Whedonesque : Comments on 7633 : Another viral marketing clip mysteriously surfaces

The owner of that website is asking for help mirroring the file. Mods: Am I allowed to post a link to the video that's hosted on my own website? I don't want to break Whedonesque rules but the current video link isn't working very well, and I have some bandwidth to spare.

EDIT: I've changed the link above to a better source.

[ edited by Succatash on 2005-08-24 01:33 ]

Succatash | August 24, 03:21 CET

You can post a link to your site in a comment. More than likely iFilm will pick up the viral clip and the link will be changed accordingly.

Simon | August 24, 03:26 CET

Neat, definitely Joss talking in this one.

zeitgeist | August 24, 03:38 CET

Hey thats Joss talking. I'm liking these clip things. I wonder how many there will be?

eddy | August 24, 03:38 CET

I was just going to post that Joss is getting a chance to do some acting here. You guys are too quick.

palehorse | August 24, 03:39 CET

I think Joss is a good actor.

Succatash | August 24, 03:39 CET

So now there's no doubt that it's Summer and Joss, right? That was such an awesome clip. But I think the first one would do better at wrangling in new fans.

einral | August 24, 03:39 CET

Not a bad clip. Better than the third one where the cleaner comes in, empties the waste paper basket and then leaves. That one is just dull, I tell you.

Simon | August 24, 03:40 CET

I like the one when David Boreanaz tries to pass himself off as interesting and charis... wait what clip are we talking about?

TheZeppo | August 24, 03:42 CET

The musical one is shiny! :)

SpookyRiverFan | August 24, 03:44 CET

I prefer the silent one myself.

eddy | August 24, 03:45 CET

I loved seeing Joss in that Penguin suit

nixygirl | August 24, 03:50 CET

One thing I noticed about that clip was that, for a moment, I though I was looking a Winifred not River.

SpookyRiverFan | August 24, 03:52 CET

Ah excellent, been hoping we'd get another of these sooner rather than later.

Paul_Rocks | August 24, 04:26 CET

I love this clip! "Would I still be allowed to dance?" Very touching.

electricspacegirl | August 24, 04:26 CET

einral I think the first one is supposed to get people interested and the rest of the clips are going to show what happened up to that point.

Odysseus | August 24, 04:27 CET

We appear to have killed the server.

Paul_Rocks | August 24, 04:36 CET

We are just so awesome.

TheZeppo | August 24, 04:39 CET

Ain't we just? :)

Paul_Rocks | August 24, 04:42 CET

Some one needs to make a bitTorrent of the file so that we can download it without killing someone's server. Or maybe upload it to iFilm.com again.

Matt_Fabb | August 24, 04:57 CET

i converted it into wmv session1.wmv

Mr Universe | August 24, 04:59 CET

Very clever. esg, I loved that line, too. Simon, it all depends on what is in the wastebasket :)

samatwitch | August 24, 05:00 CET

How. frickin'. cool.

Thanks Mr Universe. It wouldn't play for me elsewise. And yup, definitely Joss.

Willowy | August 24, 05:13 CET

I downloaded it from this site.

electricspacegirl | August 24, 05:14 CET

Thank you Mr. Universe, I couldn't get it to play until I got your link (and unlike popular opinion, I LOVE your name! LOL).

embers | August 24, 05:15 CET

I love this one. Love it much. The way Summer delivers that last line? Man.

Josh_ | August 24, 05:23 CET

It seems I've misjudged these clips. Joss Whedon does have a fairly unmistakably distinctive voice. One that kind of works against the general sense of menace and foreboding this clip is going for, if I may say so. Summer Glau is also looking unmistakably like herself in this one.

Jack Gladney | August 24, 05:26 CET

My favorite is the one where (and I'm simultaneously disappointed and relieved that no one else said this yet) Ben is Glory... wait, what?!

zeitgeist | August 24, 05:35 CET

Jack Gladney, I don't understand. Do you mean because she's acting normal? She hasn't been messed with yet, so she wouldn't be acting loopy. Or do you mean something else?

Josh_, your last name wouldn't be Wheldon_ by any chance, would it?

jaynelovesvera | August 24, 05:36 CET

IFILM knows it exists. In actuality, IFILM claims to have a total of four such clips in their possession, but hasn't been posting them.

The One True b!X | August 24, 05:39 CET

Wait... her name's River???? I thought it was RAIN!

TheZeppo | August 24, 05:40 CET

I've FINALLY been able to see the clip it thanks to my hero Mr. Universe (which, now that I think about it, is a lovely bit of poetic justice...), and I have a couple of thoughts:

-Definitely, definitely Joss sitting there with her. I'd bet my life on it. I disagree that Joss' voice goes against the discomfort that the clip is meant to infuse. In fact, I think his voice works for the clip in this instance because it's still incredibly creepy even though he sounds like a kind gentle person. Or maybe even because he sounds like a kind gentle person. It's the serial killer in a Santa suit. It's the horrible government official bent on destroying an innocent teenager, who just happens to sound like a kindergarten teacher. The menace doesn't have to be in the voice. We feel it in the questions he's asking and in the way he's directing the conversation.

