Crowdsource request for vid clips

[bironic]

Okay, so this is a wacky DW/LJ access list that I hope makes sense. I'm looking for help identifying movies & TV shows to scan for clips for a vid project that I'm excited about but don't want to make super public at this point in case it can be completed in time to submit to Festivids. Which means a lot of vidding friends can't see this post.

What I'd like to attempt is a book trailer for the Ancillary Justice/Imperial Radch series. That means using an array of science fiction sources -- or sources that could look like science fiction in the context of this vid -- that are not immediately recognizable but instead can be stitched together in short clips to give the impression of this universe. Sort of the opposite of Starships!, which went for iconic shots.

Not necessary for you to know the books to help out. The Google doc linked below has a list of the sorts of things I'm looking for (or have found), with outstanding items of greatest interest highlighted in yellow, like interior/exterior shots of a non-iconic ship that could pass as the troop carrier Justice of Toren (here's what it looks like in the cover art), or hands opening a case that contains a space/alien-looking gun.

The other key point that makes this a particularly tricky search is that any characters who can be seen in the vid need to be dark-skinned. If possible I'd like to avoid big-name stars unless they're shown from the back or in silhouette or something. I want people watching it to think "Breq" or "Seivarden" (or "character from the book," at least), not "Zoe Saldana" or "Idris Elba." ETA: But to be clear, I don't intend for the vid to focus on faces anyway.

The constraints I put on myself sometimes... *shakes head*

The format and narrative of the vid will depend on the clips acquired. Either way, it'll be short. I've already gotten started, done a lot of reading about the slim history of black actors & actresses in sci fi films, have my final clip in hand, have some music finalists, etc., and a couple of friends have contributed great ideas, but there is a bunch of stuff left to find. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated! Including recommendations for sources that you think might be helpful even if they don't track to a particular item in the spreadsheet.

Here is the Google doc. Warning for book 1 spoilers in the clip descriptions.

Comments

[thedeadparrot]

Okay, this is kind of frustrating because the number of black actors/actresses in the two sources are kind of limited, but for tea preparation/pouring, the Sherlock ep The Blind Banker has a bunch of footage focused on it (and a whole bunch of Asian racism, sigh). Just looked it up on Netflix, and there's plenty of tea porn without hands.

As for soldiers in a mess hall, the first thing that came to mind is BSG. No specific episodes, because I'm terrible like that, but they at least are multi-ethnic?

You might be able to get some shots of a ship exploding from the first ep of BSG (Edit: Ep is actually called Water, which is not the first ep, because I fail at everything) where their water stores are sabotaged and I don't think it's particularly distinctive which ship it is that has lots of explosions in it.

I have that Sherlock and 3 seasons of BSG on DVD as well, so if you want to borrow them, let me know.

[zulu]

Wow, that's such a cool idea. And ambitious!

The thought that occurred to me was the movie Sphere. It has Samuel L Jackson. They're underwater, so more diving suits than space suits, but they also explore a big empty alien ship. I haven't seen the movie in years and years (I'm more familiar with the book), but it might be worth a look for long or establishing shots?

[zulu]

Oh and I don't know if this shot happens in the movie, but it's in the book: the black character, Harry, uses his mental powers to make a row of stasis pods appear to be full of black men. Good for ancillaries, yes?

[chagrined]

The 100 had some good shots of Jaha in a space station (could pass for a ship as well). Especially if you want shots of him alone, the beginning of S2 would be good, before he manages to make it down to Earth. He'd probably make a good Anaander Mianaai or possibly Seivarden. He's probably not super recognizable to most ppl either. His son was also black but I don't think there were as many shots of him on the space station, and he dies early in S1.

I never really thought of the covers of the books having any relation to the canon, actually. They seemed to not relate much, idk, it looked cool but it was all small fighter spaceships which don't ever show up in the story? This is just to say that, from my POV at least, if your versions of the ships looked nothing like those ships on the cover, it would still work for me as a viewer, or possibly work even better.

If I think of more things I'll comment again.

[nightdog_barks]

In The Fifth Element there are some good interior shots of a busy spaceport with lots of people (the sequence where Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich are getting their tickets to board the ship for Phloston Paradise). As I recall, there are also a decent number of multi-ethnic characters.

There are a few strongly-drawn black characters in recent Doctor Who, including Orson Pink and Danny Pink. Also! In the Doctor Who episode "Hell Bent" (from December of last year), there is a Gallifreyan army general played by T'nia Miller. In addition, there is a young soldier, whom I think is this guy (Malachi Kirby).

[deelaundry]

The Professionals for a case with a gun in it?

