This Real-Time Computer Animation Of The Titanic Sinking Is Fascinating (But Very, Very Eerie)
USA Today - A heartbreaking animation lets viewers relive the Titanic’s final hours before it sinks to the ocean floor. In a detailed 2-hour, 40-minute video, viewers can hear crew members as they spot the iceberg, and try in vain to avoid it. Throughout the video, text overlay describes pivotal moments like issues with lowering life boats and officers being issued revolvers.
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Everyone knows I’m a big Titanic guy. I’ve always been fascinated by it. I used to do school projects about it, I went to the Titanic museum in Vegas, I really want this Titanic cracker, and a lot of drunk conversations about “how would you survive if you were on the Titanic” have been had. So this video of the Titanic sinking in real time is both fascinating and extremely eerie. On one hand, it’s incredible that we live in a time when this can be re-created. Then on the other hand, it’s too realistic. There’s actually quite a bit of people pissed that this video was made in order to promote a podcast and video game. 1,500 people died….people forget that. It’s kinda crazy, right? 1,500 people is a tonnnnnn of people, and now we’re recreating their deaths to promote a Podcast. Kinda bizarre to think about, especially as a Titanic guy such as myself.
I didn’t watch the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes (if I had that time I’d just watch Titanic for the 105th time), but as I fastforwarded through it, it was mesmerizing. They did a really, really good job with it. And it’s the first of it’s kind to really reach the masses like this. So if you watch it for what it is- a historical recreation of the most famous ship in history sinking, it’s not all that bad (and why the outrage people should probably cool their jets). Close to 5 million people have watched it on YouTube in the last few days, which is a testament to how much the Titanic still means to people. It’s just such a crazy story- most famous ship to ever be built sinks in it’s maiden voyage with 1,500 stuck on board.
Regardless on how you feel about the computer animation, it’s still fascinating and worth a skim through, particularly the last 3 minutes. The last 3 minutes, shit gets real real. A bit too real.
RIP Jack.