Countdown: 10 Days to Go Active on Indiegogo.com…

Bloody Hell!!! It’s coming – and fast! No matter how much preparation you think you’re doing, there always seem to be loose ends. With this kind of film, it’s preparation/preparation/preparation before execution…not only on the QDeck blog site but also THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death on Facebook page. The excitement continues to build: what we’re doing here is quite unique; taking totally original works – that are based in actual historical fact – and presenting them to the public in a new & different way, especially focusing on the  subjects they haven’t seen . Those last three words are key:  they haven’t seen . With this – and all productions – we want to give the audience the experience of immersion – placing them in the time & place of the events taking place to the exclusion of the outside world. For some odd reason, so many historical films made anymore don’t ring true (in a believable sort of way). Could some of it be the “Oh look, there’s  <insert “A” lister name here> in a movie”? Is it/could it be a distraction? One notable exception we would hazard is Peter Weir’s  Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World . As fans of both Conrad & O’Brian ( & damn our souls should we omit the name of Melville when speaking of great literature of the Sea, God Save Us),  Weir admirably captured what (from our exhaustive research & educated perspective) what life in the Royal Navy was like at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, 1803-1815; hard, brutal, dirty, & difficult. In short, so far away from what we know now. With our 21st Century mindset, is it any wonder we look back on those ragged Jack Tars who manned the decks of Nelson’s ships-of-the-line as crazy and/or nearly out of their minds?  The same is said of film portraying infantry conflict during the Revolutionary/Napoleonic or American Civil Wars: “All these guys standing up marching into the enemy’s fire.” Well, it could only be the historical layman that would make such an uninformed statement. Anyone who understands the weapon technology of the time understands that the musket is a muzzle loader, and is near-impossible to load lying down. Add to this the absolute fact that only about three well-aimed rounds can be fired per minute, hence the premium on “volley” firing. This is where a  regiment would be assembled in ranks (two to three deep) with the first rank firing in unison (we’re talking smoothbore muskets btw; not much chance of hitting anything over eighty yards; i.e. why fire is massed together – to achieve an effect). In the American Civil War (or “The War Between the States” as some refer to it) the tactics were the same with one very important difference in technology: the bores were rifled, i.e. a lot more accurate.  The rate of fire remained the same, but with a rifled musket you can aim at & hit a man up to half a mile away.

Countdown: 10 Days to Go Active on Indiegogo.com…

But we digress. Historical accuracy is a prime ingredient for all of these QuarterDeck productions, whether they be firearms, armored vehicles, accoutrements, customs, and language. It is to be Robert E Wilhelm’s joy to oversee all historical aspects of THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death. From the tell-tale Teutonic tunic, to the chain mail underneath, to the swords at their side, to the horse’s vestments – different for both Knight & Lord – will be his pleasure to address. Right down to the type & style of horses: a Knight would be riding a steed suitable for war, an animal heavier & with a stouter build than a Lord would be for example. Oftentimes these things are overlooked. There are so many angles (nuances, if you will) that go into rounding out a production and making it not only look real, but making it believable. And the location…a more suitable one we could not find unless we actually stood on the Baltic Coast! (Ahh now, for the feature-length film that just might be in the realm of possibility ;<)

We bid you dear brothers, fans of the site, & visitors to the Facebook page, do spread the word as best you can. Share the page, tell your friends, ask a favor, beg & borrow (however – please refrain from stealing – we don’t want to see anyone at  “Her Majesty’s Pleasure”  over raising funds for this  project – least of all us incurring a charge of “inciting a mob”. None of us are eager for a stint in San Quentin, the Tower of London, or Spandau Prison, so remember, before actually shaking down those little kids for their lunch money, tell their parents why they should be making a pledge to the project on Indiegogo.com instead!!! That way we’ll get there and (in Remarque’s words) stay “out of the clink!”

Countdown: 10 Days to Go Active on Indiegogo.com…

Besides which, just tug on their heartstrings: you can tell them – honestly mind you – that the project’s Producer (one Stephen Rollins by name) was actually shot at while location scouting!!! Truth is stranger than fiction,  nicht war?

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Stay Active My Friends!