Blogging Delay
My blogging has been slowing down a bit due to work on my story (Historiae Regnorum) and on a script I’m working on for a homemade film (Impressions.) I’m in the last stages of writing my story, and am trying to plan the final climatic battle in the end. Just a question to you all, what type of battle would you think would fit best? Something out of Braveheart / Narnia, where two opposing armies meet in a giant field, or something out of Gladiator, where they have a giant battle in the forest? I’m thinking of there being three battles, two taking place at the same time; Edward confronting Muradin’s forces in the North, and Richard, while riding to Edward’s aid, comes upon a portion of Muradin’s army which plans on flanking Edward. The two engagements would be going on at the same time, and towards the end, Richard would be victorious in crushing the would-be flankers, while Muradin gets the upper hand against Edward, and the knight is forced to retreat across the river. Muradin knows he will be able to crush Edward’s army once and for all, so he marches after Edward across the river, but Richard makes a surprising appearance along with the Knights of the Holy Cross to change the battle. The above image is a map of the Kingdom, you can click it to see a larger version, along with the details of the battle plans and such.
One of my latest works in the homemade film genre is Impressions. I did have plans on doing The Crusader’s Tale, but since there are a lack of actors to constantly work on the filming and such, I’ve decided to put it off until later. Impressions is a humorous parody based off of Jane Austen’s works, namely Pride and Prejudice. Since the books basically revolve around the issue of life in Classical England, and Marriage, I’ve classified them as ‘girl books’ and the gist of the film is to have a boy read it. *cough* Yeah, that would be me. 
As the story goes along, the characters from the book begin coming to life before the person’s eyes. So it is going to be rather fun making, since we’ve got all the props necessary. (I.E., dresses from the 1800’s, suit coats, bushy sideburns! 
) I am trying to don a proper English accent for my intentional appearance as Mr. Darcy. There is the possibility of me sticking a fencing bout in there, between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, who are adversaries in the book. I have plans on dragging Marc in on the fun as a Mr. Bingley, Gabrielle as Mrs. Bennet and then as Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Colin as Mr. Collinns (Yes, the character’s actual name in the book 
), my brother as possibly Mr. Bennet, and maybe even as Wickham, since I need someone my height for the duel if I get casted as Darcy. All in all, this sounds extremely ridiculous, but I just want to let you all know, it’s not as ridiculous as one of our last films, The Bug…
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Master Paul Xavier
Illustrious marceg
Miss Angela Rose
I’ve always though that forest warfare seemed more practical than field warfare. It seemed that you had a better chance of saving more of your army that way and avoiding mass slaughter.
I love the title you decided to go with for the Austen movie! I think you need more characters than just P&P ones though…try watching the Emma Thompson S&S or the Gwenneth Paltrow version of “Emma” for quick and painless Austen consumption…(lol)
Well, there is another side to my idea for forest warfare. Just look at the Song of Roland. The Franks were butchered because of treachery, but also because they were more heavily armored and armed than their opponents, so they were not as manueverable in the woods as the attacking Muslims who were lightly armored. A Saracen could not stand a Frankish charge in the desert, nor can a Frank stand a Saracen in the woods. The outcomes of battles are decided by more than just cover and location.
Well, the title ‘Impresssions’ is related to ‘First Impressions’ (Pride and Prejudice), so I want to keep the stories together, since the boy will be reading Pride and Prejudice. I have read ‘Sense and Sensibility,’ but I don’t think I will be incorporating any of the characters… Though Mrs. Jennings would be tempting.
About the battle, hmmm…. I prefer forest battles, but I like the big rocks that they retreat into in Narnia. How about the big rocks with a forest in between and surrounding them? That might be neat. BTW, is that your handwriting on the mamp? The cursive looks amazingly like mine!
That movie sounds like so much fun! I wish there was a way that I could do something like that. Sadly… there isn’t. There is a family (two families actually, they are cousins) who make movies, but they live over an hour away from me, and I don’t really know them that well. *sigh* Can I fly out and join you?
Hmmm…I think Marianne Dashwood is a great character…but I know you are limited on girls.
And I don’t think the title has to be limiting. Of course, if you want to do it that way, then it can be, but I think it really depends on what you decide.
As for forest warfare…just make your guys the ones with the lighter armor! Heavy armor, imho, is kinda stupid anyhow. (Wear quilted instead of leather, and leather instead of chainmail, and chainmail instead of plate armor.)
i’d go with the forest warfare aswell is can be more dramatic and gives the actors freedom to implement there sourroundings and have more fun.
is Mr. Bingley a fat guy ’cause that would be cool.
oh… and where did you get all the props.
