Is there a lack of creativity in NuBSG Costumes and culture Lack

[stj]

MetroKid wrote:

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Here is the relevant port of the Series Bible regarding the contemporary look of the show:

Source: http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Battlestar_Galactica/

I initially misread this as from the Caprica series bible. But it is the same franchise and Caprica is the series with costume issues. BSG proper had uniforms and (supposedly) random scraps of travel clothing.

To answer the question, given the imitation of Mad Men, no.

Edited for horrible misreading of quote

[David cgc]

You know Mad Men premiered in 2007, and Battlestar Galactica (and the Writers' Bible from which that was quoted) dates to 2003, right?

[Kegg]

^
I'm assuming he's thinking of Caprica, which apes some more 1950s elements of fashion, and is post-Mad Men to boot.

But Battlestar Galactica wasn't one for fedoras; so I think the description given the bible is something the show fairly well realised.

[stj]

Yes, I was including Caprica in nuBSG. While I still think Caprica also wants to be about "us" but still imitates Mad Men (despite projecting new technololgy when it wants,) I did misread the quote as from the Caprica series bible. My error, sorry.

[doubleohfive]

Is there a lack of creativity in NuBSG Costumes and culture

No.

[3D Master]

Teiwaz wrote:

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Does anybody have a problem with the costumes on the NuBSG?

Yes.

[doubleohfive]

^ Care to elaborate?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Teiwaz wrote:

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As regards the Starfleet Uniforms, I seem to recall something about the ones worn in the first series causing medical complaints so much that they had to be redesigned for following series.

Yep. The one-piece uniforms worn in the first two seasons were causing back problems for the actors wearing them. The two-piece jobs were considered to be much more comfortable. (And a lot more professional looking, IMHO.)

[Teiwaz]

I started this thread some time ago, asking If there was a lack of creativity in the costumes in NuBSG. I'd just watched about half of the first series and the miniseries and I came away feeling something was lacking from the show.

I don't think I worded the question right, or if I really understood what the question was.
The costumes of a parallel-seeming world being identical to western-society shouldn't have bothered me, but they did. Perhaps I was boxed in by my preconceptions having grown up with the original BSG.

I understand the logic of the 'bible' reasons for the costume choices in that the producers wanted the audience to identify with the characters. I understand the concepts of a 'racial memory' idea, and of the idea of history as a 'cycle'.

I also appreciate budget concerns RE: multiple costumes and design costs.

However I still feel something was lacking. I felt the same way about Heroes, and the episode of V 2009 a friend showed me recently left me feeling the same way. It reminded me of the Stargate SG1 episodes about the A-Shen, the boring humourless and sneaky planet-stealers, and that was before the Visitors appeared on-screen. It felt similar to NuBSG, it felt like cold steel girders and glass, the structure was solid but it felt cold and empty.

I haven't seen Caprica yet, nor the new Star Trek movie, so I can't judge if this is something in the recent spate of SCi-Fi that turns me off.

Is it the current trend toward 'realistic' visions of the future or is it the vision of a future without optimism, even the Cyberpunk genre had more warmth than I've seen recently.

[Peter the Younger]

I get what RDM was trying to do, for both stylistic and budgetary reasons, but personally, I would have nudged it just a teeny tiny bit farther away from recognizable 21st century fashion. Personally I kind of liked Baltar's suit in the miniseries (although I wouldn't want everybody to wear theirs quite that tight.) There are other little cultural things that don't quite gel with his explanation, either, but I can't really discuss them without getting into heavy spoiler territory.

[Teiwaz]

Peter the Younger wrote:

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I get what RDM was trying to do, for both stylistic and budgetary reasons, but personally, I would have nudged it just a teeny tiny bit farther away from recognizable 21st century fashion. Personally I kind of liked Baltar's suit in the miniseries (although I wouldn't want everybody to wear theirs quite that tight.) There are other little cultural things that don't quite gel with his explanation, either, but I can't really discuss them without getting into heavy spoiler territory.

Exactly my feelings on the matter. Parallels are okay, exact copies just feel wrong. I'll have to watch the miniseries again to see how I feel about Baltars suit, about I seem to recall I thought it was okay. It was the Presidential staff suits I thought broke the vision for me.

I haven't gotten much further than halfway through the first series as I was away April, so I can't say that I have any experience of the deeper cultural traits of the show. What I saw of the religion was pretty lame, but then I thought the Minbari religious practices were badly realised in B5, the G'Qon ceremony for all its much smaller segment and less relevance was far better, I hear even some groups are using G'Kars words in their rites.