Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Lords of the Hoof's LiveJournal:

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Friday, August 29th, 2008
8:17 am [black_destrier]	Website One of the key activities we have been working hard on is getting a web-site up for the film. My original target date for this was about two months ago, but real-life interceded, more than once, pushing that back. I am now happy to say that the site is now live and accessible: http://www.visionforgefilms.com/ Several refinements will be added over the coming days/weeks. First, I will have at least one, and maybe two additional clips to post: the fight scene being one of them. We will probably have to reduce the size of the clip a bit, but that's mere techo stuff. Also coming will be .pdf links to the script and possibly to the treatment. Lastly, I am working to customize a forum for the site although at the moment, questions remain. With the advent of the site, I will be re-engaging two potential funding sources; that is the major activity for the remainder of the year. The next shoot will involve the Order Master, Morganna, Kheribus, Renoux, the Shadow, and extras- in short- the Order Chapter House scenes. At the moment, these will have to be studio shots unless a decent Romanesque or Gothic hall comes available for free to shoot in. I'm not holding my breath. Feed back on the site is welcomed. When we started this, we were hoping to find somebody to do the website work; as it turned out, that was one thing we could not get so I went ahead and dived into it, so any suggestions are welcome. Please use the email link at the website- I would like to have that vetted and tested. Oh... and yes, I will work a news page for it also:) I will continue to post here when updates are available. We press onwards. Des (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
2:41 pm [black_destrier]	A Look Back- A Look Forward Happy New Year! I’ve been meaning to provide a look back/ahead post for sometime, held back only by some ongoing discussions, the results of which I had hoped to announce here, but the holidays have pushed that back a bit so I will simply muse on 2007 past, and 2008 future. Although we have been at this since 2005, 2007 represented the year that we went from concept and pre-production to shooting live action footage and developing several digital effects (FX). To say the very least of it all--- we had a hugely successful 2007. For live-action, we shoot a moderately challenging fight scene between Warwick and Kheribus in which Eric and Jim L gave their all, and I and Jim F worked hard to edit and add audio tracks to. We also shot live-action with the buck Witchseer, working with physical effects during that scene. Lastly, we moved into the studio for two scenes, the Margrave (Brian “Syl” M) and Kheribus (Jim L) discussing the matter of the Order, and the Shadow approaching the necropolis gate. This last scene was heavily laden with visual effects and was our first full up “green screen” work. On the post-shooting side, we have mastered to a great extent several FX programs and managed to integrate them into our workflow, and we managed to set up sufficient audio capability to provide some initial ambient sound and music. Finally, we have worked the story deeper, adding both background and new characters and scenes that will round out the story the way we want it. And critically, for our future plans, we have brought some new folks on board for both acting and production and we are looking forward to working with them. So, 2007 saw some very positive progress in the technical and production realms, and the experience we have gained from this effort clearly tells us that we can, indeed, do this film the way we want. What didn’t happen in 2007 was the funding I am working on. I still strongly feel that we have a great opportunity to fund the project beyond just a low-budget indie, but alas, I have yet to close the deal. Nonetheless, I will continue to work this and post progress here. Ok, so that was 2007. 2008 is upon us and beckons even more progress to come. That being said, the challenge now is to shoot nothing but full-up final scenes; many of the test scenes we did will be redone at some point, but all efforts now turn to in-the-can footage for the first two episodes. For the upcoming shoots, we turn to the Order Chapter House. The order, as many here know, is central to much of the story. It is the order who has been “dabbling” in dark powers and their ends-justifies-their-means approach has left a trail of intrigue. Their story starts with Morganna and the Order Master, but the Fox Renoux too, is indelibly linked to the Order’s machinations. Just how will be revealed by the series end, but suffice it to say, there is more afoot than meets the eye. In order to approach the “Order” filmatically, we will shoot the Order scenes over the next ten months. The Order scenes present the major challenge ahead of us; the Order Chapter House will require a sound-stage and set construction, and will involve most of the major characters: Morganna, the Order Master, Renoux, Kheribus, the Margrave, as well as the two Order Deacons, and several Order “watchers.” It is a challenging goal for a small budget film, but one that I think we can reach. Shooting the Order scenes takes us from a small production unit up to something a bit larger. Lighting will be key, and continuity and wardrobe will be an absolute must; Organizing to accomplish this will be tricky as we will have to aim to shoot it in a short time frame given that we will be bringing Alexis in from the west coast, and others from around the country (and possibly the U.K.) to do it. Nonetheless, this is where we will be going next. After the Order Scenes, we will shoot the Healing House, then additional green screen work, then once again, back out to an outdoor location for the remaining scenes. Exactly when all this follow-on work will be completed, I’m not sure; no doubt in 2009, but should we hit our schedule, we should be ready for a preview, possibly in October at FurFright 2009. So, that’s what’s ahead. Much to do, and plenty of work for all. As before, I, Eric, and Alexis deeply appreciate all the efforts of everyone; Jan B for her wardrobe/costuming work, Jim F for his cinematography, Jim L and Brian Syl M for their outstanding on-screen efforts- Lionel for his work, and many others who have contributed in numerous small ways. So, hang in there, all those who have been following this production: the road is long and sometimes it seems like little is happening, but in fact, behind the scenes, more is going on than meets the eye. As always, I am glad to hear from anyone- you can now reach us via gmail.com at Visionforgefilms@[you all know what goes here :)] Des (Comment on this)