Or Men In Black, this scene at 0:12, if it's ok for more than one gun? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTqxFIpc1j4

[deelaundry]

Dunno if this footage of Benny from Total Recall can be of any use at all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMAtGaTl6WA

[stultiloquentia]

Stargate: Continuum (2 hr movie) has pretty shots of two people traversing an Arctic snowfield on foot, and maybe also some good ship interiors. SG-1 episode 9x01 might have shots of Cam's downed plane you can use for Nilt.

[bironic]

>>the Sherlock ep The Blind Banker

I will definitely revisit that and let you know if I need to steal your DVD.

I have all of BSG on DVD and have been thinking about browsing it for inside-ship shots but am worried the uniforms will be too distinctive. :/ I will follow up on your thought about the ship explosions, though, for sure.

Thanks!

[bironic]

Definitely good for ancillaries! And yeah, underwater station + alien ship are worth looking at again. Haven't seen the movie since it came out (or read the book in about as long). Thank you!

[bironic]

Oh, interesting. I've never seen The 100, only jarrow's VVC vid. So early S2 for space station stuff? I will check it out for sure.

>> it was all small fighter spaceships which don't ever show up in the story

Yeah, that was weird. I was thinking more of the bigger gray gunbattle-looking ship underneath the individual fighters. Similar shape to the Daedalus from SG-1/SGA. Which, hell, I might end up using if nothing better presents itself. But point well taken about how the cover art isn't canon!

[bironic]

Why do I not remember her from "Hell Bent"? She looks amazing. Maybe it was just a quick shot around that debating table? Hm. *adds to list* Doctor Who seems like a gold mine, although again I'd like to avoid using Martha's face for too long or Danny Pink (♥) for recognizability reasons.

I won't turn down an excuse to scan through The Fifth Element. Maybe there will be something without a lot of aliens or white people.

Now if I could just find those plot anchor-point "action" shots, which in a way are more important than faces...

Thanks!

[bironic]

The Professional, like the movie with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman? Or a different one? Can't use JR/NP because their hands are white, alas.

Oh, Men in Black is a good idea. If not that particular scene, then perhaps others. Thanks!

[bironic]

It actually might be! Thanks! I didn't remember most of that stuff from the movie, wow. Just the drilling vehicle.

[bironic]

Ooh, handy. Thank you! Lemme see where I can get a hold of those.

[chagrined]

I think that vid mostly focused on the shit going down on the ground (tho it's been a while since I watched it). But yeah in S1 and early S2 there was good space station stuff. S1 might have some stuff for you too. In early S2, Jaha is the only one in the space station so you could get good clips of him there without others in the shot. In S1 there's still everyone else and iirc most of the background ppl were white so it might not be as easy to find useful clips. I'd probably say go to the early S2 stuff first to see if the look of the actor & the set would work for you. *looks at episode list* Can't remember if Jaha's season arc started already in 2x01 or not, but it's definitely in 2x02. AND HERE'S WHAT THE CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE: https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=the+100+jaha

Oh right, the background haha. I wasn't even sure if that was a bigger ship or a space station or what necessarily. XD A really huge ship would probably work best for Justice of Toren though, yeah, since we know she was big.

[zulu]

Ooh, that actor would be a good Anaander, especially as she looks when she's first walking into Shis'urna in Justice: an older version of herself, a little stooped, with a beard.

[chagrined]

oh yeah, some of the shots from on the ground might work well for shis'urna too! as the 2nd series goes on the character's beard gets more and more intense from what i recall haha.

[chagrined]

i think it's the professionals that 60s or 70s tv show (from the detachable penis vid!) but i haven't ever seen it (only that vid lol) so idk if it has any black characters either.

[nightdog_barks]

OMG yes, isn't she incredible? As I recall, she is originally a white male Gallifreyan general, but something happens to him (grr, I can't remember what), and as he is also a Time Lord, he regenerates into her.

And I mean, holy hell. I could have watched a lot more of her. :D

♥ ♥ ♥

[kabal42]

The project sounds super exciting! I don't know Ancillary Justice, but it keeps cropping up, so I should probably read it :) Since I don't know the source, I may be way off with my very loose thoughts below. But here goes anyway.

Maybe Jackie Brown (the Tarantino movie) has some gun stuff you can use. Or even Pulp Fiction.

Cryo unit opening could be Snowpiercer. The people being taken out of cryo are played by Korean actors. There are white people around them, but maybe you can get a shot.

Piloting something could be, yes, Idris Elba, in Prometheus. I recall some shots from behind as he rams the huge alien ship with the smaller human ship. His co-pilots I am unsure of, but I seem to recall one of them is Asian and the other at least has dark hair, so... maybe?

Temple might be the old Stargate movie...? It's been too long, but I'm wondering if there might not be something in there with loads of brown people worshipping.

[bironic]

Oh, December of last year as in December of 2015! I didn't recognize her because I'm not caught up on Doctor Who yet! I hope I have a copy of that episode.

...No, of course I don't. 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, Christmas special. Grr.