NICHOLAS SIAPKARIS
AlphaOmega: First Contact
Kate Miller
Nicholas Siapkaris’s dramatic short, AlphaOmega: First Contact, predicts the Cylon infiltration of Earth. His short includes nods to the Battlestar Galactica miniseries as well as classic science fiction. “The whole idea of comets and life coming down to Earth from the stars is an homage to the mythology of both the old and new Battlestar Galactica versions.” But the inspiration for this short was not just science fiction, but hard science itself. “The theory that life on Earth came from a comet hitting the planet, bringing life in the form of bacteria, has always intrigued me,” said Nicholas, a documentary editor and script writer who lives in Burbank, California.
Nicholas pieced together bits of science and plot concepts until he came up with the idea: “What if Cylons used bacteria to explore the universe instead of a probe? The Colonials would never know.” While working on his video, Nicholas met lots of other videographers and became most impressed by those who did not have previous filmmaking experience.
“Some of these people are so young!” said Nicholas, whose handle is StrangeCargo on the SciFi.com Forums. “I definitely wasn’t making Battlestar [Galactica] videos when I was a teenager. A lot of these kids could be getting into trouble, and instead they’re making videos.” He added with a laugh, “When I was 16, I was a troublemaker.”
“The forums [is] a nurturing community for video makers,” Nicholas concluded. “Everyone is so helpful. It’s been a great experience with a great community.”
To watch AlphaOmega: First Contact, go to AlphaOmega. To find out more about Nicholas, visit www.strange-cargo.com.