Monday, December 24th, 2007
9:02 pm [black_destrier]	Happy Holidays On behalf of all those on the Circle of Stone project, I wish everyone happy holidays, and a very successful and wondrous new year! I do plan to provide an update- RL jumped in the way: but its coming. Some hopeful plans for 2008! Des (Comment on this)
Monday, December 10th, 2007
10:48 am [black_destrier]	Update Coming I plan to post an update on the project this week, including a look into next years's schedule. The 2008 goal is to finish all of the Order Chapter/Morganna scenes, which should complete most of episode I. More Soon. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
4:50 pm [black_destrier]	23 October Update: State of the Project Because this project was born out of an afternoon’s excursion in the wooded vales of upper Connecticut during 2004’s FurFright, and since we just returned from the annual FurFright extravaganza (many thanks to Belic and K’gra!) I like to use this annual occasion to reflect on the project; where we have been, where we are, and where we hopefully will go in the next year. The one thing I was fairly sure of when we started was that this endeavor would take some years to complete as an Independent Film Project. In that much, I have been sageful, in all other guesses--- well, let’s just say that it’s been an adventure (to say the least!) sometimes good, sometimes frightfully amazing, and always, ever increasingly more complex. But oddly enough, that’s proving to be a good thing. In October of 2005, our first year of working this, we presented our plan at FurFright. We had selected a format, a camera, a script, and a target goal. Our format was adequate, our camera quite good, our script in revision 3, and our target goal of 18 months seemingly doable. In October of 2006, we presented half of a live storyboard in which our format was still good, our camera still mostly current, and our script in revision 7. However, our target goal of 18 months was sufficiently in tatters simply due to the fact that we knew more than we did when we started, and what we now knew was just how much we didn’t know then... Still, that didn’t stop us. And so, this year, 2007 we have some good news to report: 2007, in many ways, has turned into a year of change- all around, and in many ways and forms. New locations for a number of us (including FurFright), a real chance at major funding (still very much in the works folks!) and more importantly, we have started principle photography --- filming. Our format is changing a bit- that being that our target distribution method is now completely web-cinema, and in terms of our camera, we may just follow our format change with a change from 3:4 to widescreen (for those in the know, its called -RED- folks, assuming we work that funding issue). Additionally, our story is much more firmly in place with several revisions to the script having taken place and large pieces of the backstory now set. One sign of progress is that we have begun recruiting, most critically, for the Arianda role, as well as several other stand-in and extra parts. Of course, strength also lies in consistency and we have been fortunate to have kept our core folks who remain committed, enthusiastic, and working to keep progress moving forward. Myself, Eric, Jan, Lex, and Jim continue to work as best we can along with great work from Syl, Jim L, Lionel, Marc, and others who have contributed in oh-so many helpful ways. The result of all this was that this year, at FurFright, I didn’t have to do a lot of talking- we simply ran (digital) “film.” We were able to show progress and overall, pretty rewarding progress at that. We had three principle clips: a fight scene (featuring Eric and Jim L as Warwick and Kheribus) using live steel, a vignette showing the buck Witchseer reading fire runes, and lastly, a full-up Scene 32 with a special effects opening, live action with dialog (Syl as the Margrave and Jim L standing in as Kheribus), and a special effects closing of a shadow approaching the secret necropolis gate. Moreover, we were able to show the beginnings of some very neat greenscreen efforts- in fact, the entire shadow scene was shot using greenscreen, and that means lots of possibilities, for sure. Lastly, in addition to all this, we were able to present two clips, the first from the live storyboard and the second with live action showing how we are going from “concept” to “live action” film. All in all, a successful showing for sure. Of course, now the hard work really begins. 2008 is the year I really hope that our funding comes through. I wouldn’t be out in public like this talking up financing if I didn’t have confidence that it was a very serious possibility. While things can always change (and, believe me, 2007 was a year of change so we know that can go awry), the name of the game in filmmaking is ‘funding,’ and we have as good a shot as any. But funding efforts can be complex and often require long and careful discussions- and that’s what’s underway now. Wish us luck- nothing is ever “in the bag...” (I have a horror story about “in the bag” I will tell anyone who wishes to ask...), but the hope is strong and worth talking about. So, whats next? We are continuing to refine our FX capabilities and improve our editing suite. We are actively working on the costumes for the Order scenes, which means Morganna, the Order Master, the Deacons, and the Watchers. We are continuing to explore locations for the Order Chapter Hall scenes as well as investigate Offset Motion technologies for green-screen work wherein we our camera moves are counter-matched in the computer so that the greenscreen background moves appropriate to the camera’s motion and point-of-view. The Order scenes constitute a large part of Episode 1 and 2; much of the bulk of work to be done is in these scenes. Additionally, we are working to finish the other two “heros,” Renoux the Fox, and Arianda. Alexis is playing Renoux as well as creating the costume and mask and has much of that work in hand; meanwhile, we have selected an actress with Indie action-film credits and stage acting background to play Arianda, and Eric will begin to work that mask sometime in the coming months. Additionally, Eric is working to craft some weaponry for the film