[2 BSG Vids] Songs of the Unforgiven: Breakups on a Battlestar [Laura/Kara, Laura/Lee]

[beccatoria]

Songs of the Unforgiven is a cycle of five orphaned Battlestar Galactica vids. They are all short (between two and three minutes). They are all designed to stand alone as well as working as a series (and in couplets) so please, feel free to watch and leave feedback on either or both.

Songs of the Unforgiven marks the launch of VIDWAR: ROBOT APOCALYPSE, and I'MA BREAK YOU UP LIKE LAURA ROSLIN BREAKS UP WITH PILOTS, CHAILA. NOT EVEN SARAH CONNOR WILL SAVE YOU; LAURA CAN BREAK UP WITH HER TOO, YOU KNOW.

Title: Breakups on a Battlestar (Laura left her, again) [Laura/Kara]
Video:: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Audio: Crumble // Sage Francis
Summary: Laura dumps Kara. It was a religious thing.
Editor's Notes: As always, my thanks to my heroic betas.

Direct download available here. 24 megs approx.

Password: vidses

Watch on Vimeo

Title: Breakups on a Battlestar (Laura left him, again) [Laura/Lee]
Video:: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Audio: Bridle // Sage Francis
Summary: Laura dumps Lee. It was a political thing.
Editor's Notes: As always, my thanks to my heroic betas.

Direct download available here. 22 megs approx.

Password: vidses

Watch on Vimeo

Cross-posted to vidding and galactica_vids

Other vids available here.

Comments

[missbevcrusher.livejournal.com]

Much love for these. ♥ Thanks for sharing. :-)

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, and thanks for letting me know you enjoyed them! :D

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Aww, what wonderful vids! Becca and Rap back together again! Really, these are like sons and daughters of Jesus Walks or There's a War for Your Mind, Laura.

The first one. The line that stood out for me was "You made me work for what I couldn't have." Aww. Laura did dump Kara but one day Laura woke up and Kara wasn't who she had been before. Maybe that makes it kinda mutual?

The second one! Aww, Lee's look at the end. He really did seem like she broke up with him because she had cancer and about a thousand other reasons. I really like the song which is like about three songs in one but I really like them all in there. The line that stands of for me here is "In his mind he's figuring out life is about the little things." The big things too. But Lee got over Laura. And politics, I suppose. But maybe not really over either.

I like these two vids paired. :-)

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, I did wonder what it said about me that my first response to vidding surrealistic rap was, "Oh good, back in my comfort zone..." :p

Laura did dump Kara but one day Laura woke up and Kara wasn't who she had been before. Maybe that makes it kinda mutual?

That's actually kind of something I was going for in the vid but thought was too ambitious to convey exactly. Or rather, something similar to that. The end temper tantrum that Kara throws posits Kara as the dumper, but...to my mind at least, that's not really true, that's just what Kara's yelling cus she's mad. But...Kara also has a point that Laura dumped her and...stuff hasn't really been going so well since then. Maybe Laura dumped her before Laura really knew who Kara was/was going to be?

But Lee got over Laura. And politics, I suppose. But maybe not really over either.

I don't think he really did. I think he thought he did, but then, "I never thought I'd miss you..." kind of sums up Lee and Laura in S4 for me. Nostalgic, like there was a missed opportunity in there somewhere and neither of them exactly know how to explain what happened.

I think one of the reasons Laura dumped Lee was his idealism; in some ways, I think there was too much pressure there - he saw her too keenly and at the same time he expected too much of her, while Adama only thought he did. But really, Adama did the work of thinking around all the dodgy, unidealistic stuff Laura did - of convincing himself that that wasn't the real her; that she couldn't live with herself if she did that kind of thing. Adama's mental image of Laura was softer and less true. But Lee saw her do that stuff - necessary stuff, but painful stuff - and the heartbreak was written all over his face.

It's a very personal interpretation, but that's how I see it sometimes.

Anyway, I'm so glad you like these and thanks again for letting me know it! <3

[dradiscontact.livejournal.com]

You have a sick, sick gift, you know that? The edit's in the first one nearly induced a seizure, one I would have gladly suffered through. I adore these.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks! :D I'm really glad you enjoyed it and um, I'm glad if I'm gonna cause someone a seizure at least one of my victims thinks it was worth it. ;)

Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed them.

[tearful-eye.livejournal.com]

SO AWESOME.
i especially loved the first one - that section from ~1:29 onwards, guh. so so gorgeous!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I was a little worried when I first made it that I'd pushed too far with the ending of the first one, so it's a relief to know people are enjoying it.

[scully1121.livejournal.com]

wow "Crumble" was so fraking powerful ! loved the song and the choice of clips, amazing work on that !

