Hearing orders in a large formation

[Caballo]

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend as an extra on an ad re-enacting Gladiator with about 130 fellow legionaries - many of them re-enactors. (We'll be about 2,000 strong, with horse drawn catapults and cavalry when the CGI special effects kick in!)
A couple of things struck me :-
1. On a windy hill side , it was almost impossible for all to hear the orders from the centurion. They would have to be relayed by an optio, or by some use of horn or the vexillum. I found myself looking for the vexillum for direction. The ripple effect of orders coming out from the centurion was clear.
2. The line never remains parade ground straight. This was especially true when advancing in a 130 man line, where the line became bowed almost immediately on even a short advance. Now, there were some non-reenactors there, and we should probably have drilled together a bit more up front, but the dead straight lines of battle illustrators would rarely have occurred.

And overall, it was a really authentic re-construction of........................the Gladiator film, using orginal costumes from the film. Close-up, all the inaccuracies were still there. Glad I took part though!

Regards,

Britannicus

[Praefectusclassis]

And overall, it was a really authentic re-construction of........................the Gladiator film, using orginal costumes from the film. Close-up, all the inaccuracies were still there.

I'm sure it was fun, but what pains me is...why?

[Arthes]

Greetings,
Someone else told me they would be in North Yorkshire for filming, unfortunately, having no transport meant difficulties getting there - would have been fun to watch too
I assume this the same ad ...?
As for hearing commands, have that problem at the best of times - what with a hearing frequency loss and a cavalry helm.......just worry occasionally when i'm leading the line that has just 'exi' ted :? oops:
regards
Arthes

[Caballo]

"I'm sure it was fun, but what pains me is...why?" Well, the ad company decided to make an ad looking like the Gladiator film, and did it well. However, looking really authentic wasn't on the agenda.
Arthes- yes, this was the North Yorkshire shoot.

Regards

Britannicus

[Praefectusclassis]

Ahhh, ok. Well, kudos for using it for experimental archaeology!
Of course a 130 man line is a bit much for single centuries, which we'd expect to advance together, but not as one.

[Tasciavanous]

Hi Paul I didn't know you where there too! I talked to Crispus a fair bit but still.

I am sure that the Optios would have been behind the line using their staff to help dress the ranks. The orders would have to be communicated by horn blasts as the human voice just doesn't carry far enough.
The other thing is that the solution that my end of the line adopted of dividing in to mini contiburnia of six with the right hand man watching for the signal from the "bloke on the horse" and everyone else taking their cue from him might also be valid.
As to the kit it was odd in that whoever did it must have done some research but seems to have got board at some critical moments IE the collar sections of the cuirasse where quite reasonable and the shoulder guards where not too bad but the girdle sections total rubbish! The rubber pugios looked a bit like the Velsen dagger a first but with no real effort to represent the decoration properly except the suspension rings :?
As for the trousers and boots well less said the better.
Did you do all three days? did the crew get any better? I left on Friday night to go burn the Wicker man in Wales.

[Gaius Longius]

Well isn't it a small world, a number of my unit were there on Saturday. To be honest we were disappointed at the organization of the film crew.

If the directors had only left the re-enactors to sort it out they would have avoided the irritation that was evident amongst a number of extras down my end of the line. :evil:

However it was an interesting experience maybe next time all the roman guys could get together and show them how its done.

[Tarbicus]

There's also this thread on the TV 'Rome' and whistles.
link from old RAT