Part 1 of "Checkertails" Documentary now available by torrent and Mediafire
 

New links to Mediafire + Rapidshare conventional download added as-well as torrent links added at bottom of this post + Now includes Streaming Video at Blip TV Channel (lower quality though):

Well here it is, Part 1 of "Checkertails".

The two links below are for torrents. The first one is for a Dual-Layer .iso file.

The second one is unfortunately mis-labeled as Single Layer but links (correctly) to a self-extracting .rar file.

Once downloaded you will see a file called "Checkertails.exe" Double-click it and then create a folder (or just choose a location) to extract it to.

Once extracted you will have a file called "Checkertails - Part 1 - A film by Mysticpuma.avi"

The torrent files can be found here. If you don't have a torrent client, download and install the utorrent download software which can be found here:

http://www.utorrent.com/

Then click on the torrent link you wish to download below, and choose "Open With" not "Save-As" when asked. This will start the download of the file.

The more people download it, the more 'seeds' are created and the faster it becomes for everyone to download it. For the next 3-days after this post, it will be
hosted by a 100 m/bit server, so as the torrent seeds increase, the Server should slowly become unnecessary.

The Self-Extracting .rar file contains a CD Label to print and use with the DVD Disk,and also contains a DVD Box cover for those of you who wish to make
it look like a 'proper' DVD case.

The link to a Dual-Layer .iso is exactly that. Once downloaded, put it into your DVD Burner (make sure it can burn Dual-Layer disks) and then using your DVD burning software choose "Burn Image to disk" or similar option.

This will then create a DVD (Region Free so watch-able on PAL or NTSC formats) that can be viewed in a DVD or Blu-Ray player. It will give you a front-end menu with scene selection too!

The movie is Part 1 of a two-part feature on the 325th Fighter Group "The Checkertail Clan. It has a running-time of approx.
1-hour and 40-minutes.

The Checkertails.exe creates a 2.4GB video file which is encoded with the XVID Codec. If after 30-seconds you can hear audio but not see any video, you will need to download and install the
XVID Codec, which can be found here:

http://www.xvidmovies.com/codec/

I would recommend downloading VLC Player to watch this as it does not require any other codecs (XVID above for example), it pretty-much has
them all and it can be downloaded here:

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

What you will be watching has taken Three-years to research, create and edit and is only Part 1 of the history of the "Checkertail Clan", who fought in the MTO.

I cannot promise perfection. I am not an Historian of the Luftwaffe and I am sure there will be details that do not
excite or deliver accuracy of the Axis forces engaged daily by the 325th Fighter Group, for this, in advance, I apologise.

The film has been created in my very spare time as I work full-time and have a family (who have supported me along the way)
so it has taken much longer than I ever thought it would.

What it does do though, is detail the history of the 325th during it's P-40 and P-47 era as accurately as possible, but
also for the first-time on video, in the voices of those who served with the "Checkertail Clan".

This has been edited and created by me-alone and so I am sure some things will have 'slipped through the net', but I am one
man and I do not make videos for a living nor do I edit sound either. This is my hobby and I use it to tell the memories of
those who fought in WW2 for our freedom.

Above, I say this is a "by me alone". I mean by that that I am the Pen that creates what you see. It has taken many people's
help to create the ink in that Pen which many times over has been re-filled by all those who have joined me in the journey of
the creation of this film.

I'd like to thank so-many people, but I have credited them at the end of the film where possible.

Singled out has to be the following though.

Ralph Gimenez (Monguse) who's fault this is! After finishing "Not my time to die!" and saying I'd never make another movie, one-day,
Ralph casually said over Skype "Hey, have you ever heard of the Checkertail Clan?" and that my friends is where all my troubles began!

Ian MacDonald (325th_Swoop)who flew me across parts of America to interview some of the pilots seen in the feature and also put me up
when I travelled to the US to record some of the Veterans.

Gary Bullock, who has worked in the film industry for years, and took one-look at the script (probably cried) and then set about making it
the product it is today and which he kindly Narrated for me.

Finally, thanks to the living pilots (and one who passed while this was being made) who have tolerated my questions and given their time
to tell me their Checker-tales.

