sane by now.

Hee. That's flattering to know! And sanity is subjective, there are no limits and nobody knows exactly where insanity starts :D *lol*

At first I couldn't really get into the cuts but the more often I watched it, the more beautiful the video became.

The first person who watched this video told me she didn't get anything and that she should probably just watch it five more times to follow the images and understand what I was trying to say :)
I guess it's a flip side of the coin - I often try to pack a lot of ambiguous footage and storytelling into a vid, I don't usually offer answers, the viewer has to get into the stream and find them him/herself. That's probably why some people feel uncertain watching such vids.

Laura's and Lee's relationship is one of the most interesting in Galactica and I like how you explored it.

Thank you again. I love their journey so much! And I silently thank RDM for continuing to dive into that conflict and leading to it's final chapter even after he pretty much was ignoring the unresolved disappointment and Lee's grudge for 20 episodes or more starting from S2.5.
Mac: 1[info]arkady_ on January 21st, 2009 06:44 pm (UTC)
I love how you used scenes rarely seen on fanvids. Nice. ^^
m_a_r_i_k_s: Lee and Laura[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 22nd, 2009 09:04 pm (UTC)
Thank you, making this vid has been a remarkable experience!
brokenmnemonic: Lee[info]brokenmnemonic on January 25th, 2009 10:08 am (UTC)
Hmmm. I finally have time to sit down and leave feedback - I'm sorry it's so late. I get obsessive when I'm vidding, and everything else tends to fall by the wayside until I'm done.

I think if I had to try and sum this vid up in a single word, it'd be complex. Entirely fitting, given the nature of the relationship between Laura and Lee; vids like this are a good reason for you to continue your flirtation with Poets of the Fall.

I think your song choice was entirely fitting - down to the clear tenor of the singer's voice, providing a thread of clarity through the montage of images you used.

Your vid tracked their relationship in an almost linear fashion... but at the same time, you flickered back and forth between past and future... and I think you brought the past up more than anything else. There's a symbolism there that belies the construction of the lyrics, because the relationship between Laura and Lee will always have echoes of the potential they had together at the start - the hope for the future of humanity, such as it could possibly be.

I think it's those echoes that have carried so strongly through their interactions from Pegasus onwards; whereas Lee broke under the pressure of survival and lost his way, Laura went another way... she hardened herself, became increasingly unwillingly to bend or compromise.

I think their clash during Crossroad was inevitable, but while you reference this on your vid, you don't make it a climax or finishing point;

The world of make believe that you create around the lyric is... chilling. The flickering images of a funeral coffin, the transitory happiness of the Pegasus joining the fleet before the reality of the situation catches up with them - the threat Cain poses, the inveitable clash as society begins to tear itself apart.

I found your comparison of both the quorom and the press room to the voices singing off key to be striking; each is the voice of public accountability, but Laura has used and manipulated both of them - and Lee has walked into the midst of it all. With Lee in the quorum, the relationship shifts; I don't know if you were deliberately making the comparison, but it's there when the quorum returns later, with Lee standing in the middle of them.

I found it interesting that of all the symbols you could pick to use as a symbol of belief, you went for the Arrow of Apollo (with some gorgeous key effects used to overlay the Arrow and Kara and Laura's hands at about the 1:10 mark). It made an interesting contrast between the shots that followed it immediately of Lee leading the Pegasus into battle, and then the price of dishonesty - the flicker of Gina firing, Lee's choice in the assassination conspiracy, and then hard cuts into the trial, and the looks between Laura and Lee, with Baltar in the middle.

The demon comparisons were perhaps the most chilling of the video; Laura's seems to be death, but Lee's have become the absence of Laura - or perhaps the need for someone to step into that empty space she'll leave behind; while it's easy to criticise the actions of those in charge, it's much harder to take on those decisions and the consequences that follow with them.

Of course, if I had to describe this vid in two words, rather than one... they would be deliciously complex.
m_a_r_i_k_s: duel[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 27th, 2009 03:37 pm (UTC)
I get obsessive when I'm vidding, and everything else tends to fall by the wayside until I'm done.

No sweat :) Vidding is primary, right? ;)

…vids like this are a good reason for you to continue your flirtation with Poets of the Fall.

You think so? I don’t know... After this vid I have a strong urge to make myself stop pondering on creating another video to their composition.

I don't know if you were deliberately making the comparison, but it's there when the quorum returns later, with Lee standing in the middle of them.

Yes, this connection and comparison is deliberate, as well as pretty much everything else in this vid.

