Foam Fighting: Technology and Culture

FOAM FIGHTING: TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE

David Wichinsky

A Thesis Submitted to the faculty of

The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of

Masters of Fine Arts

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL

May 2016

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to express sincere gratitude to his committee members for all of their guidance and support, and special thanks to my advisor for his patience, persistence, and encouragement during the writing of this manuscript and production of this project.

The author is grateful to the Dagorhir and other foam-fighting communities for their warmness in allowing me to pursue research into this niche sport.

iv ABSTRACT

Author: David Wichinsky

Title: Foam Fighting: Technology and Culture

Institution: Florida Atlantic University

Thesis Advisor: Shane Eason, M.F.A

Degree: Masters of Fine Arts

Year: 2016

Foam fighting is a form of Live Action Role Playing (LARP) that focuses on mock combat and recreational battle, with role-playing aspects taking a less prominent role. It is sometimes referred to as a “poor man’s martial art”. While there does not appear to be any clear documentation concerning the origins, research on foam fighting suggests the sport began in Maryland in the 1970’s and slowly spread throughout the United States.

This research will illustrate how the sport of foam fighting demands a level of

critical thinking that takes both the participant and audience beyond the sight of a

swinging stick. I plan to show how this sport provides an outlet for high levels of

creativity, social interaction and strategic planning skills. It is a hobby that has had a

great impact on the daily lives of many of its participants and continues to grow and

evolve.

v DEDICATION

This manuscript and accompanying project are dedicated to the foam-fighting community, which has enriched my life for the past five years; and to my friends that

I've made through this community who have supported me through this process. I would like to also dedicate this work to my family who have helped and supported me through the writing and production of this process.

FOAM FIGHTING: TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE

INTRODUCTION: THESIS STATEMENT ...... 1

1.HISTORY ...... 2

2.CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN FOAM FIGHTING ...... 4

2A. UNITS, CLANS, AND COMPANIES ...... 5

2B. LORE AND MYTHOLOGY ...... 7

2C. SOCIETY ...... 9

3.TECHNOLOGY AND MARKET ...... 12

4.GAME THEORY – KEY GAME CONCEPTS ...... 15

5. EVOLUTION OF THE GAME THROUGH AR AND VR ...... 19

5A. FOAM FIGHTING INFLUENCE ON GAMING? ...... 21

5B. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES ...... 22

6. CONCLUSION...... 24

APPENDICES ...... 26

APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY OF TERMS ...... 27

APPENDIX B. FILM PACKET ...... 30

BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 70

vii INTRODUCTION: THESIS STATEMENT

The purpose of this thesis is to explore foam fighting organizations (or sometimes referred to as Boffer Fighting) and their activity from a cultural, historical and technological perspective. I propose to demonstrate that foam fighting is a sport that has multiple dimensions and depth that go beyond a hobby or cult activity. Furthermore,

I intend to show that although foam fighting has underlying common elements with Live

Action Role-playing (or LARP) -- such as role playing battles, dressing in garb, home- made weaponry, and a set of rules -- each foam-fighting unit within an organization also develops their own culture that gives them a unique identity. This thesis, and accompanying documentary, traces the history of foam fighting, discusses its unique culture and provides an understanding of the motivations of the individuals who participate in this cultural phenomena.

1 1.HISTORY

Documented beginnings for foam fighting are scarce. Evidence provided in

Lizzie Stark’s Leaving Mundania suggests, however, that it may have started around

1977 with Dagorhir -- a widely known organization that emphasizes the importance of realism in play. At the time, the technology used in terms of weapons and shields, was much different (more dangerous) than it is currently (Stark, p.882). According to my interview with “Blackhawk,” the former vice-president of Dagorhir, original weapons were built out of basic materials such as couch foam duct-taped to a wooden stick or

PVC core. Foam-fighting rules have changed progressively with organizations like

Dagorhir, implementing hierarchal structure to enable safer game play and enforcing applicable safety restrictions. Changes made for safety included requiring better padding for protection, and mandating certain diameter requirements for the tip of a sword or the padding on a shield. (Dagorhir Manual of Arms)

In 1983, Amtgard broke away from Dagorhir as its own organization in El Paso,

Texas (AmtWiki). This organization was more focused on light striking force in combat, and other practices more commonly found in traditional LARP and “Dungeons &

Dragons” games such as a structure based on player classes and magic.8a

Amtgard was not the only organization to spawn off of Dagorhir. Much later in

2002, Belegarth was born from it; primarily due to actions by Dagorhir to protect intellectual property with legally binding agreements. As a result, Belegarth differs very

2 little from its parent organization.

