a marksman in the british army is someone who scores over a certain score in their apwt (annual personal weapons test)
they then get to wear the crossed rifles badge on their uniform
snipers have to do the sniper course (there is a sniper training wing at pirbright) where they have to undergo training in all issued weapons from pistols to mortars
they then get to wear the crossed rifles with a s on it

_________________
I'm the one they warned you about

Why not film in daylight then apply a dark filter over the top. Seen that in a few films. Just avoid sky shots.

Or have a green tinged nightvision/thermal cut from an 'observation drone' or tactical camera.. We know the marines have IR lenses. Why wouldn't the helmet cam have a similar mode.?

Unless the Helmet Camera actually supplies the IR data to be projected on the flip down hud.?

camera with Nightshot might do the same effect without too much hassle.

_________________
STEVENSON F.
A11/TQ0.0.82148E1

"You are not your Drop Count."

assimilate, I think there is a difference between a "qualified marksman" in British parlance, and a "designated marksman", the latter being a recognised term for snipers in the US? The British equivalent for a designated marksman in an infantry platoon would be an LSW gunner?

On topic with film methods, "shooting day for night" is always a good option if you have access to the lighting rigs. Filters are a good cheap fix but the results can be middling. Green filter for night vision could possibly be your best bet.

_________________

lsw gunners are generally just gunners as the lsw is basically used for supressing fire as its rate of fire is much better with greater distances
but usually the lsw role is replaced with the minmi
still the lsw is a good bit of kit to play with
in the army qualified marksmen have the same role as pretty much anyone
its just a skill really and makes it easier to get into sniper training

as for night vision shot using a green filter can work but u need the grainy effect that night vision has

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I'm the one they warned you about

/derail.

Im not looking for night vision in any but the security camera and possibly the rifle scope shots. Ive just been storyboarding the now and trying (and failing) to put money aside for a decent camera.

Might have a swatch at day filming with a filter on though...

_________________
MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

Adding night vision is easy in post on the old computer. Day for night can work well but as others have said try to avoid seeing the sky in the shots as this has proven diffcult to apply filters to so far for me.

Cheers

Darren

Agreed, night shots during the day are a pain in the rear but look great if you can pull it off. For a collage film we did several years back about Vietnam, we shot the scene in the woods around noon, then used whatever bright lights we could find to over saturate the area with light. We then tweeked it in post abit and added a dark purple filter/overlay. It turned out really really well. An easier way to do it ( thought of it about a week after shooting our scene) film it in daylight and mess with the brightness post, then use the overlay.

Just as said before though stay away from any sky (thankfully we didn't have much at all being in the woods). Looking forward to seeing your film when its done

Just a little sidenote to discussion about Storyboards, from last months Empire magazine. Ridley Scott's storyboards of the Chestburster scene. Although Ridley probably took about 3 seconds to draw each, even I could manage drawings like this!

Anyone got a fan film done?

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Rob Slater
A08/TQ2.0.42136E1

Storyboardings about all ive been doing, since I need access to either

A bare room for a debrief / interrogation style scene

or

Something that will pass as a science lab attached to a corridor with another largish room a little ways down.

I think I might need to go back to college to get the locations i need...

_________________
MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

If you film 'day for night' be sure to roll on a cloudy day. While it's a good idea to have as little sky in the frame as possible, it's the sun rather than the sky itself that gives you problems. If it's completely overcast it'll be much easier to create a believable 'day for night' effect.


I'd say forget about a better camera for your first film. If you can't borrow a semi-pro/pro model from someone you know, just use a mini DV camcorder. Roger Rowley shot his excellent Alien 5 trailer on an ordinary low end camcorder back in 2004.
As you'll see, the camera was more than up to the job:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSxLU37v5Kw

You can pick up a DV camcorder from Ebay for next to nowt these days. Gareth got one for £30 or so once, and that would've worked for a fan film. Save your money and have fun!

Good luck, Boltie, and make sure there are plenty of gratuitous shots of the Hadrian's crew getting mauled to pieces, heheheh!

Something of a necropost, but rather than start a new thread...

