Looking for an Internet video: Humanoid robot soldier patrolling a real, Third World city

September 6, 2012 9:45 AM

Looking for an Internet video: Humanoid robot soldier patrolling a real, Third World city. It combined live action footage -- which looked like Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, etc -- with a digitally inserted, Terminator-like robot soldier patrolling the streets on foot. The robot appeared to be a motion-captured actor, from its level of fidelity. The project appeared to have a somewhat political slant about the eventual use of robots in combat.
posted by Cool Papa Bell to grab bag (5 answers total)

Dammit, a few minutes after posting my question, I find the damn thing myself.

Yeah, so. If you guys know of anything similar to this, a little help?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:55 AM on September 6, 2012

Is it Tetra Vaal from Neil Blomkamp?
posted by curse at 9:55 AM on September 6, 2012 [3 favorites]

That's exactly it. Didn't know it was by Neil Blomkamp! Thanks.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:59 AM on September 6, 2012

This seems pretty similar (I would've said it was the one, but you found it already): Archetype, by Aaron Sims.
posted by CrystalDave at 10:48 AM on September 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

See also the bizarre "Tempbot," featuring the same creator (and same bot)-- this time the Bot is working in an office.

Blomkamp has also made some fan-films for Halo (at least one of which turned into a paid job); he's brilliant at mixing CGI and real footage to convincing effect, mainly, I think, by scrubbing the polish off of so much CGI and degrading its appearance to match the TV source.

And if you haven't seen it, his short film "Alive in Joburg" is the direct inspiration for his feature "District 9."
posted by Sunburnt at 11:20 AM on September 6, 2012 [1 favorite]