#209: Icons
Here is what I refer to as my main set for the current somein30 challenge. It uses hard mode and I have to say that I'm rather proud of it. Not because the icons are particularly usable, but it was quite the project. Again, not even the icons itself, but finding the right subjects/screencaps, how to interpret certain songs, and make it all fit together. Since I already made a mini set for the challenge, I did take my time for this one and doesn't matter how close to the deadline I enter. That said, I did not work on it for a month after initially starting like a day after it was posted. Below the icon table is lengthy(?) write-up about the album itself and the inspiration for each icon.
Round 16 at somein30: The Blacklist, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Handmaid's Tale, Person of Interest, Snowpiercer
hover for fandom
01-04
05-08
09-12
13-16
Alternates
17-19
20-23
This set is inspired by Year Zero from Nine Inch Nails which was released in 2007. It is a concept album dealing with surveillance, a (Christian) faith-based dictatorship in the US, and the resistance against it. The themes gave me my main fandoms: The Handmaid's Tale, Snowpiercer, and Person of Interest. Unfortunately, it's pretty hard by now to find screencaps for the last one. Despite the fact that this album is 15 years old, the topics are still very much relevant. I'm barely scratching the surface here though. There went a lot into the album and the story behind it which you can read about here. There was at one point a show on HBO planned which would have made this challenge even easier. I do feel like I'm cheating a bit by using a concept album ;)
Year Zero also has a clear visual concept. It uses a lot of cold, muted colors. There also a lot of glitch effects. That also gave me a clear idea what to do with the icons. Here you can take a look at all the artwork. For most of the animated icons I used PhotoMosh.
[more details about each icon]
Hyperpower
The album opens with an instrumental. As an inspiration I took the general vibe the song gave me and its title. To me it sounds a bit like marching. So I decided to icon the two way that Gilead asserts power, through military and faith.
The Beginning Of The End
I took this one pretty literally. Picking two caps from one of the flashbacks with June and Moira at a protest which was dissolved with military force.
Survivalism
I got my propaganda I got revisionism
I got my violence in high def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist I got my plan I got survivalism
The only music video made for this album, so I stuck with its aesthetic.
The Good Soldier
I am trying to see
I am trying to believe
This is not where I should be
I am trying to believe
This song is about a reluctant soldier who does not believe in what he is fighting for. Also a very apt description for Bucky Barnes.
Vessel
I can see right through this whole façade
I am becoming something else
I am turning into God
I always thought that this was about a cult leader. I think it fits with how Wilford's followers see him and he definitely thinks of Snowpiercer as "his" train that he created like a God.
Me, I'm Not
And it's happening
Never planned on this
...
Can't seem to shut it off
This thing I've begun
And it's hard to tell-just
Where it's coming from
And it's hard to see
What I'm capable of
Finch definitely struggled with what the technology he developed is capable of and all his fears come true when Samaritan goes online. This icon is mainly inspired by how the show depicts this AI vs The Machine.
Capital G
Don't try to tell how some power can corrupt a person
You haven't had enough to know what it's like
You're only angry 'cause you wish you were in my position
There are different interpretations of what the "Capital G" in this song stands for. Some say it's the G in G.W. Bush, others say it's just for Green as in "dollars are green." The most popular option seems to be that it stands for greed which is also how I would interpret it. So here we have a greedy rich character and some bonus green coloring.
My Violent Heart
This is the first icon I made for this set and this is probably my favorite song from the album. I couldn't even quote specific lyrics (well, apart from the "You can not stop us all" used on the actual icon) since this whole song is the inspiration here. It is from the POV of the rebellion, in this case the tail against Ruth who was at this point still the mouthpiece for Wilford.
The Warning
Some say it was a warning
Some say it's a sign
I was standing right there
When it came down from the sky
I feel like I'm really reaching with this one. The interpretation I'm going with here is that humans are destroying the planet and trying to stop that only made it worse, at least on Snowpiercer, leading to a new ice age.
God Given
Now we know we're right
When His kingdom come
And Thy will be done
We have just begun
We're the chosen ones
The image of the Waterfords and June standing in front of the wings was too perfect. Then I found one which was more of a behind-the-scene shot on the show itself of them on a monitor. Even better for this set.
Meet Your Master
Count down to the end
And we're headed there faster
Come on down my friend
It's time to meet your master
This song is more about the resistance getting their hands on someone of the ruling class. This icon is more of a metaphor with June taking on the Waterfords/Gilead in court.
The Greater Good
I'm just going to quote the wiki page for this one: "The song tells the assimilation of people into believing and following the government of Year Zero." That can also be easily applied to Gilead. Kinda creepy. The style of this icon is heavily inspired by this promotional(?) poster.
The Great Destroyer
I hope they cannot see
The limitless potential
Living inside of me
To murder everything
I hope they cannot see
I am the Great Destroyer
This is the icon I'm least happy with. I suppose if we're going with the storyline of Person of Interest, this icon should come before 6 since it is still about the theoretical possibilities of Finch's surveillance technology.
Another Version Of The Truth
The second instrumental and again I went with the vibe and title of the song. I think this one sounds dark and melancholic. The icon shows the tail, the other side of living on Snowpiercer.
In This Twilight
As the time is running out
Let me take away your doubt
We can find a better place
This is the last icon I made for this set and I really struggled with it. The song itself always sounded very hopeful to me, but the lyrics suggest more doom and a definite goodbye. I tried to depict both here with Reese's final moments in the last episode that include a smile on his face.
Zero-Sum
Shame on us
Doomed from the start
...