that should be quite eye catching (trust me, he has the “workshop” at hand to do this :). Finally, I am turning over the clips to our two musicians so that they can begin to take the leit-motifs we have been working with and develop deeper music and more robust ambient sound. We aim to have a great soundtrack for this series. So progress, while slow, is being made in many areas. With the advent of having advertised (on mandy.com) for the Arianda part, we are also continuing to receive lots of interest from the Indie film community, particularly from actors and actresses looking for first films to get some experience in. We certainly want to encourage interest in the project, and for all skills in the way of filmmaking. Still, as a low budget Indie, we need to remind ourselves of the pace that we are (and have to) move at... which is... Slow. Thus, the most important skill right now for all of us on the project and, in particular, for those wanting to join in fresh, is patience. When patience is combined with persistence, a win always follows (or at least a worthy life lesson which is often a win regardless.) Pursuant to that, in regards to any who may wish to join up with Circle of Stone and do some screen acting, my key advice is to focus on "stage" skills. No, you don’t have to be an experienced actor per-se, but picking up some background info on it will be helpful. Here’s why: by definition, "stage" and "screen" acting skills are quite different. They involve different and sometimes highly opposing methods of acting; stage is continuous, live, and has to play to the customer in the 30th row back--- whereas, screen acting involves a much more inward experience, is highly focused on the milieu of the moment, as is only playing to a 4 by 3 (or 19 by 9 now) piece of glass--- and that increasingly more often that not these days, surrounded by a crazy technology that immerses actors in a sea of green and blue lit backboards. Screen acting can be "monotonous." "AGAIN" becomes a detested word as we (the Director and DP) put the scene through many takes, sometimes without the other actor(s) involved when we go to what we call A/B shots. Screen acting demands patience and perseverance as many people run around for long periods between actual filming setting lights, discussing arcane matters such as color temperatures, f-stops, camera pushes, tracks, and pulls, and engage in compositional dialogs that sometimes involve setting actors and actresses up like Ken and Barbie mannequins; making them hold poses for many minutes under burning hot lights (in MASKS no less!): its all part of the screen acting experience. In short, its hours punctuated by moments of acting. Here, on this project, the challenge is to leverage stage skills such as allow the masked characters to come alive, while still subjecting actors and actresses to the rigors of screen performance methods. This is all made the more crazy because we are an independent film doing something that few full up productions ever touch- a costumed, dramatic film involving serious FX. (and anthropomorphic masked costumed dramatic film involving serious FX to be precise...) Reading in between those lines, one will find that Indie + Costumed + Masks + FX (or x FX) means that there are also great periods of time between shoots- where our extraordinarily talented costume and mask makers are creating the characters and props we need for the film, and little else- acting wise, is going on. With only a handful of mask and costume makers doing our work, it takes T*I*M*E to make magic happen; lots of it. The result of this is that there are long periods of time when things aren’t happening in front of any cameras. And, that is where we are now; working on the Order characters: Morganna, the Order Master, the deacons, the watchers, as well as the other two hero characters, Renoux the Fox, and Arianda the Doe. At current pace, I anticipate our next shoots to be in the beginning of ’08 – and although we will undoubtedly do some minor pick-up work with existing characters prior to ‘08, the majority of the next few months will be spent getting ready for some of the really heavy shoots we need to do to finish the pilot- including extensive work in FX using Cinema 4D, Vue6 Infinite, and other specialized programs. So, that’s where we are at, working but with some time before the next round of filming, which means that there is time to assess opportunities, and time for those who want to act on camera to work to study up on their stage as well as screen methods- and to read scripts and background material and to prepare for the coming effort (or if you want to work off camera, we’re always looking for volunteers!). Because we are a small production right now, I am giving everyone who expresses an interest in acting a chance at it- for we will need many fill-ins and replacements as well as extras and future key roles, so hang in there. The train is moving, albeit slowly. So, it’s truly all about patience and persistence: the patience to wait while we persist in trying to make it all happen:) Ok... last item: starting now and continuing over the next four to six months, I will be actively looking to develop a “Circle of Stone” website capable of hosting streaming media, a forum, and the to-be-expected news and other features apropos to our project. While we will be paying for the site, I am, at this time, in need of some web development support willing to work in hopes that the funding comes through. I realize this is a tough proposition these days, but if you don’t ask... you don’t find out. After all, look where we’ve gotten so far on “low budget”! So this year’s “State of the Project” summary is: Great Progress, but challenging work lies ahead both in production and in funding efforts. But with all the support we have been given thus far, I am sure we will *somehow* get there. Many thanks all! Brien PS: We can now be reached at visionforgefilms@gmail.com (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, October 12th, 2007
9:35 am [black_destrier]	Fur Fright Previews A lot has happened since our last update, both personally and project wise: we have held another location shoot as well as two successful sound stage shoots. We will be presenting some early previews of selected scenes at Fur Fright (including some early special effects scenes) on Saturday Night, October 20th at 9pm. I am also hoping to be able to make a key announcement then. See you all there! (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 8th, 2007
