3-Gun Nation

Cool goings-on at this weekend's DPMS Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun Match: the taping of the inaugural episode of the Versus Channel's 3-Gun Nation, sponsored by FNH-USA.

Here's a sneak peek at the final shoot-off, won by Keith Garcia (far right).

Having played hooky from my Advanced Screenwriting class to make the registration on Thursday, I was able to justify my misdeed by scoring a little film-making field trip, in addition to all the gun fun 11 stages of shooty goodness entails. The video crew shot on Sony EX1 hi-def cameras with wireless mics. I rubbed elbows with some of the crew, making no secret of my film studentness... a guy even asked me for my business card; unfortunately, I didn't have one, but he annotated my registration with "videographer." How cool is that? Unfortunately, I'd rather shoot next year's SMM3G with my Heavy Metal Iron gear than with a camera, but that's a decision I'll have to make if they ever call me back.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....

Bacon and Machine Guns

h/t to BKZ

Kids Today

Last week as I was waiting for my appointment with the Sensei (Oral Assessment Exam), I hung out in the hallway with my classmates who had showtimes in the same range of the evening. It was interesting to note that all of them were rabid anime fan-grrrrls (all female too). While I recognized some of the series and characters they mentioned, I didn't dare mention that most of the times it was the Rule 34 versions I had seen on the Internet.

I guess we all really showed our ages when I mentioned the Akira Kurosawa marathon that Turner Classic Movies had shown just the night before. I got a lot of blank looks. I wonder if any of them were even out of diapers when Project A-ko, Akira, or Vampire Hunter D were released.

Toshiro Mifune here is disgusted with the lack of respect for the classics nowadays.

My Production

Yeah, I'm ready to work in Hollywood now. Ain't going there, though,

What Spring Break?

You'd think I'd have plenty of time to blog during Spring Break.... No thanks to Advanced Video Production, I got maybe a day and a half off and most of that was spent sleeping off the all-nighter shoot from Sunday. My own shoot was TUE-WED, then I humped every bit of the Cowboy Blob Production company to a another classmate's shoot yesterday and today (we have to participate in three classmates' productions, as well as our own).

Okay, there were some perks to being on that latest shoot.

I'll Miss Ya, Lil Buddy.

"Squiggy" 2004-2010

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Two-Gun Fun and Four Pistol Shots

Last chance to shake off the rust before the Superstition Match.

Not a BAG Day Gun

Oh, heavens, no! (I mean, I hope not!)

The latest goody in the Cowboy Blob Productions prop box is a solution looking for a movie problem. This Italian "Model 911" fires 8-mm blanks and looks and feels just like a WWII example of St. John Browning's (pbuh) master work, more or less.

Okay, the safety doesn't really mimic the original's... you've got to pull the slide slightly out of battery to engage the thumb safety and there are no other safeties extent.

As the "gun guy" among my fellow student film makers, I've recommended using a revolver stoked with dummy bullets in their productions that actually feature a gun shot. The shooter can simulate the recoil and muzzle/gap flash and "boom" can be added in post production. Not so with a semi-auto, since the knowledgeable audience expects to see the slide jack out an empty brass casing with every shot. The answer to that is the gun firing blanks. As you can see from the second picture, the film maker is left with some limitations in capturing this gun. A shot of the muzzle exposes the orange plug in the barrel and any close-up of the gun shows the cheesy Italian branding of the prop, which certainly doesn't simulate a known firearm. It's best to film this shot fast in a medium or wide shot, staying within the gunman's rear 180.

Another limitation for this platform is the noise. Most municipalities consider blank-firing guns as fireworks and reasonably restrict them accordingly. A student film maker just can't find some private property and bust caps for the camera as long as concerned neighbors are within earshot. They need an understanding with their neighbors and the local sheriff's office... and they need to protect their actor-gunman's hearing with earplugs. And their crew's. So this is why I recommend the revolver... but am keeping my options open.

Nnnnnn... Benison!

h/t to Matt

Intel Memorial

This morning, the Air Force training contingent at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Institute, at the Presidio of Monterey CA turned out in formation to ceremonially open a memorial to fallen intelligence personnel.

The room right behind the memorial was occupied by my best buddy Alan 30 years ago. He was DAWG Flight Commander and I used to hang out there many a morning and afternoon.

Photos by Paul C. Bailey

$180 for a Good Shotgun --

-- Microphone.

Sorry to get your hopes up. I'm up sick since early this morning, so I haven't even had the urge to play with my new toys brought by the Big Brown Truck of Happiness yesterday. What did I get?

Some gels (heat resistant colored plastic filters that alter tungsten lighting), diffusion sheets and spare bulbs for my light kit, a nice Manfrotto camcorder tripod, and the aforementioned microphone (not top-of-the-line, but a great value). My audio kit now includes a telescoping boom pole with shock mount and a mic cable (so now I need a separate audio guy on location shoots). I'm a long way from playing with off-camera audio gear -- heck, I don't even have a slate (the thing with the clapper used to synch audio with picture). Since I'm my own editor and cinematographer, I figure I'll recognize the shots without the slate. I intend to take the Location Audio course this fall, as well the the Lighting class.

Today or tomorrow, my spare camera batteries should get here. I thought I had one or two more than I could find in my gear bag... I better number the suckers this time.

Now, I only wish I could take a nap.

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Original Caption:Participants dressed as superheroes race in the 16th annual Swamp Romp, sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps’ Combat Logistics Battalion 3, at Marine Corps Base Hawaii , Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii.

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