Sessions 1, 22, 165, 416.1 & 416.2

[Dave]

Does anyone know anything about these short videos, that show River Tam being interviewed, that have been published online? They were initially claimed to have been circulated by Limewire, but 416 can be found at IFILM viral videos.

I won’t give the address as I'm not sure they are legal, and there are also fairly adult videos there too, but I’m sure that you can find them from that info if you want to.

Are they actually clips from the film ‘Serenity’, or are they a separately made viral promotional campaign, or are they something else? No one seems to know.

In Session 1 she is talking about school and how she'd like something more challenging. This one was the second one released.

Session 416 is a horror video set in the same interview room. River Tam, 415 sessions later... a man sits at a table and convulses before falling down. River looks into the camera and says “I can see you!” It's a nice little short horror film.

And there is now another site with Sessions 22 & 165 too.

Some people who have seen the film say they are not clips. Whedonesque says that they contain spoilers, but only minor ones.

How many Sessions are there in all?

edit: Full transcripts here courtesy of www.session416.com/transcripts.

R. TAM - SESSION 416 - SECOND EXCERPT
RIVER:
I can see you.

R. TAM - SESSION 1 - EXCERPT
INTERVIEWER:
And you like school?
RIVER:
I do. It's....Sometimes things move a little slowly for me.
INTERVIEWER:
I imagine they do. What's your favorite subject?
RIVER:
I'm finding physics a challenge.
INTERVIEWER:
You're in the graduate program already?
RIVER:
They call me "Little Mouse."
INTERVIEWER:
Do you think they're...jealous, because you're so young?
RIVER:
Volger is, a little. He plans to become very important.
INTERVIEWER:
Did he...tell you he was jealous?
RIVER:
Oh, no! I just--
INTERVIEWER:
You feel it.
RIVER:
People tell you things all the time, without talking. The way they move, the way they aren't talking.
INTERVIEWER:
You're very intuitive.
RIVER:
Simon says I was born with a third eye. He hates when I can tell which girls he likes.
INTERVIEWER:
Your brother, he's a doctor, right?
RIVER:
He's a trauma surgeon, in Capital City.
INTERVIEWER:
Quite a family.
RIVER:
Simon's a genius. I can never do what he does.
INTERVIEWER:
I think you could do whatever you put your mind to. That's what the Alliance needs; it's what this institute is all about: your mind. Letting it do everything it could. Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?
[long pause]
RIVER:
Would I still be allowed to dance?

R. TAM - SESSION 22 - EXCERPT
INTERVIEWER:
But you understand why these treatments are important.
RIVER:
I don't think....I'm sorry. I think there's been an error. I don't think....I think I may not be...the right subject for these...for this program.
INTERVIEWER:
It's perfectly natural to feel a little nervous--
RIVER:
I just....If it were possible to be transferred, I would make a....I would like to request a transfer.
INTERVIEWER:
You want to be back in GenEd.
RIVER:
Please.
INTERVIEWER:
You told us that was no good for you. That it was too slow, that's why you're here.
RIVER:
Please. It...hurts.
INTERVIEWER:
Well, I can help you with that. You know how proud Dr. Mathias is of how you're progressing.
RIVER:
I'm not progressing.
[cut]
RIVER:
It's the Pax.
INTERVIEWER:
Tell me what you see.
RIVER:
You lost the first one. You cut too deep; he died on the table. One of your attendants cried and you comforted her. "We're doing such good work."
INTERVIEWER:
Do you understand that that is true? The work we do here is very important, and you're a part of that.
[long pause]
RIVER:
I would like to see my brother.
INTERVIEWER:
Well, you can write to him any time you like--
RIVER:
I need to....I would like please to see him.
INTERVIEWER:
Well, I'm...sure he's very busy.
[long pause]
RIVER:
Yes....Yes, I'm sure.

R. TAM - SESSION 165 - EXCERPT
RIVER:
Yes I have a system. You make an assumption because you have a system, your system, you're symptomatic, it's chronic! You think it's benign, that it has to be cut out, this system is simple. Blanket folded thus the sheet pulled taut the mattress. The mattress can't be trusted, it has to be gutted. I looked under twenty and found a pea and you wonder why I'm not sleeping? [pause] Are you worried that I cut up my mattress for no reason or that I had a perfectly good reason that you can't see? Can't...see...anyone. Even the orderlies wear masks.
INTERVIEWER:
Why did you cut up your mattress?
RIVER:
I am trying to protect my spine.
INTERVIEWER:
Are you worried you might be injured? Your movement trainers have given you excellent marks--
RIVER:
No one will give me a mission.
INTERVIEWER:
A mission.
RIVER:
I have a reason. I'm...rea-son-a-ble. I have a reason.
[cut]
RIVER:
My movement hasn't been dictated yet but I am not here for nothing. I...am a...sti...sty. And you know I have a spine. There's something wrong...with the body politic.
[cut]
RIVER:
[screams] They're sticking in me! It's in the mattress, and it's crawling inside me! You cut it out, You cut it out, You cut it out!

[Dave]

I've watched all these now and they are good, I do hope more are released. I found Ourmedia.org has them all. I've also found out a bit more courtesy of Fireflyfans.net

The interviewer is Joss Whedon himself. They are made in black and white and poor quality recording, probably to add to the mystique. It appears that they are a viral marketing campaign. The did not appear first on Limewire, again that was a rumour spread to add to their appeal:

From the session416.com mirror via Fireflyfans

Where did the "Session 416" video come from?

It was first posted on the IFILM website on August 16, although that site claims the video was found on an unspecified P2P file-sharing network. There is some dispute over whether or not that it the case, as no other mention has yet been found indicating the video came from those networks. It's possible that whoever tipped IFILM to the video told them they found it on such a network even if they did not, in order to increase the mystique surrounding the clip.

What is the "Session 416" video?

At this point, it is mainly believed to be a piece of viral marketing for Serenity, the major motion picture follow-up to the acclaimed (and short-lived) Joss Whedon television series, Firefly.

As of the August 23 release of "Session 1 Excerpt" it is confirmed that this is viral marketing for the movie Serenity.

As of the August 23 release of "Session 1 Excerpt" it is unquestionable that this is official marketing for the movie, in some fashion, given that Summer Glau and Joss Whedon are directly involved.

A fan with connections at Universal has reported that the studio denies being involved in the production of the "Session 416" video. At this stage, it may be prudent to consider that this denial could be technically correct if it was the product of some marketing firm to whom the task had been outsources, and also to keep in mind that in order to maintain the mystique necessary to generate buzz about the video, the studio would have to deny being responsible.

edit: The whole unfolding story of these virals can be read on this board:http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/v...c.php?p=181937
They have even played the static backwards for more clues. The stuff about Paul Probos and John Dowses (Joss Whedon anagram) is interesting too.
It appears these are being released every Tuesday so there will probably be more to come yet.

[Dave]

The fifth and final viral has been released now. Session 416, First Excerpt - In which River tells Dr JW she has a mission, but she can't tell him what it's about. River: "I'll have to write it down ..."

Put together, this episodic prequel tale shows the transformation of young River Tam from an indealistic child genius to an unstable and potentially lethal warrior.

This is a complete list of mirrors where you can watch the virals:
http://www.session416.com/mirrors

I also deny knowledge of those things that I wrote and shot and am in.
-Joss Whedon