J5_Hotlead Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 Hey guys! In 2016, my brother and I started work on a short film set during the American Civil War. Since then, we've come a long way. In 2017, we received permission to shoot our film at a local state park and began the filming process. By the end of the year, we had a first draft put together and started looking for score composers and sound designers. In 2018, we found a score composer for the opening of the film, and found a sound designer for the whole thing. Over the course of the year, we've slowly but surely been working with them. Finally, about a month ago, we sent our final draft of the film to the sound designer to work on. As things stand, we hope to have the short film released before the end of the year! Our film (called "Remember Me") tracks the experiences of a single Union soldier from Berdan's elite group of sharpshooters. Although the film is set during the iconic battle of Gettysburg, the film takes a look at the much more isolated and personal battles our main character struggles with. It takes more than nerve and grit to survive the day... Anyway, without further ado, I'm pleased to present a short teaser trailer for the upcoming film! Enjoy! PS: If you want to get regular updates on this film and other projects, feel free to follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/RookieAceProductions/ IRFC Hawkeye, GenMarkof, Lipfert and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butzzell Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 S! Thanks. Looks really good. Y'all know that us southern boys will be pointing out any problems with location description or regiment assignments J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted October 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 S! Thanks. Looks really good. Y'all know that us southern boys will be pointing out any problems with location description or regiment assignments Haha, thanks Butzell! That's why although we set the story in Gettysburg, no actual units or locations are mentioned in the movie. The focus is on the individual soldier. Butzzell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaiber Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 This looks really good Hotlead! J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted October 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 Thanks Klai! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lipfert Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 I like it, look forward to the finished product. J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrd Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 A Star is born! Looks great 'Lead! J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted October 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 I like it, look forward to the finished product. Thanks Lip! I’m looking forward to releasing the full version too! A Star is born! Looks great 'Lead! Haha, thanks Von! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 S! Can’t wait for what next! keep pushing. J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kliegmann Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 Looks pretty awesome. I enjoy Civil War history. My wife and I have MANY hours playing Johnny Reb (table-top war game) J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted October 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 S! Can’t wait for what next! keep pushing. Thanks Hess! We certainly intend to keep pushing. Looks pretty awesome. I enjoy Civil War history. My wife and I have MANY hours playing Johnny Reb (table-top war game) Thanks Klieg! I've never heard of Johnny Reb! Sounds interesting - what's it like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kliegmann Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 Its a miniatures wargame. Very entertaining, but if you simulate one of the larger battles, it can take weeks to complete. When we lived in Hawaii, my wife and I played a battle out for 3 months, before she ultimately won, damn canister-shot cannons nearly wiped out an entire regiment of mine (She still wont let me forget about that particular game). Oh, and if you ever do play it, dont attempt to Cav charge a defensive position, very bad news, and apparently I'm not Custer. J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted October 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2018 Haha, that’s awesome! Don’t know if I have 3 months for a game though...my mom would start to wonder where I’d gone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted November 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2018 Stuka, Klaiber, Lipfert and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted November 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2018 Salute all! The 2nd trailer is out; the full film goes live on December 15th! Klaiber and Snaggle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRFC Hawkeye Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Oooww! Nice trailer! One shot with a muzzle-loader. What a different world, what a different battle! Maybe two, then bayonets and butts! Not to glorify, but to remind. Brave men, brethren to us all! A conflict that gives meaning to the word "conflict". S! J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaiber Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Looks great Hotlead! J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted November 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Hi guys! With the film set to release next month, I thought it would be cool to post a bit about some of the film's historical backdrop each week leading up to the release. This week's topic? The Sharps m1859 rifle. In a day and age dominated by muzzle-loading rifled muskets, the Sharps rifle was a weapon ahead of its time. Where the standard Enfield and Springfield muskets used minié balls and black powder poured down the barrel, the Sharps rifle used cloth cartridges that were loaded from the breach. This revolutionary new development allowed soldiers to reload while prone or behind cover. It also increased the firing rate of a soldier dramatically. Well-trained soldiers with standard muskets could fire about 3 shots per minute. In contrast, according to one source, soldiers with the Sharps rifle could fire a withering 8-10 shots per minute. Of course, a weapon this good had to have its downsides. For the Sharps rifle, it was the cost. Much more expensive than the standard