Vid: Machine [Mass Effect]

[beccatoria]

This premiered at the WisCon Vid Party last night! :D

Title: Machine
Video: Mass Effect // Bioware
Audio: Machine // Regina Spektor
Summary: The war is in your body. The future is here. The future is a machine.
Notes: Spoilers for all three games. Vid features close variations on the default FemShep model from ME1 & ME2 (due to impossibility of using prior footage with the default from 3). With many thanks to cosmic_llin for the song inspiration.

Direct download available here. 94 megs approx. RightClickSaveAs.

Password: vidses

Watch on Vimeo

Cross-posted to vidding and masseffect [link]

Other vids available here.

Comments

[milly.livejournal.com]

SOOOO AMAZING.

So, I'd had this vid on my harddrive for a LONG time, I can't remember why (oh wait, I think someone sent it to Brad because they said you wanted comments, but he couldn't watch it because he hasn't finished ME3 yet, so I watched it, but then I forgot to send you comments because I'm made of fail). Anyhow, the first time I watched it was the week I finished ME3. While I had conflicted feelings about the game ending, the whole game (which I considering a 30-hour long ending, tbh) had *broken* me, and when Brad walked into the room after I finished watching it, I was bawling and going THIS SO MUCH THIS.

There were a lot of differences between your vid and my game(different romances, different deaths (I let Ashley die in ME1 okay, I'm in that apparently 3% of all players), different options, etc), but the FemShep looked so much like mine that all the emotions from the journey I had just finished (which... made me cry pretty often, I have to admit) just... poured into your vid... And then there were lots of tears on my face.

The vid is just so gorgeous, and the song choice is pure perfection. The lyric ties you made were spot-on and the innocent yet assertive voice is sooo perfect for Shep. The editing is fantastic, really highlighting the intricate musicality, and I just... want to rewatch it forever and forever.

ME3 ORIGINAL ENDING SPOILER:

I chose to destroy the Reapers, and been feeling so much guilty over EDI (I know, I know, it's just a game), so the ending of your vid really hit me :/

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you SO MUCH! (Actually, I think I got some message that you weren't sure when you'd be able to take a look via...kuwdora I think? So you didn't fail, and I wouldn't have minded if you did anyway!)

But really - I'm so thrilled that you liked the vid. I totally agree that the whole game was a huge 30 hour ending. I liked the end a lot, actually, but I understand why I wasn't in the majority with that. I definitely felt the thing broke me pretty much until I'd made this to sort of...say my piece and make my peace.

The vid doesn't actually represent my canon Shep's experiences entirely. For one thing, she looks different - as I play on XBox, I had no way of capturing the footage, so I used a ton of different online playthroughs to cap the cut scenes, using close variations on the ME1 & ME2 default FemSheps (since they changed it in ME3, but there were a lot of imported playthroughs, whereas, obvs, none for 1 & 2 with ME3 FemShep), both for recognisability and so as not to "steal" anyone's custom Shep.

Because of that, while I followed the broad strokes of my game, I went with a number of tweaked choices that I felt better reflected the tone I was going for (for instance I saved Miranda and Samara, though I immediately regretted the latter; it was her choice, I shouldn't have taken it from her).

But enough random backstage details! I really am just endlessly thrilled that the vid connected so well with you - thanks so much for letting me know. I love the way you describe the "innocent yet assertive" voice - that's just perfect. I'd never have thought to describe it that way, but when I heard it I thought it was so *her*, even though it was...pretty metaphorical and surreal and Shepard is so straightforward and direct, but you totally nailed why it works with that description.

Finally - I totally get feeling guilty about EDI. I chose Destroy on my AltShep playthrough and I honestly almost failed to make myself do it because I felt so bad about EDI. But it's what that Shepard would have done.