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones
For this icon I used a cap from the very first episode. It was not planned to have these two icons next to each other. Style-wise they also kinda compliment each other. I really wanted to get the literal "zeros and ones" in there.
credit & comments are nice | don't modify, claim as your own or hotlink
Feel free to watch this community for updates!
Round 16 at somein30: The Blacklist, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Handmaid's Tale, Person of Interest, Snowpiercer
hover for fandom
01-04
05-08
09-12
13-16
Alternates
17-19
20-23
This set is inspired by Year Zero from Nine Inch Nails which was released in 2007. It is a concept album dealing with surveillance, a (Christian) faith-based dictatorship in the US, and the resistance against it. The themes gave me my main fandoms: The Handmaid's Tale, Snowpiercer, and Person of Interest. Unfortunately, it's pretty hard by now to find screencaps for the last one. Despite the fact that this album is 15 years old, the topics are still very much relevant. I'm barely scratching the surface here though. There went a lot into the album and the story behind it which you can read about here. There was at one point a show on HBO planned which would have made this challenge even easier. I do feel like I'm cheating a bit by using a concept album ;)
Year Zero also has a clear visual concept. It uses a lot of cold, muted colors. There also a lot of glitch effects. That also gave me a clear idea what to do with the icons. Here you can take a look at all the artwork. For most of the animated icons I used PhotoMosh.
[more details about each icon]
Hyperpower
The album opens with an instrumental. As an inspiration I took the general vibe the song gave me and its title. To me it sounds a bit like marching. So I decided to icon the two way that Gilead asserts power, through military and faith.
The Beginning Of The End
I took this one pretty literally. Picking two caps from one of the flashbacks with June and Moira at a protest which was dissolved with military force.
Survivalism
I got my propaganda I got revisionism
I got my violence in high def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist I got my plan I got survivalism
The only music video made for this album, so I stuck with its aesthetic.
The Good Soldier
I am trying to see
I am trying to believe
This is not where I should be
I am trying to believe
This song is about a reluctant soldier who does not believe in what he is fighting for. Also a very apt description for Bucky Barnes.
Vessel
I can see right through this whole façade
I am becoming something else
I am turning into God
I always thought that this was about a cult leader. I think it fits with how Wilford's followers see him and he definitely thinks of Snowpiercer as "his" train that he created like a God.
Me, I'm Not
And it's happening
Never planned on this
...
Can't seem to shut it off
This thing I've begun
And it's hard to tell-just
Where it's coming from
And it's hard to see
What I'm capable of
Finch definitely struggled with what the technology he developed is capable of and all his fears come true when Samaritan goes online. This icon is mainly inspired by how the show depicts this AI vs The Machine.
Capital G
Don't try to tell how some power can corrupt a person
You haven't had enough to know what it's like
You're only angry 'cause you wish you were in my position
There are different interpretations of what the "Capital G" in this song stands for. Some say it's the G in G.W. Bush, others say it's just for Green as in "dollars are green." The most popular option seems to be that it stands for greed which is also how I would interpret it. So here we have a greedy rich character and some bonus green coloring.
My Violent Heart
This is the first icon I made for this set and this is probably my favorite song from the album. I couldn't even quote specific lyrics (well, apart from the "You can not stop us all" used on the actual icon) since this whole song is the inspiration here. It is from the POV of the rebellion, in this case the tail against Ruth who was at this point still the mouthpiece for Wilford.
The Warning
Some say it was a warning
Some say it's a sign
I was standing right there
When it came down from the sky
I feel like I'm really reaching with this one. The interpretation I'm going with here is that humans are destroying the planet and trying to stop that only made it worse, at least on Snowpiercer, leading to a new ice age.
God Given
Now we know we're right
When His kingdom come
And Thy will be done
We have just begun
We're the chosen ones
The image of the Waterfords and June standing in front of the wings was too perfect. Then I found one which was more of a behind-the-scene shot on the show itself of them on a monitor. Even better for this set.
Meet Your Master
Count down to the end
And we're headed there faster
Come on down my friend
It's time to meet your master
This song is more about the resistance getting their hands on someone of the ruling class. This icon is more of a metaphor with June taking on the Waterfords/Gilead in court.
The Greater Good
I'm just going to quote the wiki page for this one: "The song tells the assimilation of people into believing and following the government of Year Zero." That can also be easily applied to Gilead. Kinda creepy. The style of this icon is heavily inspired by this promotional(?) poster.
The Great Destroyer
I hope they cannot see
The limitless potential
Living inside of me
To murder everything
I hope they cannot see
I am the Great Destroyer
This is the icon I'm least happy with. I suppose if we're going with the storyline of Person of Interest, this icon should come before 6 since it is still about the theoretical possibilities of Finch's surveillance technology.
Another Version Of The Truth
The second instrumental and again I went with the vibe and title of the song. I think this one sounds dark and melancholic. The icon shows the tail, the other side of living on Snowpiercer.
In This Twilight
As the time is running out
Let me take away your doubt
We can find a better place
This is the last icon I made for this set and I really struggled with it. The song itself always sounded very hopeful to me, but the lyrics suggest more doom and a definite goodbye. I tried to depict both here with Reese's final moments in the last episode that include a smile on his face.
Zero-Sum
Shame on us
Doomed from the start
...
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones
For this icon I used a cap from the very first episode. It was not planned to have these two icons next to each other. Style-wise they also kinda compliment each other. I really wanted to get the literal "zeros and ones" in there.
credit & comments are nice | don't modify, claim as your own or hotlink
Feel free to watch this community for updates!