The Ciudadela artillery trench almost ready for filming.

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.

Bringing the new Parrot and Voruz cannons (plus my old dolly tracks)

Arriving at filming location.

Huge babies!

Sawing off the front legs of the old cannon base.

Painting the Voruz base.

Painting rusting bolt lines as an effect.

Painting the sandbags to make them look old.

Sawing off the plastic barrels to paint them as wood.

Painting rust lines.

Hard work for everybody.

Painting rust water lines.

The artillery trench of the Ciudadela as seen from the top defense line.

Finishing at night.

Building the entrance to the powder and ammo hole (the santabarbara)

The santabarbara.

Got myself finally wood barrels.

...and an old case.

Parrot and Voruz cannons ready to go

Went to the workshop to check on Alejandro's progress with the cannons. I am very pleased and happy with the results. They are done beautifully. The size and finishing is quite great and will look awesome and dominant onscreen which is the primal purpose.

Just a few things to take care of here and there for the Voruz's base to resemble the real one and it's good to go. Didn't order the Parrot cannon's base for I already made it back in June 2011 when making myself the 250 lbs Vavasseur. Was going to make a Parrot also but because of time constrains and the blacksmith's attitude I just made it's base only. Now, both versions will have to match to make an awesome Parrot cannon.

I am quite happy to know Alejandro. Such a great humble guy and very bright with solutions instead of problems. Proactive is the word and I like that. Even though it is the first time he has done a model this big - as he says- the results are good. It was a great experience making myself the huge Vavasseur back in June last year
( http://www.juancarlosoganes.net/2011/06/vavasseur-cannon-almost-done-parrot.html )
but it took a lot of my time to monitor and help the blacksmith's progress all along in order to finish in time for the filming schedule we had back in those months (those guys, if not under pressure, begin to stall you and they don't respect deadlines). The Vavasseur was finished awesomely anyway. If I knew Alejandro back then I'm sure I'd have delegated the job to him so I could concentrate on other production stuff. It would have ended in good hands too but without the hassle. Anyway...either way all is well that ends well. :)

Now, letting him go back to finish the three big battleship miniatures I commissioned for the film.

Checking measurements to match real proportions.

The weigh is good for balance.

The texture is ready for some "dirtying" in order to look aged.

The "Ciudadela" cannon trenches

These days have been of exhausting labor: building trenches and sandbags under this hot sun that still doesn't go away (even though it's bothersome sometimes I still need it for continuity reasons) and burns like crazy.

Meanwhile, at the workshop, the Parrot and Voruz cannons are being finished to the very last details. Will post more pics soon. Here below it's just one from Alejandro's camera at the workshop.

The 150 lbs Parrot cannon.

Glad it's all progressing along well. After doing hard labor for the film for almost a year and a half it is quite tiresome now, but glad to know these are practically the final scenes that require this type of work under the sun. Others will be in a more controlled environment. The Police is helping along and the guys are good.

Glad to have a good working crew team. Bless their hearts.

Bought some old wood for the trench's floor.

 

Testing camera angles with my crane.

Shoveling.

Ale and Cesar. Good crew team at work.

The best friend there is.

Trench view at night from the front.

Finishing at night.

Building progress

Taking measurements of a real Voruz 68 lb cannon at the Navy School in Callao.
Also checked the progress of the Cochrane battleship and the Parrot cannon making. It is rigid and sturdy, very needed when handling it around during filming.

Again....so far, so good. Just imagining in my head how it will end looking like.

And also, once again I say to all people who are used to see replicas of ships and guns or uniforms for museums: In film it is not what is good but what LOOKS good for the camera.

The pillboxes.

Stairs for the commander bridge.

Cochrane from the front

A cannon

How the body of the Parrot will form its shape.

With Alejandro checking the Parrot structure.

68 lbs Voruz cannon.

Taking measurements.

Parrot - Voruz cannons and battleship in the works / New trench location

Early today we all started work: one team went up to the morro again to undo all the sandbags and bring them to the new location while I visited Alejandro's workshop and checked on the battleship miniature building process (well...not so miniature after all for this first one is 1.70 meters long. The next longest one -the Manco Capac- will be 1.90 meters long). So far, so good. The one half-way there as of now is the Cochrane. The chimney, poles and cannons were there and some parts still missing but I can see it coming together fine. The Parrot cannon parts are almost ready to be put together and commissioned for another Voruz 70 lbs one. Will be ready by Easter weekend and ready to be taken to Ancon for assembly. It is a relieve in a way to have another do this new cannons. Back in June/July last year when I was making the Vavasseur, the thrill of seeing it all coming together was such a great feeling, like watching your baby being born, but it takes a lot of precious time that needs to be devoted to other production and administrative tasks. This time I had to delegate the job but I'm glad it's in good hands.

Then we all met at Puente Piedra's desert mountains to check the chosen location. Explaining how the trenches and cannon positions are gonna be. The abandoned trench found was used for some kind of firing practice area and now it's all full with debris, garbage and waste. Some walls need repair in order for them to be almost 90 degress straight. The only problem is that it's kinda deep (a little more than 2 meters while 1 meter is all we need) so some filling and shoveling needs to be done all along the 20 meter long trench. The soil is rocky and full of hard surfaces showing that a few days of hard work are ahead. Seems like Easter isn't gonna be so relaxed after all.

Sandbags and rock filling will be used to make a natural "bed" for the Parrot and Voruz cannons to raise it a meter above ground level, otherwise it won't work.

At the mountain behind it there's a huge logo made with white painted rocks so I need to be careful with camera framing. I'm sure so digital replacement will have to be done to erase it.

Cochrane in the works.

Checking the cannon pillboxes from the other side.

The back of the 150 lb Parrot cannon.

The cannon trench.

Explaining the artillery moves.

The trench walls are fragile so some work needs to be done on them.

I'm glad to have a great team of people.

Music score getting in shape

It's been a few months since I got together with Fernando to check on the music score for the film. Progress on it is quite fine and when he plays it I try to imagine it being played with the full instrumentation and matching certain scenes already filmed and the ones soon to be.

All is coming together. Slowly coming together. Can't wait to have it all fully orchestrated. If all goes fine, it's just a matter of a few months until recording sessions begin. That is going to be quite a thrill. :)

Getting things ready for new scenes north of Lima

Having to wait a few more days to start filming is what's happening now. Time is needed for us to build and set up all scenography like pillboxes, ammunition stacking and tents on site in the deserts north of Lima. This time to film other angles of the Este and Ciudadela fortress' attack and its powder/ammo explosion scene together with the Alto del Alianza battle scenes.

These days have been mostly running around checking the locations for proper set up and budgeting building and production costs for all these. Thank God we have places close by for food and shelter. The last thing I want to have is 500 + people feeling so uneasy under the dehydrating sun and dry desert.

Now, so far, these things are on the way:  battlefield props and set up in Ancon / Puente Piedra, 3 big miniature models of the Cochrane, Manco Capac and Covadonga battleships, 150 lb Parrot cannon building and the "Ciudadela" ammo explosion.

Some Alto del Alianza scenes already shot on June last year.

Ancon desert: Landscape just like the Alto del Alianza in Tacna.

We have these two weeks to do most of it and start next month filming sessions.
Seems like enough time but actually we are running pretty fast out of time.

The Gattling gun is very heavy.

Dangerous moves coming down from the Morro Solar.

Getting Krupp cannons into the truck.

Puente Piedra deserts. Here we will set up the fortresses again.

Takes several people to pick up those heavy cannons off the ground and into the truck.

Brave Alejo and Luiss pushing the Gattling gun.