-I've watched this about four times now and I'm loving how nuanced and subtexty it is. It's particularly evident in River's little "People tell you things all the time without talking" speech. There's so much content in this minute and a half it's not even funny.

-It's possible that River smiles more in this excerpt than in all the episodes of the series and the film combined. Summer does an incredible job of playing the distinction between the River who sat in that chair and the River we all know and love. There's something so fresh, so innocent about this River and frankly it's a joy to see when all we know of her is morbid and creepifying.

-"Would I still be allowed to dance?" Genius.

(Edited because I need to learn to proofread)

[ edited by binkaboo on 2005-08-24 04:06 ]

binkaboo | August 24, 05:55 CET

you guys are welcome. You know how who ever posts this videos keep saying it's from limewire or p2p sites, I just searched for "Session" or "R TAM" or any other combination and they are a bunch of PORN videos.

Mr Universe | August 24, 06:01 CET

-"Would I still be allowed to dance?" Genius.

And heart-wrenching because we know what they do to her by the time of Session 416.

The One True b!X | August 24, 06:04 CET

I wonder if the Session 416, has anything to do with the Project 314....
hahahaha
Great video...
I'm still feeling a bit uneasy about thow the movie will play to large audiences, hopefully everything will go all right.

Numfar PTB | August 24, 06:09 CET

Binkaboo, exactly. Joss is very creepy in that clip. And River - sweet and innocent before the Alliiance violates her.

electricspacegirl | August 24, 06:11 CET

Great stuff. I hope they release a few more! It's tantalising, and makes me want to watch the movie more. :D I'm going to spread this around so that it makes my friends interested too.

non sequitur | August 24, 06:18 CET

Non-crazy River. Who'da thunk we'd ever see it?

IMForeman | August 24, 06:34 CET

I bet this shows up as a goodie on the DVD.

Succatash | August 24, 06:36 CET

I used to be Net savvy, years ago, now I couldn't pass Net Knowledge 301. So, in Cap'n Dummy talk, what is viral marketing, vis a vis these video clips? Or maybe more directly, what do people do with these clips, if anything? Does it even have anythng to do with these video clips? Etc.

Thank you.

Drifter | August 24, 06:43 CET

This is virtually free advertising for Universal and another chance for fans to spread the word.

Succatash | August 24, 06:45 CET

These guys (Joss and Crew) constantly surprise me - I love it. It's almost like 'You Can't Stop the Signal' is a mainstream rally cry - but this 'Session 416' storyline is for the fans.

But I would have given it all away for another season of FireFly :/ It's bittersweet

CHRi5 | August 24, 06:58 CET

jaynelovesvera

I just mean that it's absolutely clear with this clip that Summer Glau and Joss Whedon appear in in it. It was, at least to me, a lot less clear whether Summer Glau or just someone who looked like her appeared in the first clip that was released.

Jack Gladney | August 24, 07:05 CET

SpookyRiverFan wrote:
"One thing I noticed about that clip was that, for a moment, I though I was looking a Winifred not River."

That's probably because Amy Acker and Summer Glau are both from Texas, and Summer's accent is coming out in a way that it didn't during the series (perhaps from trying to play a much younger girl).

This is certainly easier to watch than what THEY have made her over the next 415 sessions. Who'd've thought that in the end the Alliance is... Joss! Ah, it's always the one you least expect.
-----

Drifter: As I understand it, "viral marketing" is nontraditional marketing of a product that spreads contagiously and often without explanation, especially on the Internet. The idea is that you send the link or file to everyone and wonder what it's about. When you know it's about Serenity, more interest for the film is generated, mostly for free. There are also "Alternate Reality Games," which make you follow hidden clues to get more pieces of a puzzle. But that doesn't seem to be the case, yet anyway.

[ edited by Ying on 2005-08-24 06:22 ]

Ying | August 24, 08:13 CET

I love the way Joss moves the pen in and out of frame at one point.
He's saying "Look..sweet girl...goes crazy kills me with the here pen...come see why."
I love the movies, I hope we get some torture ones also. :)
Ah... I'm so evil.

nixygirl | August 24, 08:29 CET

I thought that the "little mouse" bit was an inspired touch.

And did you catch her expression as she was talking about Simon? If we ever doubted before ... :)

Now I have this urge to see "Safe" again. Does that seem right to you?

[ edited by NickSeng on 2005-08-24 06:33 ]

NickSeng | August 24, 08:31 CET

There are also "Alternate Reality Games," which make you follow hidden clues to get more pieces of a puzzle. But that doesn't seem to be the case, yet anyway.

FYI, we've now located what may be two "in-game" email addresses. So this may at the very least be a kind of hybrid between just viral marketing and ARG. We'll see.