10:08 pm [black_destrier]	Filming Weekend(s) report Again, apologies for not updating this LJ more often. We have been very busy as of late with two complete filming sessions completed. We have filmed and edited a fight scene and, just a week ago, filmed portions of the Buck Witchseer. Both have been edited into clips- the buck witchseer parts into the opening as seen in the live storyboard including FX of the Ranger Hold. We are very pleased with both pieces and we have enough footage to cover us for all the buck witchseer scenes for the first episode. In particular, I'm very pleased with the fight scene. For those interested, we are maintaining a group at Yahoo groups for the film project where announcements to the cast and crew are made and where we are keeping online archives of the stills and some clips. If interested, write me for access. Also of note is the fact that we are working on some funding angles that will allow us to produce full-up, the first four/five episodes, so lots of progress has been made, albeit slow progress! Two of my favorite pix, one from each shoot, can be found in the gallery on our site. http://www.lordsofthehoof.com/gallery/album01/Buck_uphill_17 http://www.lordsofthehoof.com/gallery/First-Shoot/Flex_pass (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
9:59 am [black_destrier]	Filming Weekend We are filming our first fight scene this weekend in Hamburg NJ. Our schedule covers Saturday and Sunday activities. Again, those interested in participating in our filming activities in some capacity can join: visionforgefilms at yahoo groups, to find out details of the shoot. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 15th, 2007
10:58 am [black_destrier]	March 07 Update Despite this journal being somewhat inactive (mea culpa), there are a lot of exciting things going on right now- including the development of CG models in Cinema 4D (www.maxon.com), which will be used to create much of Falkenhaven including the Order Chapter Great Hall. Cinema 4D is an absolutely amazing tool- it was used to provide mattes and visuals for the film, Narnia, as well as many others. Also happening, the start up of set and prop design activities (lots of wonderfully detailed stuff), finishing up of a number of the masks and costumes, and the always exciting pursuit of some very real funding opportunities. More immediately, we are filming our first location "scene" on the 1st of April (no, it's not an April fool's joke...) Baring really bad weather, we plan to shoot a two-on-one fight scene between Warwick, the Wolf, and another character. There may be some extras also. This is a "test" shoot for us, the purpose of which is to provide our actors/stunt folks some training in actual medieval combat techniques. It is our goal to portray combat as reasonably realistically as we can (generally in accordance with ARMA research), as well as developing experience for the film crew in shooting such a scene. We have numerous details to work out as you can imagine. If we have time, we may also shoot test footage of the Buck Witchseer. Later in April, we will shoot some blue/green screen shots to sink into a Cinema 4D background as a test. The filming will take place in North Jersey. As always, feel free to write me and ask questions. Please NOTE: Those who are currently part of the project, if you have not already done so, we are asking that you join Vision Forge Films over on Yahoo Groups. That is where we will post the specific details for all shoots on the project. Those who might want to volunteer to hold bounce-cards and do grip work, same advice. Write me :)! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, October 27th, 2006
10:11 pm [black_destrier]	Script Revision 7.2f Script 7.2f is now available. This is the revision that matches the current Live Storyboard (which is complete through approximately 19 minutes). If you would like a .pdf copy of the script, you can request it by writing me: black.destrier at gmail.com (Comment on this)
Monday, October 23rd, 2006
7:50 am [black_destrier]	Fur Fright Post-Con I want to thank all those who stopped by to preview the first 20 minutes of the live storyboard for Circle of Stone. We ran several showings between Friday and Saturday and very much appreciated the enthusiastic response (and round of applause) the storyboard received. We hope to have the final 8 minutes of Episode 1's storyboard done by early December. We will have scripts out for voice-overs and soundtrack work this week so progress is being made. We intend to make the storyboard available on the web (technical details still being worked out), but before we can make that happen, we need to finalize agreements for some of the music we have used, or have the re-track finished. We plan to shoot two scenes soon- the three Ranger Witchseer scenes (single actor on location) and a test-fight scene. We will keep folks posted as events progress. Lastly, we are pursuing a few opportunities to obtain funding for a sound-stage location and the sets we will build there (4 sets). Wish us luck! (and if you know anybody who wants to invest in film... lol) Again, many thanks to all who came by and enjoyed the live storyboard with us, and thanks again to Belic for a great convention as always. -- Des (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 17th, 2006
9:54 pm [black_destrier]	Last Minute Update Good Bear Belic of Fur Fright has provided us with the opportunity to show the live storyboard in a Fur-Fright panel room at 2pm on Friday- This will be in additiona to us showing it our room on Saturday afternoon. So, check out Fur Fright's latest panel info and remember, also look for our posters announcing the time and room for the Saturday showing. Everyone who wants to see it is invited. Des (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, October 16th, 2006
5:19 pm [black_destrier]	Fur Fright 2006 Fur Fright We will be at Fur Fright this year and we will be showing the first 15 minutes of the Live Storyboard for Circle of Stone Episode 1. Rembmer, this is (more or less) a semi-animated *storyboard* - no live action in it- just our "blueprint" for the film's scenes. We will show the storyboard up in on of our rooms probably on Saturday sometime. For those attending, look for our posters announcing the time and place- or grab myself or Cordite, we should know by Saturday morning when we will show it. Everyone who wants to see it is invited. Des (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, September 23rd, 2006
