27 September, 2007

Guns and Awards

This week I have been mostly being busy, getting on with some of the film graphics again (nothing I can show at the moment, unfortunately). So to keep you little bunnies amused I'll tell you what's been happening with the previous Stirton Production movie, The Planet.

A few weeks ago the movie was shown at The Festival of Fantastic Films, in Manchester. Last week it received a 'Highly Commended' in the independent film section. Yay us. Since then 3 different companies in the states have been looking to buy it, more yay. Our agent is currently in talks with the companies and I'll let you know how it goes with that.

On a non film related thing, I had a fun weekend playing with 17th century weapons and being shot at. Yes, I travelled back in time with Dr Who. Nah, just to Drum Castle in Royal Deeside, where a group called the Fraser's Dragoones were running about in period costume, drinking real ale and letting loose with their big weapons. It was a lovely day and my mate, Duncan, got lots of smart shots of their bangy things and flags. Here's a link to his
photos.

There's got to be a caption to go along with this one! 'Sad old git plays with gun,' or something.

16 comments:

AktoMan said...

It was the chap's face when you said that you used to deal in things like this. *g

allen etter said...

I...want...that...GUN! That is very cool. We have the same sort of thing in our town. A fort with guys in costume from the late 17 and early 18 hundreds. When I was in college I was a volunteer soldier at the fort.

Michael Grant Clark said...

A volunteer soldier at a fort, you're not Jim Bowie are you? The aktoman chap used to captain a cannon crew with a similar organisation and I used to deal in percussion pistols. What is it with blokes and bangy things?

Anonymous said...

How about...

'It's nice but I'll never be able to get all that up my arse.'

or

'Oh I see the mistake, I ordered a trifle'.

or

'Make-up budget for Scottish remake of Planet of the Apes is slashed.'

or

'Pancake lands on old mans head.'

allen etter said...

I was actually playing the part of a Private Ruble who was 5 ft 11 in, only 8 inches shorter than me and the tallest soldier ever at Fort Wayne.

My son, obsessed with all things Scottish, loved the photos. He was wondering what was hanging from their sashes.

Anonymous said...

Bloodaxe shows his rifle to a fat old Sontaran.

Ehsan HG said...

very very very very very very
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very very very very very ve r
very very very very very ve y
very very very very very v
very very very ve ry ve ry y
very very very ver y ve ry
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very v er y
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.


cool

Michael Grant Clark said...

Hi Allen,

Things hanging off their sashes are apostles I think. Powder charge holders for the rifle.

And thanks, Hajibabaie, for the very cool thing. I've never had one of those before, ever!

Mar, I like the trifle one.

allen etter said...

Ah... that makes sense.

AktoMan said...

Allen, sorry I missed the question. yes, gunpowder charges were held in the 'apostles' (though I'm not sure of the authenticity of the term).

Additional info can be found here.

Muskets not rifles, as all are smoothbore. In UK, they are held under a shotgun certificate because of that. It was strange to see the one flintlock in the unit having more misfires than a single matchlock. The chap we spoke to put it down to a bad flint.

I'd written up the Articles of War for the Scots Army in 1644, still available here

Aberdonian, Stuart Reid, wrote an Osprey book on the topic of Scots Armies of the ECW. Link

Anonymous said...

How much did it weigh? It looks very heavy indeed.

Michael Grant Clark said...

It wasn't too heavy, but I wouldn't want to carry it for hours on march.

AktoMan said...

Fund a good site with details of a similar piece from the 1630's. Their musket weighs 4.5 kilos!
Link

Thickness of musket barrel, as well as the woodwork. Must have been some heck of a recoil when it went off for real. Also, the use of "clubbed muskets" as an offensive hand-to-hand weapon.

Andrew Glazebrook said...

That's great news about 'The Planet'

Agent Mark said...

The muskets can be heavy, especially if they are the full tower pattern of the time, which had a hardwood stock and a barrel length of around 6ft. 4.5 kilos would more than likely be a disply piece. I know both my muskets are heavier than that and they are only the shorter carbine versions.

The term 'Apostles' was not in use in the C17th, so not really authentic for the time.

Flints can be very unreliable, and crumble after a few shots, I find using those recovered from C18th wrecks prove to be more reliable than modern knapped versions.

Glad you enjoyed the day though, and I'll let the regiment know.

Michael Grant Clark said...

Hi Musket, my armament knowledge is pretty thin on anything before the 18th century, so please excuse the mistakes.

It was bloody heavy though and I couldn't see where to load the clip! :)