Muzzle Flashes!!

There's nothing fake and annoying about tracer fire in battles. Well, I guess that depends on the battle.. but tracers were used all the time in Vietnam etc.
 
Shaw, remember that we are talking about perceived reality in films. They may have been used in Vietnam, but that doesnt make them look "real" in a film. I haven't really put any thought into tracers, though. I'd have to see an example to be sure what I thought about them. I know they look cool in Gulf War footage. In a Gulf War film, however, I dont know.

-GageFX
 
GageFX said:
Mann really pays attention to his firearms and tactics. I went into my film with the similar quidelines and had to back off due to budget restrictions. Oh well. I dont think anyone will ever notice.
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Thanks for the informative post Guage! I think people do care — that kind of attention to technical details may not be somethinge everyone can conscioulsy appreciate, that stuff works subconsciously to give a sense of authenticity and production value.

Nice thing for us is that this kind of research and accuracy is not expensive!

-Stu
 
I think people do care — that kind of attention to technical details may not be somethinge everyone can conscioulsy appreciate, that stuff works subconsciously to give a sense of authenticity and production value.
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I wish this was the case. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the general public - probably greater than 90% - have no idea what these things actually look like, sound like, or how they are used. All they know is what they have seen in movies over the years. I guarantee if you put in the sound of a real suppressed firearm, 90%+ percent of audiences will say "What the F was that?" and the movie experience will suffer. Give them the fictional James Bond "Pffft" and they will revel in their ignorance. I'm not going to go into this trying to reinvent the wheel, I'll give them what they want when it doesn't matter (suppressed sound or my lead shooting a .40 instead of a .22) and give them what I want when it does (my story and how it's told).

In all, I wish more people cared. Then I could just be as accurate as I wish I could be.

-GageFX
 
GageFX said:
I guarantee if you put in the sound of a real suppressed firearm, 90%+ percent of audiences will say "What the F was that?" and the movie experience will suffer.
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I'm sure you could be right—I was more talking about the subtleties of casting the right gun for the right character, and getting little details right such as reloads and proper tactics.

Sound is not generally an area where hardcore accuracy is inherently cinematic. Real, untreated gun sounds are pretty darn lame in a mix. But why should sound be any different than cinematography? It's not accurate to have big blue lights lighting up your night scenes, but if you didn't take that stylistic leap your audience wouldn't be able to see anything. Lighting a movie is not "realistic," but it's not wrong. Same thing with mixing sounds to feel right rather than "be right."

My preference is to be as accurate as possible about the factual details and use as much creative embelishment as needed for the drama. But that's just one guy's opinion. Guage, if your personal style is dead accuracy in all matters related to ordinance then I say go for it 100%. If you establish your credibility with some badass and well-researched action then I bet your audience will react in the desired way to your accurate silenced pistol sound.

-Stu
 
I agree with everything you said. We are completely o the same page. The o6ly issue becomes budget. Can't have the Barett .50 cal on micro budget if I have an M40 already to use. No budgets restraints and my weapons would be spot on. My tactics and training, however, will be covered.

- GageFX
 
Thanks for the info man. Helps ALOT. Must've taken some time to type too.

Well, look on the bright side... At least you get to handle real firearms have have tactical experience (: We, on the other hand, have to use toys because of firearms and replica restrictions. Gah.
 
BLT said:
We, on the other hand, have to use toys because of firearms and replica restrictions. Gah.
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i dunno about "gah," BLT! Having been a producer on my micro-project, the insurance headaches and worry related to live firearms is something i can live without!! do it in post i say! spend the money on squibs and blood effects...though those have their own pyro headaches!

mc
 
Mark, I think what he's saying is that they dont even have airsoft replicas to use, just really fake toy ones like in kid's stores. I also agree that in low budget it makes much more sense to use airsoft and add the effects in post, but if you cant even use an accurate looking fake that can start to look pretty bad unless you're just doing long to maybe medium shots.

I also dont think squibs are way to go. They aren't very realistic and really tend to have a fake, B-movie quality to them. I'd say non-firing replicas and camera angles and editing are the way to go.

-GageFX
 
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