9:26 am [black_destrier]	Update As of this writing, we are moving forward to shoot two scenes: the opening scene with the buck (deer) shaman as he sits near a fire contemplating a mystic rune, and a sword fight scene involving Warwick. The first scene is for the film, the second scene is so we can work out the numerous issues involved in a fight scene and resulting footage will go into the can for use later. FUR-FRIGHT (at the Bradley Int. Airport Sheridan in Connecticut) As in prior years, we will be at Fur Fright in late October. We will hold a meeting for those who we have spoken to already (last year’s reading) and those newly interested in the film project. NOTE: This meeting will NOT be on the Fur Fight Panel schedule, but rather will be held in the hotel at a location to be named soon. Watch this space for further information. We will be showing the live storyboard at that time (which is complete through about half the first episode) and may, if time permits conduct some more readings. If you have any questions, please write me at black.destrier --> gmail.com (the --> = at). Put “Circle of Stone” in your subject line :) More Soon. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 5th, 2006
9:30 pm [jaspian]	I apologize for the delay, but for some reason the e-mail failed to deliver (repeatedly). Is there some other address I can submit files to you at? Anyway, as promised, I took site photos of the location I described in central massachusetts & have organized & documented the shots. In total, I have 34 site photos of the property, including the church & an interesting small clearing that's surrounded by a perfect circle of tall evergreen trees (about 40 feet from the north side of the church). While the church is public access, you will likely have to ask the town to film there (so that nobody else comes into the shot), or if you wish to film at night. Anyway, the photos zipped take up some 11 MB of space, and probably will need to be sent via e-mail or over AIM. Current Mood: accomplished Current Music: Rawthang - Beautiful Morning (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 22nd, 2006
9:04 pm [black_destrier]	Kheribus: First Captain of the Guard (another character synopis) It is said that a Woten Tribe can no more disavow a Woten Wolf, than a Woten Wolf can disavow his tribe. Yet, as widespread as the Woten Clans are, few know how true that is for few truly know the ways of these most Spartan of peoples. And more often than not, those who dare to try to understand them by venturing into their realms never return. Such is the way of these secluded and mysterious wolves. For the Wotens, the tribe is blood, and blood, the tribe. Magnificent warriors, feared raiders, dreaded night stalkers, a Woten’s sense of the hunt is uncanny, their remorsefulness legendary, their courage unequalled. Their goddess is the moon, the night their cloak, and darkness the promise of ever-life. And should a Woten fall in battle, the tribe will not leave them behind- they will all die trying to bring back the dead, whatever the cost, whatever the pain, for the bond between being and tribe, and tribe and mountain, is beyond formidable, it simply—is. So when one does come down from the mountains, and mingles with those not of his people, it is a matter of note: and when one comes down from the mountain and becomes the First Captain of the Guard of Falkenhaven, it is a matter of stunned astonishment- and to some, dreaded shock. And so it is with Kheribus, the ascetic master soldier of the Margrave, the out-of-the-ordinary bearer of the crest of Falkenhaven’s Captain of the Guard. Just who he is, which tribe he came from, and why he is here- or more to the point, what caused him to leave ‘the blood,’ is a mystery that the inhabitants of this old and decaying fortress town only ever whisper quietly in wonderment among themselves. Ever the arm of the tax levy, his heritage as a Woten brings more dread than his reputation as one of finest weapon masters in all of the cold North. Yet, he is hardly aloof, or remote from his charge; boldly walking the streets of the city that is his to protect. Atop his scaly strider, or questioning a merchant suspected of shorting his tax arrears, Kheribus is an ever present part of the bustle of the town, a symbol of the Margrave’s governance as much as the Margrave’s castle is. And every now and then, a rumor circulates that the wolf has righted some wrong, made fair some cheat, and looked the other way when some poor citizen has come to City Prison because dire need has spawned desperate theft. For Kheribus, his motivations, desires, hopes, are matters never discussed. A loner by nature, to even those that know him he remains remote and distant, confiding perhaps only in the Margrave and rarely ever if that. Only the horse captain, Warwick, elicits a strong reaction from him, an antagonism born of mutual distrust, made palpable by shared derision, close to bordering on hate, and restrained only by the fact that Warwick is an equal in arms. An enigma then, this Wolf is, and so he will probably always remain. But for many years now, he has been the master of their guard, an ever-present figure, and the town has come to think of him as one of their own, and has often shared a laugh at the alarmed ogling of newcomers when seeing their Woten Wolf Captain for the first time. Yet, none are ever truly at ease around Kheribus, for there remains something in his manner, something—unsettling. Perhaps it is a sense of deferred vengeance, or the latent wildness lying dormant in the depths of his coal black eyes. Whatever it is, it keeps the good citizens of Falkenhaven from ever truly trusting this wolf—and always wondering whenever they catch a glimpse of him standing atop the margrave’s tower, peering out under a glimmering moonrise into the fading twilight of the day, staring long and ardently at the distant snow covered mountains from which he once came. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
