WW1

[Highlander]

Has anyone else noticed that there is a large lack of movies, both amature and pro, about World War 1? I may be wrong, but it's just something I've noticed.

Later, probably next year after I finish the movie I'm working on now, I'd like to make a movie about WW1. Does anyone have any movie ideas for this subject, or possibly info about weapons? Like most other Americans, I don't know that much about WW1.

[DEDFX]

Watch a WW1 (pro) movie, and get ideas yourself, its not good getting all your movie ideas from other people. A movie idea for a movie on WW1 would be to make a movie about WW1. Just get tips from a WW1 movie.

[Kentertainment]

You're going to have to do some history researching as well, and sorry to say WWI gear is a lot more expensive than WWII gear.

[Highlander]

DEDFX - What I was getting at was that there is no WW1 movies.

But you're right, I do need to do some research.

[DEDFX]

Yeah I misunderstood ya.

[SgtPadrino]

Well it'll be incredibly expensive and time consuming - remember those trenches need to be as tall as your average soldier.

[maj_barnes]

Well it'll be incredibly expensive and time consuming - remember those trenches need to be as tall as your average soldier.

Get umpa loppas.

But I'd love to see a WW1 video. I remember someone on here talking about one they made for school.

[ct_bullet]

ww1 was very repetitive

you need acres of land, to dig trenches and destroy, need to turn it into horrible wet mood. and blow up all the trees, its a little extreme for low budget

[crossfire]

the truth is first of all, WW1 wasnt as involving for the entire world as WW2 so naturally there was less interest. Also there was a lot of the same thign going on for a long time, people shot across no man's land then got up and ran across only to get shot halfway there, the they shot some more and the otehr side tried runnign acroos only to die halfway, and then repeat steps 1-3. Thirdly there werent as many large and important figures and events. For those 3 reasons people do not consider WW1 to be of as much importance as WW2 (which also fathered more problems such as the Cold War).

[xander-prd]

the only reason WW2 seemed to involve the whole world was because the USA got involved.
If they hadnt there would not have been half as much publicity about it and a fractino of the Hollywood WW2 films would have been made, and if they had they would have been low budget(in hollywood terms" movies.

I think a WW1 movie is a great idea. You will need to do thorough research though. If you can afford it visit Ypres in Belgium where there are still some WW1 Trenches and tunnels where the first ever flamethrower was used (Schooltrip ). The trenches can show you what you will need to create - although creating something accurate would take years as there were underground tunnels, dugouts, secret passages etc etc.

As stated before WW1 gear is expensive and hard to get hold of - especially accurate bayonet replicas.

If you can do it though, go for it! Id love to see a WW1 movie.

[maj_barnes]

the only reason WW2 seemed to involve the whole world was because the USA got involved.

Last time I checked, the US did get involved in WW1, .

[DEDFX]

Thats what he just said

[maj_barnes]

Where?

[crossfire]

no he didnt mention it but thats not why, WW2 also included American soil (pearl harbour), Africa, Europe, and Asia, while WW1 was a quarell between Europeans, with the US just helping out

[tallman_house_pictures]

Ya there havent been too many WWI movies...I can think of:
-the blue max
-the lost battallion
-deathwatch
-the one about religious guyh that took a bunch of germans prisoner with his squad

You can buy complete british WWI sets at www.whatpriceglory.com

Canada actually did a fair amount in WWI too! We are known for Vimy Ridge and a few others I cant think of.

[Gyro]

All Quiet on the Western Front
The Lost Battalion
The Blue Max
Paths of Glory
Lawrence of Arabia
Gallipoli
Sergeant York
Wings
The Lighthorsemen
A Very Long Engagement

Watch those, take European History, spend loads of money and don't suck at filmmaking then it should be good.

[crossfire]

if only it was so easy...

[Epsilon]

What fun would life be if everything was easy?

