Best Of 2012: 5 Visions Of The Post-Apocalyptic Future

I don’t know if it’s the dark, gloomy weather in New York, the stress of the upcoming holidays, or just a case of the Mondays, but this morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Once I got to work, a friend jokingly reminded me that the end of the world is near, and that could be why I was feeling out of whack. December 21st could just mark the beginning of a new era, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. With that in mind, we bring you our favorite interpretations of the post-apocalyptic future. Not surprisingly, they all deal with cyborgs or zombies. See you on the other side… maybe.

Factory Fifteen: Robots of Brixon

Filmmaking collective Factory Fifteen‘s short, Robots of Brixon, portrays the rise of a robotic workforce through the eyes of some bots who wake up in a dreamy naturalistic reality before an inevitable riot breaks out. It’s a beautifully made film, with a very uneasy ending.

Neon Indian: “Polish Girl” by Tim Nackashi

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For Neon Indian‘s “Polish Girl,” director Tim Nackashi envisioned the story of a lonely humanoid who spends his days scanning people’s bodies and thoughts in pursuit of tracking down a long lost love. This view is decidedly more cyber punk than we imagine the future to be, but the erie digital light painting trails give it a slick finish. Watch our behind-the-scenes making-of video here.

Cassette Playa: KARMAGEDDON F/W 2012

If the world’s really going to end this week, you might as well go out on a high note. Cassette Playa’s F/W 2012 collection (and fashion film directed by Weirdcore) suggests preparing for the pending apocalypse by partying hard. If this is how you choose to spend your last night on earth, more power to you. Designer Carri Munden weighs in on dressing for the apocalypse here.

N1ON Productions: True Skin

If you think Times Square is overwhelming, just look at all the distracting screens and holographics portrayed in N1ON‘s dystopian short True Skin. If this future becomes reality, augmented skin and body mods will be the norm and we’ll have the ability to live forever. There’s some truly advanced stuff in this simultaneously dark and bright future.

HEALTH: “Tears” by David Altobelli and Jeff Desom

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Speaking of a dark future, the short film for HEALTH‘s “Tears,” directed by David Altobelli and Jeff Desom, is absolutely terrifying. If you think The Walking Dead is creepy, wait until you check out the zombie babies in the video above. We’re not sure why or how they’re like that, but the kids look so realistic that this video might give us nightmares, again. Read about the insane VFX in our interview.

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