I can answer the first question…Mr. Bingley is NOT fat. He’s in his mid twenties, and quite good-looking. (Sorry if that bugs you…
He’s also rich.
lol… i kinda skimmed the post and so my first comment sounded pretty stupid so just ignore it…lol im getting old.
Elenatintil,
Marianne Dashwood tends to be a more of a very emotional character, and I don’t know if anyone would want to humiliate themselves to the level of crying over a ‘lost love’ which never had been really lost…
Marc,
Thanks for the input on the battle, but my culture has the tendency to be heavy armored. Like in relation to that of European style. So that will have its positive and negative effects in the story. I was just looking for some suggestions and ideas before I started writing the climatic end of the book. Though I must say, I doubt they will be having ‘fun’ Marc.
Regarding props, Gabrielle has a few ‘Jane Austen’ dresses, and probably is the most prepared for her roles, Colin has some sort of graduation outfit he’ll wear when doing the role of Reverend Collins, I myself will be using some prop hair (Hobbit feet are hairy) I used when I dressed up as Frodo a few years ago as sideburns; but the difficult part is finding the clothing for the men… I just don’t have rich clothing.
lol But I’ll think up something, and ask for some ideas from my friends.
Oh, and Mr. Bingley isn’t fat…but who said we can’t make him so?
TEASING! lol You’re excused in thy old age…
Amanda,
Yes, I loved the rock formation at the end of the battle in Narnia. But to be quite honest, that has had to be the worst strategically planned battle in cinema history. When you have the high ground, NEVER charge down the hill at your enemies!!! Let them come up to you and tire out in their charge, then just finish them off. *sighs* Why did the General give Peter control!? He’s only a boy!!! *cough* Sorry, as a guy, I just hate to see armies make stupid moves… Yeah, like Gettysburg…the South could have won…
Yes, that is my handwriting. My neatness varies upon the writing instrument, and the moment… I can be very neat with a sharp pencil, or extremely sloppy with a dull. And pens… I have a bunch that smudge, so all my story writing is done in pencil. Which allows me to do more detail. I’ve been studying some Tolkien maps to get an idea of how to draw the elements on a map, like trees, rocks, hills, mountains…
Hmm, I’ve been doing some thinking. Don’t you all agree that it is extremely difficult to do a Jane Austen parody…with only one girl?
That is where online collaboration comes in. I’ve picked up a few tricks in working for AirMaria.com, namely the idea (not yet implemented…or so I think… 
of filming something say, in Australia, and doing all the editing and publishing in the United States. All without having to transport the cassette anywhere… Out of sheer curiosity. Do you have a digital camera with a computer connection? (I.E., Fire-wire, etc… 
I actually plan on possibly having an appearance by Elenatintil. ‘Impressions’ is more or less still in pre-production. We’re doing some scenes, but still have no idea of the full story-line or the course of action to be taken. There actually may be no need for you to fly out over here after-all. 
Believe me Master Xavier, if you wanted a Marianne, I could find one. (She and I are probably related anyhow…we’re both emotional…lol)
Quite seriously, though, I understand the difficulty, especially since you are so low on female actresses.
What about Emma, though? She’s not emotional, but she’s hilarious. I could see her turning up and trying to matchmake you…which would drive you completely crazy! (and would be soooo funny…
Yeah, that’s true… ha!
But as for now, I’ll be sticking with Pride and Prejudice. And maybe we could come back for a sequel. *cough* 
$$$$$!
I think having the battle in the forest would be more interesting. I don’t know a lot about battles, though.
As far as the climactic battle goes, I would say it almost has to be a pitched field battle. Forest battles are great for inertia fighting, something at the start (like in Gladiator) or in the middle, but they don’t have the grand scope of a big field battle. Forest battles are more filled with ambushes, at least in my experience. That’s more of something you use to build an atmosphere of peril. For example, someone’s running away, and they get trapped in the middle of a forest battle.
So yeah. Climatic field battle. It’s all about the tone. The climax of a story is epic, and so it deserves an epic setting. Forest battles, while dramatic and exciting, are anything but epic. They have their place, but being epic is not their place. Think of the charge of the Rohirrim at the Pelennor Fields. That was epic and big.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve come to realize the epic nature of an open field battle, and that will be the final portion of the small war in my story. I plan on incorporating a woods battle just as you mentioned, keeping it close to the ambush tactic. I’m still trying to work out how it will fit together nicely, from one location to another. But only time and patience will help me make a final decision.