I found it interesting that of all the symbols you could pick to use as a symbol of belief, you went for the Arrow of Apollo (with some gorgeous key effects used to overlay the Arrow and Kara and Laura's hands at about the 1:10 mark). It made an interesting contrast between the shots that followed it immediately of Lee leading the Pegasus into battle,

I think I did it because I find it interesting that Roslin’s blind belief in her visions, the Arrow, the Tomb and somesuch aren’t Lee’s basis to follow her and go against his dad, splitting the fleet; in fact, her symbol of belief – for him is a symbol of the price (Kara’s probable death and his father’s further disappointment in him) that he has to pay… Lee is willing to pay that price because he can do nothing about Kara’s decision when she already jumped away and he believes the cause is right and that restoring some form of democratic leadership is an important thing to do. It was hard to pack his whole story of personal disappointment in Rolsin’s methods and his choice to sacrifice honesty for Kara’s life that Roslin forced him to make indirectly in RS2, but I tried…
This whole video is made of going back and forth, I deliberately jump in time… and when Roslin faces the same evidence of unexplainable mystery in form of Kara’s reappearance and a brand new Viper on the deck – what does she do? For Lee she refuses to recognize the possibility of that same mystery being before her very eyes… and not just because Kara might be the enemy, but also because she might pose a threat to Roslin’s own vision of the right way to Earth and more importantly – to the existential meaning of Roslin’s sacrificial death. That’s partly why her decision-making becomes even more autocratic – and from that time on Lee practically represents the opposition.

And when later Lee shares with her the feeling of the Quorum representatives’ despair that he experienced - in order to persuade her to talk to the people – Roslin basically makes a point that he’s never tried holding their lives in balance so he can’t possibly understand her choice to minimize contacts and maximize distance – which I address with the help of that shot of Lee leading Pegasus into battle and some S1/2 footage again – and by doing so I continue the polemics.
m_a_r_i_k_s: Lee and Laura[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 27th, 2009 03:38 pm (UTC)
…and then the price of dishonesty - the flicker of Gina firing, Lee's choice in the assassination conspiracy, and then hard cuts into the trial, and the looks between Laura and Lee, with Baltar in the middle.

I’m very glad if it worked! It’s one of the sequences in the video that I like the most because of the Cain/Baltar assassination/capital punishment comparison and Roslin’s rational (or rather personal and irrational) judgment in both cases with Lee’s internal reactions and actions in the middle, that highlight two characters’ differences.

...while it's easy to criticise the actions of those in charge, it's much harder to take on those decisions and the consequences that follow with them.

Yes, I'm happy that this imagery came across the way I wanted it too. :)

Of course, if I had to describe this vid in two words, rather than one... they would be deliciously complex.

I think one of the reasons why this video didn't get as much feedback as even the first one I made a few years ago may be its complexity, and I don't mean technical in this case. I guess an average viewer's brain has a good chance to start hurting attempting to translate this visual story into verbal conclusions. There are few people who get and like both of these characters. I know how much time I had to spend thinking about Laura and Lee... their mutual journey as much as their individual transformations, trying to put my finger on many nuances and not being judgmental; I spent hours debating with one of my friends who is a big fan of Laura by phone because I wanted to be as objective as it’s possible for me with her character's POV. One of the hardest things about making this vid was that I had to shift focus from one POV to another in the second half of this story... and well, it was rather difficult, given that it's much more natural for me to think and create from Lee's perspective than Laura's.

So thank you very much for commenting Ed! Your feedback makes it less disappointing for me to realize that the more thoughts I put into my vidding projects the less reaction I get.
squirrely4u[info]squirrely4u on January 27th, 2009 08:15 pm (UTC)
Awesome vid!
Thanks for putting this out there. I thought I was going crazy cuz not many peeps get their whole ship. I see that Laura is a very important part of Lee's life. And likewise he is important to her...in a way that no one else is. She has helped mold him into the man he is today. And in turn he has helped her to be honest with herself and in her decisions. They were there for each other in a time when there was no one else...and that makes their journey special. He was there to be the first person *outside of her administration* that she told of her breast cancer....and she was there for him when he was just coming on the G and not sure of his footing with Adama. I adore them....and Mary and Jamie are just amazing in scenes together!! :) Thanks again for the awesomeness!!
m_a_r_i_k_s: Lee and Laura[info]m_a_r_i_k_s on January 27th, 2009 11:16 pm (UTC)
Re: Awesome vid!
Thanks a lot for your lovely feedback Susan.

And I almost thought I was going crazy making this vid for myself and just a few people who are seeing things that aren't actually there ;)

He was there to be the first person *outside of her administration* that she told of her breast cancer....and she was there for him when he was just coming on the G and not sure of his footing with Adama.

Yes, I love how they instinctively trusted each other in the miniseries and early S1... Lee's response to Doral: "Well, I think lady's in charge here" is still one of my favorite phrases in BSG of all time :)
squirrely4u[info]squirrely4u on January 28th, 2009 01:14 am (UTC)
Re: Awesome vid!
I know!! I love that line too!! *Hee*