Video AAR project

**stupac** · 07-17-2008, 06:03

Now that the entry period has past for the video contest, I'm ready to begin working on a new film. Several have suggested a full length feature this time in an AAR style format in this thread. I'm posting this thread to begin getting a little feedback and help. I would like this film to relate a historic story, probably following a great general in conquest or even defeat. I will need historical advice as I'm no historian, so that will be one purpose of this thread. I want the film to depict several important battles strung together with a cohesive back story. The second thing I'll need help with is once a story with battles is fleshed out, I'll need players to play these battles. LorDBulA may be able to help organize this in that regard. But as I said, first a story and the battle plan will need to be determined. To get us started, I've posted a poll on several topics that I think would be good for the AAR, though if someone has another suggestion, I'm open.

**schlappi** · 07-17-2008, 06:49

Pyrrhos! The other two have been walked through way too often!

**keravnos** · 07-17-2008, 13:51

Anything you want on Pyrrhos, I stand ready to assist.

(Being the Epeiros FC and all, does have its privileges :-)

**Shigawire** · 07-17-2008, 16:18

Pyrrhos, for chronological order.

**stupac** · 07-17-2008, 18:37

Dang, Pyrrhos is more popular than I suspected he would be. His story has always had an air of tragedy though and I like that. I'm not certain myself whether he was a truly great general or just a chump. What is your expert opinion keravnos?

Let's see, for Pyrrhos, I was thinking that after a brief prologue, that maybe I can collaborate with keravnos on, then we go through these battles interconnected with storyline.

Ipsus
Heraclea
Asculum
(some battle in Sicily against carthage? maybe a siege as well?)
Beneventum
(a brief skirmish around sparta maybe?)
Argos (and his demise)

Like I said I'm no historian and I probably have the least knowledge of Pyrrhos compared to the other two, but I am very fascinated by his life. You can probably provide a more accurate list of important battles that will need to be portrayed, and I'll definitely need your help with connecting the story keravnos, thank you very much for volunteering your services.

I think in order to undertake this project I'm going to have to get a new editing program, windows movie maker probably just isn't going to cut it for what I'm envisioning, but one thing at a time. I think Pyrrhos is our story at least.

Now I've got another question to pose to everyone. I'm trying to decide the tone and genre for this film, should it be an artistic narrative with a minimum of titles and story to interrupt the action, with close up shots that focus on the characters, making a heavy pathos appeal. Or, should it be a more dryer, more documentary (history channel-esque) style, providing background and detailed information of the battles progression; this would be more educational certainly. I also can't decide if the titles during the battle should use dialog from characters or informational titles to carry out the story. What would be way cool would be greek and latin voice overs, but I bet that ain't happening, so I think I'll have to stick to titles.

**General Appo** · 07-17-2008, 18:41

Pyrrhos was a great (or well, good) general, but not so much a strategist of the big picture. I believe Antigonos Gonatas put it something like "Pyrrhos is like a great dicethrower who does not know how to use his throws".