9:01 pm [black_destrier]	The Margrave (This is another in the series of character synopses being posted here) A Minor Noble hailing from the surrounding region, the Margrave entered into the service of the last Markgraf of Falkenhaven, first as a minor official working for the Overseer of Mines, then rising to the title himself in recognition for his tireless efforts to extract the throne’s rightful take from an ever-diminishing mining income. With Falkenhaven’s fortunes darkening, he was appointed Bailiff of Taxes in hopes that he would bring his talent for finding revenue to bear upon the whole of the town and its surrounding villages, a task he did with grinding efficiency. Thus, when the Emperor decided that Falkenhaven no longer needed a Markgraf, and recalled the last one back to the capital, it was only natural that the town’s efficient Bailiff of Taxes be granted the title of Margrave and given the city to govern. And for many years the Margrave has ruled over the once thriving town with its twin castles, great walls, its moat-in-the middle, and labyrinth of tunnels and passages below, with pitiless parsimony. A great city in all but stature, Falkenhaven’s survival is as much in spit of him, as it is because of him. With an eye for gold and wealth, a penchant for frugality, and an incredible sense of balance between heavy hand and proper piety, his ways have the populace grumbling, but never loudly griping, and thus, he has kept this long forgotten town alive just enough to keep it— profitable. If it where only that easy, though, for the world constantly seeks to disrupt his plans and he knows he must keep the Emperor happy with a sufficient flow of coin to insure Imperial bliss, and blessed ignorance, while maintaining a wary eye on the never-to-be-trusted Order, the only ones who could possibly challenge his rule. Oh, and those annoying rangers too, and their outdated principles. How dare they question the lawful tax, or at least the appearance of it. Bah! Never mind such pesky details such as the Charter that some might say restricts his reach. These rangers, surely they too bear watching. And then there is his guard; the loyal Captain Kheribus, the Wotan Wolf whose reasons for leaving the tribes his kind rarely leave, is as mysterious as he is dangerous. But Kheribus is useful; he understands how to apply force to taxation- and can be creatively intuitive, and always discreet, when the need arises. And Captain Belak, the easy going, never questioning, bear whose watch patrols the streets, and keeps the riffraff, as well as the imperial spies, at bay. And lastly- the problem child: Captain Warwick. A horse, far too altruistic for the purpose of taxation- best his troops roam the lands around the town and keep the rangers at arms reach- and his incessant inconvenient questions away from matters that do not concern him. For ultimately, this Margrave is no fool. The world constantly seeks change and change is to be feared. The status quo is not just a desirable state, but an essential rule. As long as nothing changes, things will always be good- and profitable- and without the needless eye of the Emperor to interfere. After, all, it is not good to garner the Imperial eye for such attention takes coin to solve, lots and lots of coin. And that is very unprofitable- in more ways than one. Yes, change is surely to be feared. Yet coming events cast their shadows before them. And something dark indeed approaches. What will come to pass, the Margrave does not yet know- but what he does not even suspect is that it will change everything. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 11th, 2006
8:11 pm [black_destrier]	Further clarification For those who may not have followed my less-than-clear ramblings: in the "comments" sections following the two postings on background and characters (below) , additional information is presented. I could not post everything in a single front page post. Destrier *edited to further reduce confoundment:) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, July 10th, 2006
9:01 pm [black_destrier]	World Background These following series of posts (in this thread) deal with the background of the world in which Circle of Stone takes place. For the most part, the people, places, and lands of Circle of Stone are based upon the world I created for my novel (in progress), Shining Full Clear (to see the proposed cover, go to: http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/t/r/tracyjb/sfccover.jpg.html). However, while Shining Full Clear takes place on the great western continent, Circle of Stone takes place on the older, more developed eastern continent. The eastern world is far more ancient than that found in the western lands of SFC. Here lie great cities with thousands of years of history behind them, and an immense, yet decaying Empire that, while far from what it once was, is still a great civilization. The time period equates roughly to between Earth’s 11th and 13th centuries, its architecture straddling the mid to late medieval period with fortified castles and towns, and partially improved road systems. Moreover, beyond the ruins of the old Empire, it is fairly clear that an older civilization existed well before the anthro peoples of the world rose- evidenced by numerous strange stone circles and monoliths that dot the land. Whatever this civilization was, it had managed to construct tremendous works in stone as well as achieving some degree of mastery over “magick” (to use the SFC term for it). But whoever they were, they disappeared long before the earliest rise of the various tribes and no trace of there history has been found, only the strange runes left on fifteen metal scrolls, called the Cycles of the Ancient, or simply “the cycles”- books, whose topic is simply, magick. What befell them, no on can say, but their presence, in the form of monolithic constructs had a profound influence on the later cultures of anthropeoples. Perhaps because so many of the various anthro-tribes had access to these engineering marvels that the evolution of early tribal cultures saw a co-mingling of races and ideas. The rise of race-centric kingdoms, so prevalent on the western continent, did not come to pass, rather, a single great culture developed in the western portion of the Eastern Continent. The result was the rise of a great Empire, which has held sway for nearly two millennia. Originally called the Empire, and renamed “the Imperium” following the reforms of Arestes, it grew to tremendous proportions, dominating the whole of the western half of the Eastern Continent. However, the bigger it grew, the more insular it became. Power blocks formed and vied with one another, contesting the possession of the Imperial capital over and over again, a single minded political focus that all but ignored the many far flung provinces. By the time the Elkind clan controlled the Imperial Throne, the Imperium was a spent force. and for nearly nine-hundred years, it has stagnated and decayed. Today, the Imperium is little more than a pale successor to what it once was, many of its greatest works joining the ruins