Of-note has to be Art Fiedler, a P-51 Ace with the 317th FS, who's reply to my initial approach pointed me along the Roller-Coaster
ride this has been and who has been a fantastic source of information and friendship since this project began. His dedication put me in-touch
with other survivors of the clan and ultimately ended with me attending the 65th Reunion of the "Checkertail Clan" in September 2010, held
at the WW2 Memorial in Washington, DC.

Okay, enough blurb!

The torrent links are here:

http://102nd.servebeer.com/TES...ils_DuaLayer.torrent

(This link is to the full resolution Dual-Layer .iso file to burn to a Dual-Layer disk)


http://102nd.servebeer.com/TES..._SingleLayer.torrent

(This link is mis-named (sorry) and is for the Checkertail.exe which contains a self-extracting .rar file, which contains an .avi file (needs the xvid codec to view), a CD Label, DVD Label and readme file)

Hopefully you will enjoy and learn something of the Checkertail Clan in this feature and look-forward to the release of Part 2 (early-to-late 2012).
Sorry it'll take so-long, again, I do this in my spare time and as a hobby, but hopefully.....it'll be worth the wait?

New link for those who don't like/use torrents:

New Link added. This is the .avi file, CD Label and DVD Cover along with the readme file now hosted at Mediafire for those who don't like or have knowledge of torrents. The files, once downloaded can be extracted by double-clicking the .exe file which will then ask you where you want to extract the files to :

http://www.mediafire.com/?ktfe41a5e5ppp

Now watch online at Blip TV (Lower quality than the downloads above):

http://blip.tv/file/4433167/

New Rapidshare links for the Checkertails.avi version:

http://rapidshare.com/files/43323608...yer.part01.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43323609...yer.part02.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43323794...yer.part03.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43323809...yer.part04.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43324234...yer.part05.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43324285...yer.part06.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43325075...yer.part07.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43325131...yer.part08.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43326024...yer.part09.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43326074...yer.part10.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43327044...yer.part11.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43327107...yer.part12.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/43328024...yer.part13.rar


Hope that helps those of you who don't like torrents, but you must download all the files for the .exe to work.

Cheers, MP

Cheers, Neil "Mysticpuma" Pugh

This will take me a few days to download, but it's gonna be worth it.
Congrats on the release MP.

I too congratulate you on your research and thorough work on this movie. :cool:

Already downloading it and it should be on my HDD in 5-6 hours.

Thanks guys.

Also here are the covers:

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...ilsCDLabel.jpg

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...t1DVDCover.jpg

Looking forward to watch this.
Joined the torrent, lets speed things up :)

Is There A Trailer?
 

Is there a trailer or extract that we can play quickly?

Downloading. I always enjoyed your movies, even though a German pilot. :-P Thank you. ;)

Hi

5.97 Dual Layer for me.

Looks like 15 on here sucking away ................... I'll seed for the rest of the week.

Any chance of a "Lufty" one from you in the near future


:)

Hi guys. Thanks for the feedback. Alpha, I have considered a few projects on the Luftwaffe and of particular interest has been the career during the war of Heinz Bar. Maybe after the dust has settled in 2012 with the release of Part 2 of 'Checkertails' I could reconsider it. Just for now....... I'm sipping a single malt and waiting to hear whether the last 3-years have been worth-while for you eager downloaders? Cheers, MP

Ok

Very interesting career to try to follow :)

IIRC Eric Brown got to fly the same aircraft type Heinz Bar flat spun to his death in during testing.
Cant remember the actual aircraft right now but his story would be very interesting especially the early years.

Most interesting part, as it relates to Il-2:

Arthur Fiedler: "[Hercy] pulled that stick back and kicked the rudder as hard as I could".

I also did this same thing with a 109G-6 shooting at me in the Checkertails P-40 campaign and it worked for me too! It blew my mind to hear this described by an actual P-40 pilot less than a month after I tried it in Il-2. :D

You do great work Mysticpuma!! Ill be sure to seed this for quite some time ;)

Thanks chaps, your comments are very much appreciated.

Part 2 will have more talking heads as I want to use up some of the interview footage that has never been seen. I also have about 20-30 minutes of Checkertail P-51 footage (real archive footage, again never-seen before) to incorporate.

It will take a while....but I can then concentrate on other subjects. I really want to visit the areas of Norfolk where many 8th AF Bomb Groups were stationed and interview people there who remember these huge Armadas taking off, as-well as visit their museums and airfields (or what now sits on them).