The One True b!X | August 24, 09:14 CET

I must point out that when she said little mouse I couldn't help but think of the classic song 'Little Mouse' from the BBC series Look Around You. Someone has to be with me on this, right? Hey there, little mouse... Listen to the song or see other fun at the BBC Look Around You site.

zeitgeist | August 24, 09:37 CET

Honestly, this is the first time Joss has ever repulsed me. His semi-lecherous tone and fawning over River's capabilities are unsettling, to say the least- he made the perfect Alliance interviewer/interrogator!
Add my thanks to Mr. Universe for converting the clip.

aver | August 24, 10:12 CET

FYI, if people know of or come across more mirrors of these clips, please email me via the link on Session 416, so I can add them to my master mirrors list.

Thanks.

The One True b!X | August 24, 10:21 CET

Chalk me up as impressed at Joss's (voice) acting. Much more convincing and creepy than I'd have neccessarily thought. He might have been a pretty good Badger after all....

In any case, it would certainly be interesting to see him get a fairly meaty part in someone elses film. It'd be cool if he could get a Sydney Pollak-style side career going as an actor.

bobster | August 24, 10:21 CET

I've added a SciFI Wire report about the clips to the subject line.

Simon | August 24, 10:25 CET

I've added a SciFI Wire report about the clips to the subject line.

I like the bit where 'Versal again denies any knowledge. Heh.

The One True b!X | August 24, 10:30 CET

So judging by the clip that comes after this, my guess is she's not allowed to dance??

Rogue Slayer | August 24, 10:55 CET

But she does in "Safe" doesn't she?

TheZeppo | August 24, 11:02 CET

It had to happen.

Spoof of the first clip that surfaced.

Simon | August 24, 13:15 CET

Funny spoof, Simon. Thanks for linking to it.

I never cease to be amazed at how quickly something becomes well-known enough on the Internet that a parody is even possible.

palehorse | August 24, 14:42 CET

Love to see el Joss act. And Joss *is* the Alliance. Hmm. Are we then being manipulated by the Alliance? Thanks to Mr. Universe from here too. I could actually download it on my dial up!

Lioness | August 24, 16:18 CET

This was just picked up by slashdot too. Which means session416.com is bound to go down in the not too distant future since that is what they are linking to.

After watching that clip I was kind of amazed to realize I knew it was Joss without ever seeing him. I mean, he is not an actor, he is not someone's voice I hear everyday. And I still knew it was him - without question, as did almost everyone here. He has such a rapport with the fans. I don't think that can be said about many people who live behind the camera.

Inanis | August 24, 16:38 CET

Simon, thanks for the spoof clip. Pretty funny.

jaynelovesvera | August 24, 16:42 CET

I can't help but feel that the River we see here is significantly less confident than the baby River we see in "Safe." It makes me wonder if somewhere between that and Simon's success in school, she began to feel as though she weren't quite as smart as she used to think.

Kiba | August 24, 17:12 CET

Ok, OT, but since we're talking about Joss acting....For anyone who's seen Serenity(no spoilers), am I right when I think I hear an actor with Joss' voice?? Each time I've watched it, it sounds JUST like Joss! I won't describe the scene, but it's an old guy who's obviously not Joss, but I wonder if Joss dubbed his lines. Because he SO sounds like him. Anyone? Just me? Ok...

Rogue Slayer | August 24, 18:22 CET

Wow, another Joss Whedon <-> Orson Welles link:

They both have great voices.

(Though I can't see him as Brain on Pinky and the Brain.)

bookrats | August 24, 20:32 CET

Here's the link to the coverage on slashdot.org, if anyone is interested in reading it.

I wonder how long before Boing Boing picks up the story.

Matt_Fabb | August 24, 22:08 CET

This was just picked up by slashdot too. Which means session416.com is bound to go down in the not too distant future since that is what they are linking to.

We're doing ok so far. Network congestion out the rear-end, but no actual crashing yet. Mainly, I think people are being smart and pulling the videos themselves form other sources, such as the original IFILM link and from the Ourmedia mirrors I set up. So the traffic to session416.com is, I think, just to the texty pages.

The One True b!X | August 24, 22:14 CET

Glad to hear the site is doing well. /. has been known to take down a site or two :) Your site is great. I checked it out last night and was surprised how fast you got everything up.

I must say I had a real 'yippee' moment when I found that story posted. I spend a good amount of my online time between this site and /. It is always great to see the two become intertwined.

Inanis | August 24, 22:34 CET

When I watched these scenes, I thought of 'Ariel'. "Two by two, hands of blue." Did our boys with their mind exploding wands kill the questioner because he was getting too close to the truth? River could also sensed their presence in that episode. "I see you." Gawd, that final scene of River is creepy!

Madhatter | August 24, 23:15 CET

Shiny! It's nice to see River pre-craziness. And interesting that she thought she could never be as smart as Simon, and that he's the genius, when later Simon thought the same of her.

Razor | August 24, 23:59 CET

August 24 2005