of the earlier civilization. Single-race societies do exist in the east, inhabiting the fringes of the old Imperium as well as in pockets in the extreme north and east, but the everyday life is still dominated by the patterns and traditions of Imperial rule. Economically, the world is passing from a feudal system to a mercantile one, with banking guilds and great organized bi-annual trade faires. Given that the one lasting legacy of the Empire is a reliable coinage, and despite barter being a major aspect of rural trade, the solid foundations of a financial system are firmly in place, although it is still vulnerable to poor monetary policy Architecturally, stone and wood is common and concrete is known and used. “Romanesque Gothic” is the overriding feel of the Imperium, and although the dome is known- particularly since it was a hallmark of the older Empire, it is not common in construction. The more northerly peoples, in particular, in the areas in which the story takes place, favor wood as their main resource and the buildings here have a great deal of Nordic feel. A large hearth tend to be the central stone elements in many structures, and weaves and tapestries common as both decoration and insulation. Religion is the one area still dominated by race. Although there is a common organic-nature-spirituality to the outlook of all these peoples, they tend to see their own principle guiding spirit in race-centric forms. Hence, there has come to be a pantheon of spirits which they honor and through the ages, it has grown. Common folk invoke these Spirits to advise and give consul. Revered- but rarely idolized, these shared nature cycle traditions match very closely to the pattern of life and death, focusing mostly upon the role each person plays in the great wheel that turns eternally. Moreover, some of these spirits are very real. The underlying conceptual notion of this story is that the “mythic” things that these people believe in- actually exist; as if the things that the people of the Middle Ages believed (such as witches, knockers, dragons, demons) really existed. These spirits may not be common occurrences, but they are, nonetheless, real. In Shining Full Clear, the Lady, one of the four great spirits from the War of the Gods, exists- as does the demi-god, Wylyn, the master of the great Forge of the World. The myths surrounding the Lady and Wylun are common between the continents although here in the East, both are known by other names. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, July 9th, 2006
6:20 pm [black_destrier]	Background Following a rather intuitive comment by one of the readers, I realized that we have not actually published a great deal of information on the background of the characters, the world, and the backstory leading up to the first episode. So, with that in mind, and in the spirit of sharing, I will attempt to provide some of that here- I will use this leading post as the introduction, and then put up some follow on posts with additional information. First, however, I must make an admission: as I try to tell everyone, the material here and what’s in the script contradict- and in all cases, the script will be the final arbiter of what is and is not- and I promise that at some point, we will update the background information to match the script. That being said, let me first offer a long word or a few hundred of word, on how things “diverge.” Generally speaking, a script starts life as an outline, which then becomes a thematic synopsis, and then a “treatment,” a fuller version that breaks the thematic synopsis into a linear storyline, which follows the sequence of events in Act-1, Act-2, Act-3 form. From the treatment, the script is written (usually...). Now, generally speaking, once the script is in hand, the storyboard is created, and in the process of creating the storyboard, we often (stress on “often”) modify the script to accommodate timing, characterizations, and visual verse theatric choices. As most who are reading this already know, if we were writing a detective action story about a big city police department- there’s a lot of background that simply doesn’t need to be created, or even said. Everybody knows about big cities, and much of the ins-and-outs of modern day police life- and even those who don’t live in a big city can make pretty astute assumptions about what goes on daily there. Lastly, of course, we all rely heavily on the “dialectic” of film and television- the language of existing filmatic work, which gives us an understanding of “detectives” as well as setting up a great deal of the background “expectations.” Fine for detective dramas. Science Fiction, Fantasy, and even Horror, are different by steps- and although there surely is a body of “filmatic” and “dramatic” work in existence, the specifics of any one world still need to be developed, and... more critically, *portrayed* as such in the film. Most people assume when they see a big city detective drama that there is a 1) police commissioner, 2) a mayor, and 3) probably a state governor, and unless said differently in the story- that will be the audience’s expectation. In our case, who knows who runs Falkenhaven, our city in Circle of Stone? What is he? Who does he work for? Surely, while readers and viewers can make assumptions about the form of the medieval hierarchy in play- you don’t know what that is until it is expressly said in the film. Hence, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and to some extent, Horror, need to tell more of the, otherwise “common,” background to their story, either through visual or aural cues, or by dialog; far more, in fact, than your everyday here-and-now drama. And there in lies the rub. The original outline makes a bunch of assumptions about the world- in fact, it sort of relies on common “medieval/fantasy” dialectic, and doesn’t worry about fleshing it out up front. Rather, it focuses on the key story elements such as: disenfranchised heroes, greedy civil authorities, some omniscient imperial power, and an overtly arrogant and presumptive semi-military, semi-religious “order” that is all about secret manipulative power. Great stuff for a fantasy... And on to the Treatment we go; and as we begin to flesh in more of that background “information,” the body of “data” that underpins the world, grows. So, at some point we turn to the matter of, just what is this world about? Who is the emperor? who runs the town? What relationship do they have- and so forth. Eventually, and especially for a film, you end up wayyy