Video AAR project

[stupac]

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]

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

[keravnos]

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


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

The same model as the army of Makedonia and other Diadochi. Epeiros starts with the great general Pyrrhus. Even tough he may have been the best general of his epoch, his army has suffered a lot in his campaigns in Italia and Sicilia.

Army of Epeiros (based on the invasion force of Pyrrhus)

20000 infantry (5000 Macedonian mercenaries)
3000 cavalry (2000 Royal Agema)
2000 archers
500 slingers
20 towered Indian elephants

with EB units

Cavalry

1 General
1 unit of Molossan agema
1 unit of Hippeis Thessalikoi
2 units of Towered Indian elephants

Infantry

1 unit of Chanion Agema or Hyspapists
4 units of Pezhetaroi
2 units of Toxotai
1 unit of Hellenic slingers

* Later you can add more local troops from Illyria and Italia like Pyrrhus did.








Battle of Ausculum



Right flank


Cavalry of (Samnite + Thessalian + Bretti + Tarantinoi Mercs)

Makedonian Phalanx – Italian Mercs – Ambrakian Phalanx – Tarantinoi Leukaspides – Bruttians – Lucanians

10 Elephants – Light Infantry


Center

Molossians - Thesprotians - Chaonians

Pyrrhus + Royal Agema


Left Flank

Aitolian mercs – Samnite Phalanx - Cavalry of (Ambrakians + Lucanians + Tarentines + Greek mercs)

9 Elephants – Light Infantry

[Shigawire]

Pyrrhos, for chronological order.

[stupac]

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]

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".

[ibleedgrenchese]

do can do one on an already existing AAR aswell to be a little different

[Celtic_Punk]

A bio on phyross would be boring, hannibal's story would have a nice blend of plot and action. Pyhross was just a douche!

[stupac]

Certainly deciding on a story is one of the harder parts. I like Pyrrhos' story as it is seldom told and is as fascinating as it is tragic. Certainly EB is all about the what if's in history, but as the old adage goes, "truth is stranger than fiction," there are more than enough fascinating stories from real history that I would like to explore first, thus I'd rather not do a fictional AAR.

[||Lz3||]

what about the "evolution" of the roman army?

I also think that a video about hannibal's campaign through the spain , gaul and then italy herself is quite interesting ,then you could add how such a greatcommander was defeated by someone who had learned and used his very own tactics agaisnt him

(take a look at the battle of cannae depicted in ROME tv series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGHge4FQ8aM and here's battleof zama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahBq7qrxoMU those might giveyou ideas...)

[stupac]

what about the "evolution" of the roman army?

I also think that a video about hannibal's campaign through the spain , gaul and then italy herself is quite interesting ,then you could add how such a greatcommander was defeated by someone who had learned and used his very own tactics agaisnt him

(take a look at the battle of cannae depicted in ROME tv series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGHge4FQ8aM and here's battleof zama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahBq7qrxoMU those might giveyou ideas...)

Evolution of the Roman army? Like perhaps an educational film? Not a bad idea, but I would rather tackle a feature film at the moment. Hannibal would make a great a compelling story, that's why the decision of which story to take is a difficult one. If I have time, I will probably end up doing all of them. But, I think I'm agreeing with the majority at the moment; Pyrrhos is first chronologically, and I feel gets the least amount of attention. I also have a feeling that Pyrrhos will be easier to do than Hannibal or Caesar, and now that you mention it, it would also be neat to do Scipio as well, maybe in contrast to Hannibal. Hannibal and Caesar just have too many battles and things going on. Plus, with Pyrrhos, there is a consistent change of scenery and opponents, i.e. macedonian successors, Romans, Carthaginians, southern Hellenes. I think it is a great film to start with.