Ive been working on some props:







Props to Scapey for the redesign of the ID badge. I had a much simpler design that wouldnt show up well on camera, since I didnt think theyd be on screen much. This way they show up and add an extra element to the costumes =D

Also, the Id badge is at 200% size. =P

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MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

Cheers, Boltie

BTW, mind and leave a border when you print the final props.
Also, if you need the font i used, it's EurostyleExtended-Roman-DTC.
For contrast, I'd use Arial or Terminal - something blocky - for the "printing" on the "preprinted cards"

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MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

Hi Boltrig,
I just found this thread and really enjoyed your film (I've replied once and my Broadband burped and lost what I'd typed when I tried to post it) so here from memory is what I tried to say the first time. This is mainly comments on the content of the film rather than the technicalities of filming it of which I am sure there are others better qualified to comment and advise.

1. The snipers reticle is too thick and clunky looking I'm guessing the effect was a achieved with a "tube and 2 bits of string" type attachment on the lens? Maybe try adding the existing crosshair reticle in post production or perhaps for a more futurisitic look add a more funky illuminated reticle. Alternatively just a laser dot projected on the target during filming?

Simple keyring/pocket laser pointers good enough for this effect are dirt cheap now and if you go with a green or blue one then when some smartass starts on about "snipers don't use lasers because it gives away their position yadda yadda. . . ." you can explain that its a special laser outside the visible spectrum and only visible through the snipers scope!

2. It could just be a coincidence of timing and camera angle etc but your sniper appears, to me at least, to be trying to provide the report of his rifle with his mouth!

3. No Soldier/PMC worthy of the name would put his weapon on the deck to climb onto the "loading dock". I was first alerted to this by the click as he put it down and rewound to check!

4. If your Sniper/PMC1 takes the trouble to pull on a balaclava before approaching the "loading dock" then the least PMC2 aka "Sleeveless Man" can do is slap some cam cream on his face and maybe those arms too!

Oh yeah and I agree about losing the blood splat effect.

But in conclusion this is your film which is set, I presume, in a future reality and since it is your reality you are free to pick and mix which tips and advice you take and which to ignore!

Hope this helps or at least gave you a laugh!

Winch

EDIT Just remembered this comment which I lost from the first attemped reply! There is always a trade off between full military realism and what looks cool on screen! Assuming you're NOT making a training film then some unmilitary coolness is permissible!

_________________
Cheers

Winch

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow I shall fear no evil for thou art with me. And together we'll kick ANY bugs ASS!"
You know who you are!

I should be filming this same sequence again about the first weekend of next month. This time Ill have a full, written script for the actors to stick to, better props, better costumes & better equipment. Hopefully the end result will be a better piece of footage...

_________________
MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

Smaple case 2, Paint job MK1. Need to tidy it up and give it a second coat. Still like it so far though. =]

_________________
MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

Personally, I might be tempted to re film the snipers shot, he ought not to be snatching at the trigger. You'd never see a marksman snatch the trigger; it's one of those little things that would add a great deal to the realism of the film.

_________________
"The other Gareth"

i was trained to never snatch the trigger with any weapon

_________________
I'm the one they warned you about

Some WY shipping crates to litter about strategically in a few scenes.

If anyone wants to suggest some other LLL NNNNN format sequences, ill stick em on.

PS: The blue one has been nicked / delivered from Blue Sun Industries. Need to do up a stencil for them.

_________________
MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"

Hmm.

Originally meant to be shooting on a Canon 7D. However, the likelyhood of me having 1500+ quid in one place at once is slim at best, so jessops offered me finance. Great!

Not.

Twice they took my details, twice their system was frakked, and twice they told me to come back the next day.

The third time the guy tells me its gone through, but been declined.... Turns out those 2 earlier attempts still counted as credit checks, and have decimated my credit rating. Ffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

So the canon 550D was to be the stand in. Fine. Happier. However, I got a chance to shoot a bit of test footage at airsoft on sunday, and it turns out my laptop cant handle HD; it crashes it.

Let me just re- iterate... FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

So the upshot is that my PC needs upgraded to handle HD editing, for both the film and airsoft, which will have to wait till all my other commitments are settled, which means no filming for the forseeable.

Im about ready for packing this whole malarkey in.

_________________
MSgt Samantha 'Boltie' Watters
Chief Medical Officer, UKCM
1st Batt. 42nd Regiment - Hadrian's Wall

Area 52 Bioweapons division - Amber T. Alien


"Harsh"