This past week has been focused on finishing the last touches to the Ciudadela fort and trenches. Finally, brought the Parrot and Voruz cannons and placed them over the preplanned spots. With the Voruz base we didn't have any problem as it is small compared to the bigger one for the Parrot that I made back in June last year. Was supposed to be used at the top of the morro and not in a trench but beside the huge Vavasseur also built around that time, so the base had longer legs to support the weigh of the whole structure. The front part had to be sawed off.
The next days were mostly dedicated to put more sandbags around the fort and trenches apart from painting the cannon bases. Once dry the next day, decided to put some artistic touches to it by painting "rusting bolt lines" below the fake bolts and dirtying all the wood and metal parts to make them look worn and beaten by months of war use.
The powder and ammo location in the trench is a vital part of the film as it plays an important role for it was ignited -as history has stated- by young hero Alfredo Maldonado when it was all lost and mostly all killed by the enemy. Back in those days, wooden barrels were used to keep the gunpowder protected from the elements. Wooden barrels aren't used nowadays and most of what I've seen around are in old vineyards or wine stores/wineries, usually big in proportions. Thought that maybe a trip to Ica or Cañete was necessary to get smaller ones or probably make them myself. While driving to Puente Piedra, noticed some plastic barrels for water on the way there and thought of just covering them with wood panels and painting them like wood. Bought myself three to see what can be done. Sew some parts off but I wasn't at all convinced it would work. Or perhaps it will....not sure yet. Still looking.
UPDATE: While asking around, got a tip that at some old flea market midtown, some barrels like the one I need were seen so went there and bought me one (they are not cheap anymore so will have to make the rest myself with this original as a guide) and also found a good nice-looking wooden old case. Dates back easily to the early 1900's. Thank God it fit in the car to bring it home with me.
The next days were mostly dedicated to put more sandbags around the fort and trenches apart from painting the cannon bases. Once dry the next day, decided to put some artistic touches to it by painting "rusting bolt lines" below the fake bolts and dirtying all the wood and metal parts to make them look worn and beaten by months of war use.
The powder and ammo location in the trench is a vital part of the film as it plays an important role for it was ignited -as history has stated- by young hero Alfredo Maldonado when it was all lost and mostly all killed by the enemy. Back in those days, wooden barrels were used to keep the gunpowder protected from the elements. Wooden barrels aren't used nowadays and most of what I've seen around are in old vineyards or wine stores/wineries, usually big in proportions. Thought that maybe a trip to Ica or Cañete was necessary to get smaller ones or probably make them myself. While driving to Puente Piedra, noticed some plastic barrels for water on the way there and thought of just covering them with wood panels and painting them like wood. Bought myself three to see what can be done. Sew some parts off but I wasn't at all convinced it would work. Or perhaps it will....not sure yet. Still looking.
UPDATE: While asking around, got a tip that at some old flea market midtown, some barrels like the one I need were seen so went there and bought me one (they are not cheap anymore so will have to make the rest myself with this original as a guide) and also found a good nice-looking wooden old case. Dates back easily to the early 1900's. Thank God it fit in the car to bring it home with me.
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| Bringing the new Parrot and Voruz cannons (plus my old dolly tracks) |
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| Arriving at filming location. |
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| Huge babies! |
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| Sawing off the front legs of the old cannon base. |
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| Painting the Voruz base. |
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| Painting rusting bolt lines as an effect. |
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| Painting the sandbags to make them look old. |
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| Sawing off the plastic barrels to paint them as wood. |
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| Painting rust lines. |
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| Hard work for everybody. |
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| Painting rust water lines. |
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| The artillery trench of the Ciudadela as seen from the top defense line. |
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| Finishing at night. |
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| Building the entrance to the powder and ammo hole (the santabarbara) |
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| The santabarbara. |
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| Got myself finally wood barrels. |
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| ...and an old case. |
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