[2nd_Recon]

I belive Highlander didn't say he WANTED to make a WWI movie, he we only observing that there is a disproportional ammount of WWII vs WWI films, both in the amateur and in the pro weight class. I think the reason is because there wasn't many huge and well known battles.

[Jowka]

Blackadder goes fourth! hahah legendary

[Lawriejaffa]

I really have very very little doubt that a ww1 film would automatically be more expensive than a ww2 one, we're just having a little trouble defining the kinda 'film' we want to make.

Getting a 'few' pals to dress up as ww2 soldiers, and filming off the shoulder ad hoc private ryan does not constitute a ww2 film necessarily, for example, ww2 featured much more prominent roles for tanks, vehicles and aircraft but note, if u were to watch a ww2 attempt in these forums, there missing? Why, cos obviously its hard to get them lol (and yes theres ALWAYS some exceptions please...) but the point is this, WW1 featured predominantly infantry (regardless of the fact they would introduce tanks, and aircraft for combat, and that most were in fact killed by artillery and boom things as they would be note in ww2 as well.

So massive misconceptions based on earlier war movies, and popular history, and the media of that period, help to create in our minds, perceptions of war that are not entirely true, but historically one can make war films very different to the percieved notions.

For example WW1 was all stagnant, in the trenches etc, Well a large part was, but the beginning of the war, and the end of the war certainly was not. Nobody mentioned this why? (well ok i had to study it at university lol but the main reason is cos of the cultural code, ie. we percieve it to be like this'

So Highlander, i suggest to you, that if you want to risk fighting preconcieved notions, then you should study the early or later part, to make a war film based on ww1, that won't see u need anything silly like 'acres of land' or trenches.

As for expenses, someone here said it would cost loads more?!!? Well sure, if he's trying to buy original outfits! But there is a more common sense way of doing it.

So Highlander, German soldiers in ww1 (pointy helmets right?) no, not for the most part of the war, they wore german ww2 style helmets(ok they were slightly different, but barely noticeable, and i mean barely) and with a ww1 paint scheme, bobs ur uncle. Uniform?

The German tunic, is basically er... well its basically often seen as imagine a ww2 field jacket, with the top pockets missing, and with little tails at the back. However, now u need to research this, im sure there were some with 4 pockets, that east military surplus could be used as, find any grey 2 pocket tunic (bottom pockets) and basically find the nearest as -
Or consider something roughly close, even 4 pocket if ur gonna get grey feild coats (long coats) and if u got those, then to hell with whats underneath, only nerds will care to notice. (but keep those big coats a little buttoned huh hehe.

As for the french, well u can get those adrian helmets, not too difficulty, and they wore big coats too, (there was barely any difference between the french ww1 and ww2 outfits incidentally)

The hardest prob would be getting the rifles or fake rifles, as its easy to pick up an airsoft m16 much hader a mauser of the period, (but again an early bolt action rifle 'can' look pretty much like another, on screen)

So don't get preoccupied with getting costumes exact, id go for near as.

As for ww1 storylines, theres always the 'caught behind enemy lines' the scouting party mission, or the deserter (and his returning or escaping) i mean theres loads of room for manouever, and please, it would be a welcome change of originality.

If you want any help or further advice pm me good luck

[Lawriejaffa]

Oh and more thing (if i havent said enuf) there are very little films about ww1 (please don't quote like some... if were comparing it to ww2 then yeah there is a BIG difference)

Many films use ww1 as a 'backdrop' like for example a very long engagement, while blue max, really is more to do with the romance many have with ww1 aircraft and the prepercieved nobility of the pilots that recklessly flew them, (Aces High) being another.

I'd suggest a refreshing take on ww1, something with the social modern realism, attempted by ww2 films of late.

[maj_barnes]

, for example, ww2 featured much more prominent roles for tanks, vehicles and aircraft but note, if u were to watch a ww2 attempt in these forums, there missing?

Most of the combat in WW2 was infantry based.

[Epsilon]

Um, not really, but nice of you to think so.

[maj_barnes]

Then the History Channel is wrong.