Film: The Betrayal on Kerrigan (Animated Cinematic)
Year: 2010
Director: Nick Carpenter
Synopsis: Sarah Kerrigan, a Confederate Terran ghost is on a scouting and combat mission on the alien planet of Tarsonis when she is faced with an oncoming Zerg invasion. When requesting for an evacuation, the supreme leader Arcturus Mengsk ignores her request and orders the fleet to move out, intentionally leaving Kerrigan behind (much to the angst of Commander Jim Raynor). The animated sequence depicts the final moments of Kerrigan’s battle against the Zerg before eventually submitting as she accepts her demise, looking to the skies as she is eventually overrun by the Zerg.
This is an animated cinematic produced and released by Blizzard Entertainment, developers and publishers of the RTS (Real Time Strategy) game Starcraft II. I chose this piece as it really captures the emotion and tension of the moment, and showcases the terror and tragedy of Kerrigan’s abandonment. Also, the CG and cinematographic techniques along with the music and sound effects work really well to bring the backstory of the gaming characters to life, and the audience can visualize and feel what it must have been like for Kerrigan in her final moments on Tarsonis.