musket, the Sharps rifle would not see action with the general infantry. Instead, it would be given to an elite force on the battlefield: the 1st and 2nd United States Sharpshooters. This weapon was ideally suited for the sharpshooters. Somewhat experimental in nature, the 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooters did not adhere to the traditional rank-and-file tactics as closely as their infantry brethren. Often, instead of taking part in line-firing, sharpshooters could be found in concealment taking out high priority targets from a distance. These high priority targets included officers, artillery battery members, and (of course) Confederate sharpshooters. (Credit for the tin-type effect on the film screenshot goes to LIBERATOR on the ROF forums) IRFC Hawkeye, Stuka and Vonrd 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrd Posted November 26, 2018 Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 So is that a Sharps that the protagonist is brandishing? Replica I assume if so. I would think an original would be in the 5 figure range and I would be reluctant to live fire it. J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted November 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 So is that a Sharps that the protagonist is brandishing? Replica I assume if so. I would think an original would be in the 5 figure range and I would be reluctant to live fire it. Yes, that is a Sharps rifle pictured. And yes, using the real deal was kinda out of our budget range lol. Actually, we found nonfiring replicas to use for about $150 apiece, which was MUCH cheaper than trying to acquire firing replicas. This actually worked out pretty well because the state park where we filmed has a rule against uncased firearms; however, the park management was cool with letting us use nonfiring replicas as long as we had people on set to clearly explain the situation to any hikers passing by. Stuka, Razwald and Butzzell 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuka Posted November 26, 2018 Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 S! Herren, you guys are doing perfectly well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted December 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2018 Hello everybody! Each week leading up to the release of "Remember Me", we'll explore the historical backdrop of a facet of our short film. This week, we'll look at some of the specialized gear that made the Berdan sharpshooters so unique. One thing that immediately stands out about the Berdan sharpshooters is that even though they were Union soldiers, their uniforms were a dark green instead of blue. This visually set them apart from the rank-and-file troops, and also added another benefit: camouflage. The dark green of their uniforms blended in with foliage much better than the standard blue or grey uniforms in the Civil War. The sharpshooters also were issued leather leggings (to protect their legs against rough terrain and snake bites) and a high-quality calfskin knapsack different from the tarred haversacks most other soldiers wore. Nonetheless, by mid-to-late war, many of these uniforms and special items began to wear out or get lost. Thus, by the time our film is set, most of the sharpshooters had adopted the standard blue frock coats and haversacks or bedrolls. One item amongst the sharpshooters' equipment is ironic because there is nothing special about it, yet many people often think the sharpshooters didn't have it: a bayonet. It is no secret that the sharpshooters preferred to engage targets from afar; they even threw their bayonets away at one point! But after that happened, the army made sharpshooter unit Captains responsible for ensuring their men kept their bayonets. Any "lost" bayonets were taken directly out of the Captain's pay from then on out. So, by the time our film is set, each sharpshooter would have definitely carried a bayonet...however uncheerfully. For more info on early vs late war Berdan uniforms, check out this awesome video by the 2nd US Sharpshooters Company D:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnf5wTkzwjw (Credit for the tin-type effect on our film screenshot goes to LIBERATOR from the ROF forums) IRFC Hawkeye 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted December 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2018 Hello everybody! Each week leading up to the release of "Remember Me", we'll explore the historical backdrop of a facet of our short film. This week, we'll look at just exactly how good of a shot you had to be in order to be a member of the US Sharpshooters. Simply being an above-average shot with the rifle wouldn't cut it. To join the US Sharpshooters, one had to be an AMAZING shot. Just how amazing, you might ask? Perhaps the recruitment call Hiram Berdan (the units' founder) put in the papers says it best: "No man will be accepted...who cannot when firing at a rest at a distance of two hundred yards, put ten consecutive shots into a target the average distance not to exceed five inches from the centre [sic] of the bull's eye to the centre of the ball." (A copy of the paper, as well as a photo of one of the targets after 30 minutes of shooting, can be found attached at the bottom of this post. Click to enlarge.) In other words, applicants had to put 10 shots in a row, all within a target the size of a dinner plate, from 600 feet...often with nothing but iron sights. Keep in mind, the standard military tactic of that day was to line masses of soldiers up against one another and have them volley-fire in the general direction of each another to inflict maximum casualties. Imagine for a minute how utterly shocking and demoralizing it would be for Confederate troops to suddenly come under pinpoint-accurate fire from a foe they couldn't even see, and you will begin to see how effective a force of marksmen this good could be. This will be the last historical post about our film's backdrop, because the full film releases next week!!! In fact, the full film has already released to our supporters on Patreon today; if you're interested, check out our page: https://www.patreon.com/RookieAce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J5_Hotlead Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 IRFC Hawkeye 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrd Posted December 15, 2018 Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 Looking forward to it! What time are you going to be online? J5_Hotlead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.