down the scale of things asking such questions as, what color are the buttons on their tunics? what is the type of weapons rangers use? and on and on, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. So, inevitably, when creating it all, intermediate ideas are born (and even look viable verses all the ones we toss out right up front), decisions are made, notes written, and things set down on very wet papyrus, sometimes even in moderately soft sandstone... ...and then comes the script. There is one over-riding fact about scripts: scripts don’t have a lot of time to delve into the lushness of a background. Films rely on visual dialectics and aural cues to convey a heck of a lot more than is really shown or said. Scripts have to be *brevis in extremis* Take the “Order” for example. This is the bad bugaboo group in the film. They are based loosely on the Historic Knights Templars, and some of the mythos that surrounds them (more mythos than history)- and in the story, we shifted their “religious” focus to a pursuit of mystical magic *knowledge* embodied in mysterious runes, which they have been studying for over a thousand years. Seems simple enough—until faced with the fact that in an episode with only 26 minutes of film, you have to establish who they are without having some out-of-body narration explaining all the droll details. Worse, since you have to time-share with a lot of other things- like, the imperials, the Margrave, the matter of just who the heroes are... not to mention such minor details like.... the story line and plot... well, a lot of what you’d like to portray falls very rapidly by the wayside. Plain and simple, we have to reduce the “Order” to something that, between natural dialog and visuals, viewers mentally lock into (grok in Heinleinian terms) what’s more-or-less, going on. In fact, you don’t even have to tell much of it at all. It’s good to have viewers with slightly differing ideas on just what the “Order” is... it keeps their interest. To be honest, it’s burlesque-- show a little, imply a lot. So, what appears in the script- and ultimately in the film, may not match much of what we have here in the background notes, simply because, we’re busy writing the script and the storyboard; creating the work, and only updating the background as needed. Hence, the inevitable dichotomy between what background we show here and what will be in the final film. I promise, we will eventually update it all- somehow- but, hey- half the fun is in the journey- so, lets see what evolves. ... and so it begins: In the Reign of Emperor Faustus IV, At the Icy Fringe of the Empire, In a land mostly forgotten... It is a time of decline. The empire is old, and the power of the imperial throne, although mighty, is far from what it once was. Nobles, both great and petty, rule far flung provinces- the further from the Imperial Seat, the more autonomous each is. Once a vast source of Imperial Wealth, the mines of Falkenhaven have long been exhausted, the grandeur of this once vital city that lies at the edge of the icy northern wastelands, long ago faded. Now, simply a minor, half-forgotten town ruled over by a covetous Margrave, this long forsaken place is about to be come the center of Imperial attention... once more. For the Margrave, the lack of Imperial oversight has been good- in truth, the less probing eyes, the better- and times recently have been very good indeed. The tax charter can be manipulated, and the villages beyond its boundaries brought easily into its coffers. It would be all that much better, where it not for those damn Rangers. Without governance, yet allied to the noble cause that once was the Imperial Throne, the Rangers keep careful watch upon the sparsely inhabited lands; protectors of forest, mountain, and those who live beyond the charters of the Imperial Towns. How dare the Witchseer of the nearby Ranger hold spy upon the Margrave’s tax collectors. But the Rangers are only half of his problems: The Order Master too must be watched for the Order is dangerous and untrustworthy. Long the perpetrators of machinations involving the Imperial Throne, their reports back to their Great Chapter House have an unpleasant habit of finding their way into the Emperor’s hands... if it so suits the Order. For Falkinhaven’s Order Master, these days have been a trial. Overseeing the largest of the remote Chapter Houses of the ancient and perpetual Order, is no simple task. There are secrets to fathom, studious novites to tutor, and indiscretions to cover up lest the Margrave unearth them- for the Margrave would love to see the power of this Chapter House broken, and surely, a careful dispatch to his Emperor could trigger unpleasant scrutiny from the Great House’s Grand Master. The Order Master does not need the probing eye of the Great Chapter House any more than the Margrave needs the Emperor’s gaze to fall upon him. It is an uneasy stalemate. But those matters pale in comparison to his real burden for the Great Order House has a problem. A problem that requires a remote and distant place- somewhere where someone can be- forgotten- for a while. A long while. And thus, the “problem” is now the Order Master’s. Even the Great House can have its trials and Moganna, the child prodigy grown into young sorceress is surely that. What plots and machinations she hatched- and was caught at, the Order Master can only guess. Now, she is his problem. The scroll that was delivered to him, along with her, by the drivers of the sealed carriage that carried her from the Imperial City was clear: This is banishment. Exile; as to rehabilitation- don’t call us... That Morganna is brilliant, there is no question. That she can read runes far beyond that which even the Order Master can read, and at her age, is nothing short of phenomenal. But there is a haughtiness to her, and an intensity that keeps others at bay. Still, feeling sorry for his youthful charge, the Order Master has allowed her to wander free- even away from the Chapter House and out into the countryside, for the mountain passes are in perpetual winter, and the pleasantness of Falkenhaven’s vale is well sealed from the outside by the snows above. Yet ever since she has seen the old stone monoliths that dot the land about this forgotten town- a change has come over her. The intensity has grown. The brooding deepened, and the pulse of her arrogance quickened. The Order Master watches her with growing trepidation, wondering just what the future holds for his young exile. If he only he knew. (6 Comments |Comment on this)