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Crumble is such a fantastic track, the lyrics are so powerful themselves and when I heard it, I just started getting visual associations straight away; so good to know the power of the vid in my head translated.

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh! *flaps hands* I don't have time to be coherent right now, but these both broke me a little bit. All the lost potential, I think, in both cases--both in the sense that I always wanted both Lee and Kara to be in scenes with Laura more after season 2, and in the sense that you're reclaiming some Laura's agency in the end, as well, and that always breaks my heart a little because it makes me think of everything that made me upset. Because Laura putting religion and politics and the fleet before individuals? Yes, please!

I suppose you're the reason that Laura + hip hop works so well in my head, but it so does. Love, love, love these song choices!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I suppose you're the reason that Laura + hip hop works so well in my head, but it so does

I will gladly take the blame credit for that! ;)

If it helps, I have pretty much the same emotional reaction to both of these. I wanted them to exist; I'm glad they do, and yes, I vidded them to the show as I think it should have been not as I think it was. But it breaks my heart that that distinction has to exist, and as much as these are an affirmation of that demarcation they are also a reminder of it. Which is something I am perhaps more able to cope with since the emotional point of both vids is heartbreak, even without that metacommentary but still. Reclaiming BSG 4.5 is never not, in some way or another, heartbreaking or bittersweet.

I'm so glad you appreciated these. And thanks for letting me know.

[emmiere.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent! I was hoping for some Sage Francis is this challenge and I *love* both of these songs. (Although, hilariously, I've associated "Bridle" with TSCC for months now. ;)

But vids! Both shots of Kara at "slave labor" especially hit me. Also Kara and Laura sharing Opera House/dreamspaces/religious quests! :D The build up is fabulous and I love the closing paralleled shots too when they're in such different places, but similar states. ETAing after rewatching: And all of the other parallels from the rest of it too really, they're gorgeous!

Oh, so THIS is the coloring effects one! I love how vivid it makes those moments. And, gah, Lee's confusion/betrayal makes me want to hug him in one of those sudden sympathy moments for him that happen to me sometimes! It almost seems like they have a rare moment of understanding at the end, but still don't quite know how to bridge the space.

Sidenote: I loved having the one photograph, the one of Billy and then Jacob one, in each. They feel like artifacts of what Laura won't ever let herself forget to me, like the Olympic Carrier and the blackboard in a way, and I like the emphasis.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Yay! So happy to oblige, and, ahem, you may yet get more of him from one of us... ;)

I'm so glad the parallels in the vid work to tie Laura and Kara together; they were in ridiculous few scenes together, and some of the ones they ARE in together are faked (shared dreamspaces, and the early sickbay sequences). For all their distant storylines, though, it is surprisingly how closely these two paralleled each other throughout; the twin funeral pyres in 4x11, for example, is something the show itself juxtaposed. They really were the theological poles of the series and, as with Lee, it's tragic they never got more screentime together.

And yes! This is the colouring effects one! I'm glad that you like the effect, I was worried it was a bit random but for some reason I still can't put into words it felt right, visually. Perhaps vivid is the word I've been looking for.

It almost seems like they have a rare moment of understanding at the end, but still don't quite know how to bridge the space.

That's exactly how I feel about it. <3

Sidenote: I loved having the one photograph, the one of Billy and then Jacob one, in each. They feel like artifacts of what Laura won't ever let herself forget to me, like the Olympic Carrier and the blackboard in a way, and I like the emphasis.

Eeee! I was hoping someone would notice that! :D

[chaila.livejournal.com]

I CAN'T EVEN TRASHTALK THE FIRST 10 SECONDS OF LAURA/KARA. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 I LOVE IT, I WANT TO SCOOP IT UP AND CARRY IT AROUND IN MY POCKET. Also I love, love all the thematic parallels you draw between them, and everything in the "slave labor" section, everything that Kara did out of belief. And of course, the explosion of righteous rage at the breakup when Laura no longer believes in the same things. The quick back and forth intercutting is perfect, somehow both ragey and pretty at the same time.

Also "they had a ceremony where he put her in a bridle, a headstall." GUH. This song is so great for Laura/Lee. And all the quick cuts from 1:36 on are gorgeous, with all the things flashing and things blowing up and neat coloring. And I really like the glimpses of Lee's more idealistic tendencies associated with "reins." Soooo spot-on for Laura/Lee.

Politics/religion/Laura Roslin OT3. SORRY PILOTS.

