I really like this, because it’s a pastime that’s cooperative, but seems competitive.
Choreographed light-saber duels! They’re pretty good, too.
I also like that about the worst thing you might endure is a whack in the face with a lighted plastic tube, or maybe a skinned knee. Back when I was in college, I did some viking reenactment, and that’s why I wear my mustache the way I do – it hides the scar from where I ate the edge of another guy’s shield during a routine that zigged when it was supposed to zag.
I love the level of effort they’re putting into it. And the technology looks like it’s getting pretty good, too.
Hey Marcus, delurking after however many years to say your blog is one of the ones that has kept me coming here.
On topic are you a fan of pro wrestling? That’s the first thing I think of when you say “cooperative, but seems competitive.”
This one too:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AmR5LoyZ4jw
Lightsabers are such a silly idea. If it’s so lightweight why not make me one that’s 30 feet long? And that pulses when it’s getting resistance from another beam? Oh, right, then it’d be a blaster.
Wow. I had no idea this is a thing either, but it looks impressive and fun.
I’ve often wondered why “medieval re-enactment” always means axes and shields and battles. For true realism there’s plenty of sailing and settling and farming and manuscript illumination and excruciating medieval boredom to re-enact too. Requires less equipment, certainly. I suppose there are groups dedicated to re-enacting medieval cultural and intellectual life – they’re called the Catholic Church. When the Sealed Knot starts re-creating the Early Modern pamphleteering industry alongside the English Civil War we’ll know that progress has been made.
Mind you, it’s definitely less prestigious to tell people you got your scar in an over-enthusiastic medieval hoeing accident.
cartomancer@#3:
I’ve often wondered why “medieval re-enactment” always means axes and shields and battles.
We used to joke about that, a lot. “Where are the monk and scribe re-enactors? Then we can re-enact St Brice’s Day!”
I suppose there are groups dedicated to re-enacting medieval cultural and intellectual life – they’re called the Catholic Church.
Thanks for that. My keyboard needed the covefe!
Offtopic: Marcus, is there a reason you spell it “covefe”, rather than the Trumpster’s “covfefe”? I feel I may be missing something if it’s not just a consistent typo.
sonofrojblake@#5:
Marcus, is there a reason you spell it “covefe”, rather than the Trumpster’s “covfefe”?
I spell it correctly.
*Damn* I have been WAITING SO LONG for someone to walk into that!
The tech for making this sort of video hasn’t changed much in ten, maybe fifteen years. The tech for having it look (and sound) almost this good live has. Ten years ago you could simply rotoscope a blade onto a broomhandle sticking out of a saber handle from Toys R Us and put the sounds on later, and there are plenty of fan vids around from that time with some really nice choreography done that way. What has advanced is that now you can buy a lovely machined metal hilt with a speaker, a sound chip and a “sound font” containing a whole bunch of activation, swing, clash and deflect sound FX, accelerometers, coloured LEDs in a variety of selectable colours, and a removable “blade”, that look and sound great indoors or in the evening. Not that I’ve looked into it or anything…
Glad to be of service.
sonofrojblake@#7:
Not that I’ve looked into it or anything…
Me either, nope, nope. And wow is there a wide price and quality range available.
I loved the old Ryan vs Dorkman videos from the oughts – I believe that was all hand-rotoscoped – it must have taken ages but still much better with Adobe Premier than the way Lucas Film originally did it.
Someone needs to take about a hundred of ’em to an antifa rally, and challenge fascists to friendly lightsaber duels.
I’m this cat right now:
I take this opportunity to post what in my opinion might possibly be the musically worst of all the song videos from the Band Geek Podcast. Still it’s pretty good!
Duel of the Fates by John Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXnRB4E4bPE
Maybe writing something below the video link will prevent it from embedding, or maybe it won’t.
@ 10 Siobhan
Ergo you are all starry-eyed. Nice kitty.
dysomniak is done finding common cause with neoliberal stooges@#1:
Hey Marcus, delurking after however many years to say your blog is one of the ones that has kept me coming here.
Ideally, not out of curiosity about what I’m going to step into next…
On topic are you a fan of pro wrestling? That’s the first thing I think of when you say “cooperative, but seems competitive.”
I have actually watched a small amount of it; it’s – interesting – mostly because many people do seem to think it’s a competitive sport, and not a performance. I suspect it’d make a good litmus test to identify people who were particularly susceptible to propaganda.
When I was thinking about “cooperative but seems competitive” I was thinking of most reenactment fighting – you’re trying to put on a good show and make it look like you’re really trying to kill eachother, but the Battle of Hastings always ends the same way, no matter how hard hard Harold and his men fight.