Oh to be young again!

Cheers, Neil

Mysticpuma,the Ken Burns of IL2.

Going to copy my post over from BFs:

lol, I noticed that too. Lots of videos seem to utilize this technique nowadays.

This is just excellent stuff. Thanks MP!

Still don't have time to watch it, but already uploaded 4 times. :)

:) Superb.Seeding here as well.It is surprisingly hard at times to see if the b/w gun cam shots are real or ingame.
If you do have any plans for future projects i would act sooner getting interviews rather than later as the veterans are getting fewer and fewer.
Fantastic work :grin:

Thanks MP, will find the time to download and watch this weekend. Can't wait!

It really is an amazing piece of work.

Well done all.

All my interviews with 325th Veterans are done (approx. 18-Hours of stories).

If anyone would like to do their own interviews of pilots they know, I couldn't agree with you more. If you would like a copy of my list of questions to modify for your use with any pilots you know, PM me.

Cheers, MP

Great minds think alike?

My post at War-Clouds:


Troll here yesterday:


Niel, maybe a career change is in order?

New streaming option added to the original post. Watch it at Blip TV:

http://blip.tv/file/4433167/

Cheers, MP

Puma, the torrent link doesn't work for me. Do you have an updated link?

S!

Mysticpuma,

Absolutely fantastic work, you have done such a great job putting this first part together. The highlights for me were the numerous veteran interviews and the excellent archive footage, the in-game scenes were just the icing on the cake! I have already learned so much about the Checkertails, when all I really knew before was how they got their name!

Having made a few short il2 movies myself with experience in Premiere etc, I can begin to understand the shear amount of time needed just to put the storyboard in place and tying in scenes and audio, howeverthe amount of planning and research involved in something as epic as this! And 1hr 40 mins for the first part! I am bowled over.

What you have achieved, with the resources you have and without a 100 staff strong studio is a credit to your devotion, passion, skill and perseverance.
You have inspired me and no doubt countless others.

Thank you for keeping the memories of these brave men alive

Amazing work!
 

Fantastic piece of art and history!

Kudos to Mysticpuma and everyone contributing into the production of this fantastic documentary. And an everlasting salute of gratitude to the 325th heroes for doing what had to be done with great success!

I can't wait for the 2nd part and to see the quality of CGI possible with SOW engine in hands of great film makers like MP.

I'd be quite happy to pay for quality like this. Just put up some paypal links or whatever and I'll donate for your efforts to be used as needed. Whether it's a bankroll for upcoming films, charity to the veterans or whatever. I want to see more independent quality productions like this instead of the load of horsecr*p we see through the hollywood entertainment docs and I'm willing to support making that happen!

We all appreciate your comments, it's been a true work of love. I can tell you that in the beginning when we started, is NOTHING compared to what this project has become.

At first were were going to make a simple timeline and stick with it but as Neil noted more information kept coming our way. For instance, we received the original 8mm black and white P40 Ranger footage with Herky dropping out of sight off the port bow after taking off. Then we received never seen WWII color film of the 47's at Foggia and Lesina. Then we received color footage of the 51's at Lesina then more photos, collections, emails from veterans, family members.

If this was not enough, we had the opportunity to chill out with a couple of the 15th AF P51 pilots that live near Camarillo. Of those we talked to two 31st fighter group vets, one 52nd FG veteran, one B24 pilot (15th AF), three Tuskeegee pilots and the list is endless.

Putting all this together was a real challenge, what does one do with all this information? Well as Neil often noted, we have enough for three or four DVD's.

The skinners, I can't say enough, true dedication The virtual pilots and their hours of patience following a tight script which we would rehearse once then shoot the final.

Countless of hours by many and I mean many from the photography studio that helped Art Fiedler develop old negatives and to the veterans and their families who took the time to search for critical information ; of course not forgetting some very close friends in Italy and Corsica that searched historical documents for us. Truly truly amazing.

As for costs, it is free no fees, no renumeration nothing, we wont take a penny from anyone, just download it and watch, its that simple.

Some things in life are free, and this is one of them.

Since Part 1 is finished we will be posting the skins used for part 1 for the community in late December for everyone to enjoy. The same will will happen after Part 2 is released, all the aircraft textures used will be posted for everyones enjoyment.