LAURA CAN BREAK UP WITH HER TOO, YOU KNOW

AHAHAHAHA. This is patently absurd. Before Chuck Norris goes to sleep, he checks underneath his bed for Laura Roslin. Before Laura Roslin goes to sleep, she checks underneath her bed for Sarah Connor. PROBABLY HOPEFULLY.

Nobody dumps Sarah Connor. You're overreaching.

<#

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Awwwww, I love that your love for this transcends trash talk! ;) I will give you a pass on that JUST THIS ONCE cus I'm pretty sure you will render me into a similar state with opening gambit.

somehow both ragey and pretty at the same time.

\o/ I am so glad that people are enjoying that bit cus, well, I was totally worried I'd pushed it too far toward the seizure end of the scale... ;)

And I really like the glimpses of Lee's more idealistic tendencies associated with "reins."

YOU NOTICED! <3 <# <3

Politics/religion/Laura Roslin OT3. SORRY PILOTS.

I WOULD BE ON BOARD FOR THIS.

Nobody dumps Sarah Connor. You're overreaching.

I'd contact President Roslin for comment but she's too busy deciding whether or not to toss a baby out an airlock. :|

;)

<#

[frolicndetour.livejournal.com]

I'll leave feedback as soon as I can stop obsessively rewatching!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Yay! I look forward to it but in the meantime will take your obsessive rewatching as a good sign! ;)

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

you made me work for what i couldn't have
The editing fucks me perfectly with the beautiful framing when the images flash back and forth. The music picks up and it's like an anger is released. It's tragically sad in the misdirection of the characters.

she's gone
LOL, I should laugh because it's serious, but it's that pathetic kind of sad that makes me laugh at the misfortune of others. Lee usually is the character I laugh at the most, even when he doesn't deserve it. Laura/Lee started out as one of the most interesting relationships on the show and I wish they could have ran with it because it had so much possibility. Love the coloring choices too. :)

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked the editing at the end of the first one; I kind of made it and thought, hmm, that was kind of a kiki_miserychic moment there... SO I BLAME YOU! ;)

As to Lee, yeah, I kind of understand your reaction to Lee. I don't share it but mostly cus I'm caught up in the lost possibility, and I'm really glad I managed to convey that, and that you liked the colouring!

Thanks for taking the time to leave such awesome feedback.

[sol-se.livejournal.com]

Wow, I love both of these so much!!

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[cyborganize.livejournal.com]

First of all, YOU GET EXTRA SPECIAL SQUEE FOR FINALLY VIDDING LAURA/KARA. This is another one that parallels the characters' very personal (GAY) angst with the layer of meta about how the show epically failed to bring these two women together in any meaningful way. Your genius here is in weaving their stories back together (in symbols, in dreams, in spirituality) within the very vid that critiques how they were kept apart. FRAKKING GORGEOUS. This could totally be a fanon coda to my OTP fic series (if that's not a self-centered compliment).

Probably a lot of this goes for Laura/Lee, too, although I'm less interested ;). Likewise beautifully edited and brimming with thoughts and feelings. I do love the contrast between religion and politics as dimensions of Laura in the pair of vids.

Incidentally, I'm very pleased that River is pondering Laura's breakup list in your mood theme. Is River planning for an upcoming date, perhaps?! While Laura might very well be able to dump Sarah Connor, I'm not convinced that ANYONE could dump Doctor Song.

[metatxt.livejournal.com]

LAURA/KARA: YEAH! YEAH! THAT TOO! YEAH! this vid is totally a series of breakup word-punches to the mouth. WHAT ABOUT OUR INTERCONNECTED FEMSLASHY HUMANITY'S SALVATION PROPHECY LOVE AFFAIR?! This vid is so tight and so passionate. And since i just cheated and looked at cyborganize's comment I will say -- yes this too! I think this is part of why the vid structure works SO WELL as a L/K femslash vid: their breakup angst is not diminished by being intertwined in your vid, but instead the feelings have recognizable focus and the futility of their longings is palpable. They can't live with or without each other.

LAURA/LEE: It's funny it's been so LONG but I remember all of the email exchange between you and J about this vid! this is a SUPER AMAZING exploration of Laura/Lee from Lee POV. Nerding out for a minute: but yknow how in RPGs there's this binary of Lawful <--Neutral--> Chaotic? Laura/Lee is ALL ABOUT how Lee is sad Laura is good-neutral and not good-lawful, like he is.

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

That Laura/Kara vid is EXQUISITE. Somewhere along the way I had put off watching it and then forgot about it, and now your end-of-year meme reminded me. The scenes and parallels you found, the build up to that ending - the ending! Jaw-dropping.

The Lee one is great too, such interesting complements to each other. Love the color effects (and the princess bit with Dualla and the jacks was perfect).