Weights and Readings

Greetings, one and all! This week saw a lot of troubleshooting and mod engineering. Specifically, we worked through how to give the proper weight to sidearm props, some of which have already been “finished” (in the sense of assembly and painting). We’ve figured out the inexpensive solution to the weight problem, namely rebar down the barrels, but which adhesive to use so that we can get it down the barrel without significant loss on the way in? That’s… still in progress.

Next up, we worked on new prop designs, chiefly figuring out what the in-universe computers and flashlights will look like, and how we can make them out of random junk from our own collections and the local thrift stores. Lastly, we did a couple more readings, and reviewed all of the major performances to date.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Laying Track and Acting Casualties

Greetings, one and all! So we started this week with finishing off the music for yet another block of the film, which meant that the next thing I had to do was render out more reference edits for the next block of composing. After that we had a micro production meeting, this one about post production, and how to streamline it. This conversation put me in the mind, so next up we did an effects shot breakdown. This took a lot longer than I was expecting, but in the end we had a pretty good idea of the work ahead of us.

After that we scheduled some followup readings, and ran one of them before the end of blog week. Next up, we bit the bullet and did some supply runs, preparing for the next stage of prop creation. Along with this, we’ve been working on the pouches for some of our characters and extras.

Last up, the stunt team met again, and continued with the theme of last week, this time focusing on weapons injuries. Then we brought all of their training together by having them choreograph a short fight scene where they die at the end. After all that, we gave them the 101 on the use of the single sword.

This was the first week where I finally planned enough material to cover the full session and keep up with their rate of learning. It’s exhausting, but fun.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Expanding Sets and Expanding Skills

Greetings, one and all! Well, we opened up this week with building another wall, and doing material prep for the next two, which we then completed the next day, bringing our wall tally up to four. Next up will be a wall or two with a door, and then hopefully some supporting columns to provide some interest and definition to the set. Figuring out how to do all that with the materials at hand… that will be the real challenge.

The later part of the week hosted yet another reading, followed by a spot of leatherwork, and some performance analysis to see who fits with what roles the best, if any. On top of that, the week hosted two more composing sessions, which brings us up to 80-85 percent completion on yet another block of the film.

Lastly, the team met again and reviewed parrying, then dove into training the new stunties in the fine art of taking a hit for the camera.

They learned all this quickly enough that we then filled in the rest of the time with teaching a basic throw in longsword plays.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

On Walls and Sharp Pointy Objects

Greetings, one and all! While last week was mostly paperwork, this week was decidedly… not. We opened the week with organizing salvaged wood, closely followed by seizing the brief warm weather to paint the next batch of prop weapons, as well as touch up one from the previous batch.
After that, we jumped into planning and building the first wall for our modular sci-fi colony sets. This we managed using exclusively materials that were acquired for the Nine Isles projects, mostly material from the tavern set, but with some of the leftovers from the office, as well. Now that the system for the first wall has been developed, hopefully the next few will go much more quickly.

Next up, we had to divert from that project to meet with some fellow filmmakers and potential actors from up north. This was a “third time’s the charm” scenario, As we have attempted this twice already since New Year’s, with everything from a nasty flu to a missing man getting in the way. But we made it this time, read them for a few parts, then gave a quick Swordplay 101 to see how fast they picked it up, before once more going our separate ways.

Lastly, the team met Sunday, and downpour notwithstanding, we launched into a review of the new trainee’s previous instruction, quickly followed by thrusts and parrying. All this was capped off by a brief exercise in tactical thinking, where our new stunties got to experience 2v1 combat for the first time, with some terrain added for good measure.

All in all a busy and productive week, leading to a very tired Monday when I’m writing this. Hopefully I’ll recover in time to do something useful.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Producing and Newbies

 Greetings, one and all! This week fell pretty solidly into the “producer” side of the spectrum, as we spent a lot of time communicating with people, writing messages, doing research, and a wide assortment of other kinds of desk work needed to make a production run. On top of that we had little bits of prop work, and we managed to get a reading in before the end of the week. Also, we managed to get in two composing sessions as well. 

As for the big item this week, we’re trying it again. After life pulled our last batch of new stunt team recruits away, we’re starting over with a new batch. We officially planned to only do a couple things, but the trainees went on to surprise us, fairly quickly grasping the concepts we were teaching.

So we were able to warm them up by marching, follow that up with the basic back fall, then go into longsword guards, and we were also able to get all the basic cuts in before the session ended. As the day wound down, people broke into spontaneous groupings, discussing various aspects of the training, or working on exercises. All in all, a very good day.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Pivoting Practice and Preparation

So… False Spring officially ended, and the temperatures went in exactly the wrong direction for painting, even throwing in some snow for good measure. So we turned to preparing yet more props, including staining the hilts on the new stunt blades, and reaching out to yet more potential actors and stunt team members. Even when you have a base message, modifying it for even more specific audiences takes way more time than you’d think.

On top of all that, we managed to get in a couple more composing sessions that finished off another pair of scenes. Lastly, the team met on Sunday, and attempted a spear fighting practice.
 

I say “attempted” because after about 45 minutes the wind got so cold that we had to retreat into the shop for a defrost and a spot of improve gaming. We also discussed our incoming trainees, new actors to try out, and the logistics surrounding that.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Readings, Rebuilding, and Reactions

Greetings, one and all! This week saw yet more fun with band saws, rotary tools, and five minute epoxy. Specifically, filling gaps and reinforcing parts of a couple of the weapons props, then adding the final pieces. Now, once the epoxy finishes setting and the temperature gets back above 60, the painting can finally begin. With any luck I’ll have a couple more pieces to add to the pile by then.

Next up, reaching out to old contacts yielded very sudden results, as we added a couple readings to the end of the week. On top of that, our composing session fleshed out an action scene, and made it my favorite piece for this project thus far.

Last but not least, the stunt team. A round of archery was followed by a workshop in selling the hit, in which we learned that one of our stunties can’t frown.

This led to us all trying out different kinds of reactions that don’t activate the frown lines, the bunching of the brow. That was oddly fun, and resulted in a viable repertoire of reactions.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Crafting and Stabbery

Greetings, one and all! This week saw a spot of good weather, which meant that we could run back and forth between the shop and the house much more easily, and our fingers wouldn’t freeze while working the tools and machines. Thus this week saw a lot of prop work, or specifically prop prep, as we begin to turn the base elements into whatever we’d envisioned for the film.

We also had another composing session this week as well, focusing on the Cairn sequence, specifically the interior.
On Sunday the stunt team met again, and did some script reading experiments. After that, they rolled into yet more fun with daggers.

For some reason stabbing each other at very close range leads to a lot more grinning than one would expect. Perhaps we should look into that…

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Communications and Choreographing Creatures

Greetings, one and all! This week saw a lot of real life work, but in between all that, the focus was writing recruitment pitch messages and sending them out to various people and groups. The first phase has been completed, being a general call, but with a focus on potential actors, and now we’re turning our energy toward phase two, which centers on the stunt team and other behind the scenes roles.

Sunday the team met again, and this time did a couple different things. First off, we choreographed a short fight against a creature that takes place in a dark hallway. After that, when the downpour ended, a couple team members took up a choreography exercise, where they created a highly kinetic short sword duel…

All in all, a good week, with low-key but important developments. Now to see how Phase Two goes...

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!