Andrew_Fanner
Well-Known Member
Directors: often arty types with fixed ideas that do not connect with reality. Years back, filming at the Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson with their demi culverin. The director wanted some shots of the muzzle blast and the sound of same. Against our strongly worded technical advice he placed the tripod minicam in front of the muzzle and taped a microphone to the barrel. We warned the soundman about what would happen but he was unconvinced.
They filmed the whole loading sequence, we had made up some special cartridges with some fine powder at the muzzle end to give a little more flame. I applied the portfire and:
the minicam was utterly destroyed, some parts were never found. The sound man's ears were saved because his equipment blew some circuitry. The director thought it was fantacstic, the remembered that the camera had been worth >£2500 and the sound machine a similar sum! Mind you, the rush on the minicam feed was impressive when run very slowly. Black muzzle, sudden flare of orange light coming at you, half a second of sky and blackness
Mind you, there was an upside, the film company were funding the powder and had stated "invoce for it afterwards". Got about 50 shots in.
They filmed the whole loading sequence, we had made up some special cartridges with some fine powder at the muzzle end to give a little more flame. I applied the portfire and:
the minicam was utterly destroyed, some parts were never found. The sound man's ears were saved because his equipment blew some circuitry. The director thought it was fantacstic, the remembered that the camera had been worth >£2500 and the sound machine a similar sum! Mind you, the rush on the minicam feed was impressive when run very slowly. Black muzzle, sudden flare of orange light coming at you, half a second of sky and blackness
Mind you, there was an upside, the film company were funding the powder and had stated "invoce for it afterwards". Got about 50 shots in.