The project began with an analysis of films released between 1920 and 1930. I wanted to create something in an early sci-fi aesthetic, but it turned out that this decade actually predates the sci-fi boom, so there was very little material to draw from. Large-scale science-fiction cinema was almost nonexistent at the time.

The simplest solution would have been to use the image of a person sitting in front of a futuristic television and commenting on what is happening on the screen. This image stayed with me from H. G. Wells’ Things to Come. However, that film was released in 1936 and has not yet entered the public domain. Still, I liked the idea.

Instead, a scene from Metropolis was used as the foundation. Overall, the film is assembled from five different films shot in 1930 or slightly earlier.

All video manipulations and animations were done manually. No generative AI was used in this project.

Films used:

High Treason  (1930), Metropolis (1927), Faust (1926), Cops (1922), le cochon danseur (The Dancing Pig 1907).

Music

"Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is marked with CC0 1.0.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22303199

Short Pizzicato Song by DanJFilms -- https://freesound.org/s/529008/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

I. Gnomus Vivo Skidmore College Orchestra https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Skidmore_College_Orchestra/Mussorgskys_Pictures_at_an_Exhibition/I_Gnomus_Vivo/

Millitary music - marching drums by studioste -- https://freesound.org/s/819229/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Orchestral drums.wav by cellokratzer -- https://freesound.org/s/502942/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Symphony orchestra warm-up and tuning by TomOstepop -- https://freesound.org/s/760817/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Terror Trill by ThomEvans -- https://freesound.org/s/741688/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Night in street - atmo orchestral - sad mood.wav by szegvari -- https://freesound.org/s/591008/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Monster Awakens Soundtrack by MusicByMisterbates -- https://freesound.org/s/720981/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Music  Soft Calm Orchestral Ending.mp3 by FunWithSound -- https://freesound.org/s/588393/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Numskull by Beetlemuse -- https://freesound.org/s/650939/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Scary orchestral by Ixwolf -- https://freesound.org/s/547074/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

SFX

Cymbal Swells- R88 by reifer350 -- https://freesound.org/s/733216/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

cymbal 2 by Logicogonist -- https://freesound.org/s/808061/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Musical Windchimes by reifer350 -- https://freesound.org/s/734214/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

G37-02-Comedy Horns.wav by craigsmith -- https://freesound.org/s/438607/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

reversespacecymbal.wav by walkerbelm -- https://freesound.org/s/1386/ -- License: Attribution 4.0