SCP-5050 / Discussion

This is the discussion related to the wiki page SCP-5050.

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Author Post

JackalRelated 21 Jan 2020 04:57

No terror shall exist in my domain: only violent understandings.

A huge undertaking authored by yours truly, JackalRelated. Made with a lot of support, especially from these fellows:

» Show

aismallard
Modulum
Yossipossi
Rounderhouse
Sterbai - for providing the voice for Military Complex One/The Viceroy and the picture of Capis Cai!
djkaktus
Uncle Nicolini
alces_alces does not match any existing user name

Idea inspired from a forum post by user Rainbowknishes and a helping of classic Doctor Who aestheticism. A lot of religious undertones are in this skip as well. A decent amount of it didn't pass the chopping block, but it would have dragged on had I not removed it.

Technically coldposted this since I didn't get any crit besides aesthetics prior to posting.

I worked on this for a loooong time, and I hope you all enjoy! Good luck and well wishes to the other 5kon competitors.

Writing music: Popcorn and Little Russian, both referenced in the skip.

» image links

Images/sounds used in the videos:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wooden_Table_Part.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SMPTE_Color_Bars.svg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Conrad_(S64-31465).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barkan_greg.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SMPTE_bars_and_tone.ogv
https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4541-townie-loop/

SCP-5000 Images:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/ToraToraToraTowerA.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E9%87%9D%E5%B0%BE%E9%80%81%E4%BF%A1%E6%89%80_20150920_-_Panoramio_124004306.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Entrance_of_Hario_Radio_Tower.jpg/1024px-Entrance_of_Hario_Radio_Tower.jpg

Drachen-Domane Images:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/AkutanZero3.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/206th_CA_Officers.JPG
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Military_Police_Major_Kenworthy_on_18_September_1947_at_the_residence_of_the_Philippine_High_Commissioner,_from_-_Japanese_War_Crimes_Trials._Manila_-_NARA_-_292615_(cropped).tiff
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Markgr%C3%A4flerhof_Basel_aussen.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Ron_M.%2C_Wagner_F.E.%2C_Zaginaichenko_S.Yu._and_Schur_D.V.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lodewijk_Woltjer_during_ESO_Garching_HQ_inauguration.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vatican_City_map_EN.png
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_of_Dublin_1837_map.jpg

Personnel Images:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vier_Edison-winnaars_v.l.n.r._violisten_Herman_Krebbers_en_Arthur_Grumiaux,_dir,_Bestanddeelnr_918-3832.jpg
https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/5f2dee1e-1269-4314-87b8-5ec88faa0e4a
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B%C3%A9res_Ilona_1963-ban_(Fortepan,_146877).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AZ_N.tif
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1963._Dr._Russ_G._Mitchell,_Research_forest_entomologist._Sellwood_Lab._Portland,_Oregon._(35164625875).jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Major-general-lansdale.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1960_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:12th_Duke_of_Marlborough_Allan_Warren.jpg

Misc Images:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chess_tile_rl-whitebg.svg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Autopsy_report_of_William_E._Colby_%281996%29.pdf

Media edited with Photopea/Sony VEGAS 10.0. All media (music, images, video) otherwise not present or listed here was created by me.

(Sorry Japanese Branch)

Slots:

• 5050
• 5002
• 5003
• 5995
• 5333

Last edited on 01 Feb 2022 20:29 by JackalRelated Show more

Yossipossi 21 Jan 2020 07:38

I was holding off on reading this because I didn't want to be spoiled. I'm so glad I didn't.

+1, you glorious bastard. Happy you managed to finish this in time!

JackalRelated 21 Jan 2020 08:09

Oh, I don't think I would have without the support of my friends! I thank you for supporting me when I was feeling doubtful about my 5k entry!

Modulum 21 Jan 2020 08:04

This is, in a few words, a spectacular achievement. My mind is blown, my wig has been snatched.

The amount of careful detail put into this story is so, so well done, and it excellently contributes to that terrible-unnatural-disturbance-in-a-sleepy-town trope of horror that you nail. This plays out like a damn movie, setting the atmosphere and the subsequent pacing of the investigations in a tight and gripping way.

