325th Checkertail Movie - an update for the interested!

[Mysticpuma]

Guys, I know it seems like an eternity since this was announced, and honestly....I think it is. Please, however do not think that this is in limbo, it's just that 'Guse and I, along with 325th_Swoop, are working hard in the background to cover as much of the history as possible, accurately and interestingly, so it is taking much longer than we ever thought.

After visiting Camarillo last-year and interviewing Art Fiedler, work has continued finding info, editing video, collecting documentation, along with 'Guse creating more skins as they come to light, helping me arrange flights of eager flyers at FA to create sequences, etc, etc. There have been hundreds of emails between us, Art Fiedler, Barrie Davis, Frank Mertely, Jack Sherburne, Jerry Edwards and a new pilot we have 'found' Frank Bolek.

The information is incredible, and the difficult I/we have, is getting as much detail in, while keeping it interesting and entertaining, without it just been, fact after fact.

I have been working with Gary Bullock (check him out on IMDB), who will be reading the Narration Script, and I have sent him various copies, which using his skill he has guided me along a much tighter path. His skill in scripting is brilliant, as I would expect it to be. He is, as we all are who are involved, is doing it for free. Top Bloke.

Now, this year, will see the final information to be gathered, along with virtual pilots creating the 'fun' battles in the P-47 and '51. I say 'fun' as it appears the P-40 is not a favoured ride for some, but there is only one more battle needed, and then the P-40 section is complete!

I fly out to Boston in June to meet with 32th_Swoop, and then we fly to NY to interview (on camera) Gerald (Jerry) B Edwards who flew '47's and 51's. Then back to New Hampshire to do the same with Jack Sherburne.

In August I'm back out to the Camarillo Airshow, where I'll speak once-more (on camera) with Art, and maybe, just maybe, get out to Arizona and meet Frank Mertely. That's only a big maybe though, so time will tell as it's about 9-hours away by car....in the desert!

There is also a chance Frank Bolek may get there, so he would be a bonus interview.

Jim Methany has also been a great help, supplying me with 2-hours of interview footage with Barrie Davis, so we are getting some incredible detail together.

Once these final interviews are put together, the 47 and 51 sequences will be put together and then it will be released.

'Guse and I came to a little realisation last-night when we decided that, realistically, at-some point, information gathering will have to be curtailed, as we almost (along with Swoop) are starting to feel like the official Historians! Although very flattering, this was only ever meant to be an IL2 Movie.

The current standing is much more, and we are looking at enough information to create a possible 6-hour Documentary, we have found out that much information!

That will mean, that once completed, we will probably release it as an episodic Documentary, with 1-hour sections being released each week. Seriously, I have no-idea what the final product will be like, other than exciting, detailed and a boon for historians who actually want to see a Fighter Group authentically documented.

Whatever the reaction when it's released, I am having a real blast working on it, and I hope that you'll bare with us, as we work hard to finish (possible December 2099 if we're lucky) this project that just get better the more we work on it.

I will do my best to release a further trailer in the next couple-of-months and you should see how we have progressed.

So guys, keep the faith, work progresses, unfortunately time just doesn't stand still for no man!

Cheers, MP.

[EAF602_Joe90]

The Faith is being kept, MP

The beauty of what you are doing is that the history remains timeless, and this will be a great record of these important stories.

A series of documentaries with interspersed IL2 footage would be amazing to have, if that's the way you go.

[KG26_Alpha]

Originally Posted by Mysticpuma

I am having a real blast working on it, and I hope that you'll bare with us, as we work hard to finish (possible December 2099 if we're lucky) this project that just get better the more we work on it.

MP.

Just my luck................. I'll be dead by then

[96th_Nightshifter]

It's going to be epic! Thanks for all the hard work you guys are putting into this, glad I was able to help in the very small way that I could.