We hope you spread the word and get everyone to watch this documentary on the Checkertails.

Torrent link is working again ;)

Cheers, MP

Now, I'll be honest, this is never going to go 'commercial'. Along the way, many, many people have helped (incuding Cirx and Monguse to name 2 of many (just watch the credits at the end)).

If I 'sold' it to the History Channel or released it Commercially as a paid DVD, I'd then have the headache of working out what percentage of the funds goes where, etc, etc.

Gary Bullock (IMDB have a search) is an actor who new one of the 325th pilots. Following a contact supplied to me by a friend of his, he did the Narration (professionally too) for free as I mentioned there would be no charge it was all just to tell the history of the 325th. I do it as a hobby, I do it for fun and the last thing I'd want is to sit there working out why this person needs 0.1% of the $60, this person gets 7%, this person gets.....etc,etc. I hope you see what I mean?

That is why I released a DVD version for anyone to download and burn and get a top-quality version, with front-end and DVD Scene Selection....all for free!

Cheers, MP

mystic you wouldn't have to, you sell it to a production company let them work it out.
and Ubi$oft will want there cut, as well as 1c.
By you releasing it this way, I'm afraid you will lose the benefits; if History channel or anyone else using it will pirate it from you.

Honestly.....sometimes it doesn't come down to the money, I do this for fun. Can you imagine someone letting a production company have 3-years to make this? They would be complaining, whining, constantly on the phone....by doing it like this, it is fun and interesting for me and ultimately honours those who flew with the 325th FG.

To some people money is everything, I am not rich (not by a long shot), but I'd rather let as many people see this story as possible, than sit there trying to get an extra dollar that ultimately means some people wont see it.

I do this for fun, not profit....and that is just the way it'll always be.

Should it turn up on the History Channel, great! More people learn about the 325th, and that my friend was the whole point of this exercise ;)

Cheers, MP

Watched it last night and I really enjoyed it. Seems very detailed and was well laid out and there was some great footage! Although I did spot one instance where the narrator was talking about a 109 being scored, and the footage was showing what looked like a 190! But who cares, I'm looking forward to part II!!

Best documentary I've ever seen covering a WW2 fighter group. Loved every minute of it, MP. Thank you man!

Can't wait to see part 2.

E P I C

MP, you've outdone yourself once more! Congratulations to the completion of such a big project. And thanks to all involved! Waiting for part 2 :)

MP,

As Mel Brooks, once said, "It's good to be the King!" Well, I should say, "It's good to be retired!" I believe i was probably the first person to have been able to watch your great movie, several days ago... I torrent/downloaded "Checkertails Part I"on Wednesday; took only 2hrs 45 minutes. Got me some popcorn and an afternoon Vodka-Tonic (that's allowed when one is retired), sat back and watched perhaps one of the best History Channel (type) documentaries ever.

Outstanding collection and use of real-life documentary and home movie footage to present the Checkertails story, along with superbly well filmed interviews of the Checkertail Vets. Narration flawlessly and professionally delivered. Those aspects alone make this a fantastically well done production.

The IL2 CGI sequences are cinematographically (is that a real word?) top-notch, matching the level of your previous IL2 movies. The narrated events of the Checkertails' air combat engagements were expertly depicted by the CGI visuals. I particularly enjoyed, as an example, the "Star of Altoona" sequence from 1:18:24 through 1:22:16...it's detailed events and narration reminded me of the style you employed in telling the "Not My Time to Die" story. The real-life footage of the "Star of Altoona" fighter nose art followed by your historically accurate skin being seen in the CGI sequence was a great example of bringing history to life...again, much like your "Not My Time to Die" achievement.



Bottom line: MP, this is a Marvelous documentary of which you should be immensely proud! Wish I could have played a part in the production, myself!

[Since I seldom shut down my 'Puter', I've kept my Torrent client/app running nearly 24 hrs/day, seeding your movie]

S!
Wiley

This is really impressive, Neil.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this extraordinary film.

I also added the original 'epic' "Not my time to die!" to the Blip TV channel.

http://blip.tv/file/4456021

Low quality, but for those who haven't seen it....it's easy to watch streaming now.

Cheers, MP
Edit/Delete Message

Absolutely brilliant film Mysticpuma and all involved.

Great job guys, can't wait for part 2 !!!