And this is not to mention the media, which is stunning. Original images, animations, fucking videos. Some really inspired ideas like spectrograms and scanned documents and hotel notes. And what I like is that it feels intimately tied to the reading experience; the beginning image with the "LOVE THE TOWER PRAISE THE TOWER" stuff - very trope-y, but absolutely sold the eldritch creepy angle in a refreshing snappy way.

This hit uncanny valley feelings all over. The bizarre newscasts, complete with wrong-looking chilling logos - perfectly building and illustrating the feeling of takeover, the themes of propaganda and worship. The presentation - distributing details so that the situation felt gritty and real.

I consider this a masterful tribute to the horror genre - a simple story about a godlike entity playing with a small group/town (very reminiscent of Doctor Who, of course), but told so cinemetically, with such precision and scope, that it embodies the story completely, and is brought to life.

You've come so far as a writer since you started, Jackal - I'm just surprised it happened this fucking quickly.

Last edited on 21 Jan 2020 13:59 by Modulum Show more

JackalRelated 21 Jan 2020 08:08

Yeouch, this is some unbelievably high praise coming from you, Mod! I'm just appreciative that you like it so much. Really, those are some extremely kind words from you.

All I have to say is: mega thank you for leaving such a positive review!!!!!!

Shaggydredlocks 28 Jan 2020 03:43

I'll have to second Mod's critique here because I am simply too goddamn stunned at this absolute masterpiece (also, tired) to write anything nearly as meaningful.

I'll just thank you for a truly rewarding reading experience for now and call it a day. I genuinely did not think I'd come across anything in this contest that would blow me away; this did exactly that.

Uncle Nicolini 21 Jan 2020 13:59

this entry has the absolute best use of media in any entry. its very atmospheric and though it does follow typical story beats of a weird town with cursed media, it executes these tropes well and does enough to keep things fresh. my only complaints are that sometimes the media takes a while to load; maybe shrinking filesizes would be for the better. anyway, easy +1. i hope to see this climb.

A Random Day 21 Jan 2020 16:06

There's a lot to like about this; the PENTAGRAM is used exceedingly well and the logs from Sampi-3 and Sampi-4 contribute to the paranoid science-fiction thriller theme. Kontakteen and the Viceroy are also fantastic characters, and the use of mixed media is aggressively good. However, I dislike the ending and think that the final spectrogram is a much better note to end on.

Last edited on 21 Jan 2020 16:08 by A Random Day Show more

Yamatto 22 Jan 2020 07:37

Yeah that last addenda just sends the whole thing into narm territory, some random crazy ai from the 1960s running its own fascist town via brainwashing is perfectly ok in the foundationverse, same ai abruptly taking over the foundation via uploaded documents?
Not so much.
Null vote.

JackalRelated 22 Jan 2020 12:13

That's pretty understandable - the last addenda is pretty hit or miss. It's also more intended to be "rogue aic" rather than completely taking over the Foundation.

Brewsterion 1017 22 Jan 2020 15:46

I really like this. There's not a lot that I can say without echoing some of the earlier comments. The feeling of uncanny is perfectly executed throughout this piece, with some parts of it eliciting that sort of "We need to get out, NOW" feeling from me. I personally liked the final addendum, as it's sort of closer to the horror movie style this piece seems to be going for. A very clear +1.

Grigori Karpin 23 Jan 2020 06:11

I can honestly say that this is my favorite entry. It took me on such a ride, and the final twist is glorious.

Genuinely blown away by this entry. Like those above, the images really cinch this for me… but the slow but methodical revelations are phenomenally Executed. For my money, this is one of the few real "mysteries" of this contest…. how this can be so criminally underrated?

Above all else, the characters are fleshed out and believable, and the uneasy tension of the piece continues to grow until I was overwhelmingly of the opinion everyone should get the hell outta that town.

+1 enthusiastically.

PS: the title is straight fire.

Last edited on 23 Jan 2020 06:13 by Grigori Karpin Show more

Dr Balthazaar 23 Jan 2020 07:35

Absolutely fantastic work! I am all about cults and towers and this mixed them both with something truly unexpected. Super rad, +1

sachiel187 24 Jan 2020 04:51

two enthusiastic thumbs up. the influence of doctor who can be felt all over this article. everything came together at the end, and that last page was magnificently executed. this truly felt 5000-worthy as a cinematic epic about the foundation's past failures.

+1 and godspeed in the contest.

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