Way of the Sword (or WoTS) is a younger game that originated around 2008, and is exclusive to Florida. The circumstances for this split were similar to the way Amtgard spawned from Dagorhir. Participants in Tampa started out as the “Sakura Moon

Shogunate”, and had claimed to be an Amtgard organization. However, they used an unauthorized modified Amtgard rulebook, and were contacted by Amtgard officials to cease use of the Amtgard name. They conceded to the demands, and became their own organization which started out as “The Sakura Moon Shogunate Rulebook”. (AmtWiki)

Early iterations of the game, (including player class and magic structure) were vastly similar to Amtgard. The player classes were modified and focused around

Japanese culture, such as Samurai (warrior in service to a lord), Bushi (another term for warrior), Shinobi (assassin), and Sohei (monk). For example, a Sohei could have invincible limbs as a perk, but could only use polearm weapons. A Samurai was limited to Katana, but could deal three points of damage at a high rank (usually this would apply more to armor rules at that time). (Way of the Sword Wiki)

Around 2011, WoTS deviated from its Amtgard roots, and teetered progressively toward Dagorhir with the inclusion of allowing grappling, requirements of more sufficient striking force, changes regarding head-shots in the game, and the abandonment of the class system. WoTS now engaged in “cross-gaming”: the practice of welcoming people belonging to other organizations; but, as a result, many of the more serious fighters veered toward joining Dagorhir, and WoTS's popularity started to wane. Further distinguishing the two groups was the difference in skill level of a typical WoTS fighter versus a Dagorhir fighter. Most seasoned WoTS fighters would over-exaggerate their

2 movements, making them predictable; while a Dagorhir fighter would be calculating with his movements and utilize proper body mechanics. In addition, the technology and standards in Dagorhir at the time were much safer than in WoTS. The WoTS rulebook allowed for loose interpretations that were subject to loopholes, e.g. a throwable “knife” in WoTS could have a core on the inside, often resulting in more injuries due to either insufficient padding or improper security to the core itself Because WoTS could not offer a more distinctive experience, the unit suffered a loss of identity, with some gamers even referring to it as “Dagorhir, but with headshots”. Still, WoTS remains an important footnote in Florida's foam fighting history for its contribution to Dagorhir’s popularity within the state.

3 2.CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN FOAM FIGHTING

In the world of foam fighting, there are a multitude of different organizations that exist depending on geographic location. For example, the current organizations that are active in Florida are WoTS, Dagorhir, and Amtgard. Differences between these organizations include the relative importance of role-playing, the variations in rule-sets of play, scope of events (i.e., large events held on a campground, or a small practice session at a local park), and general age range of participants.

WoTS, Dagorhir, and Amtgard are all organizations that minimize their role- playing aspect, making them faster paced. Amtgard shares some aspects of traditional

LARP elements like player classes and leveling system, but it still maintains a fast paced environment. However, unlike the other two organizations mentioned, Amtgard maintains light striking force and disavows the practice of body contact through grappling and takedowns.

The ways in which rules vary are extensive, from the amount of force required for the swing of a sword to register as a strike; to other aspects such as the requirement of picking a class of warrior for certain games. If we were to scale how intensive the aforementioned organizations are in terms of striking force and intensity, it would go from Amtgard being the least intensive, WoTS being the median, and Dagorhir being the most intensive. The intensity is defined here as the force with which fighters hit, the likelihood of grappling or being knocked by a shield charge, and the possibility of injury.

4 But apart from the technical differences among these organizations, there’s also considerable variation in their cultural and political features.

For instance, Dagorhir has a Ragnarok War Council, which meets each year to discuss aspects of the game that need to be addressed or rules that need to be changed.

The war council is made up of elected officials from smaller groups known as “units,” who have their own organizational structure to manage their members. Other organization such as Amtgard have similar meetings that are held on an annual basis to discuss the same topics, as well as elections for kingdoms governing a region to designate new positions.

2A. UNITS, CLANS, AND COMPANIES

Foam fighting units have adopted different classifications depending on the parent organizations. In Amtgard, units describe themselves as companies, while in

WoTS, they use the term clans. Units usually consist of a leader, a next-in-command, and optionally a book-keeper to keep track of attendance and funds.

Units have many different ways of organizing authority. For example, with larger units—primarily those with more than 10 members—the leadership position may be changed on a bi-monthly basis with the members, so that everyone can share the responsibilities. With smaller units (numbering less than 10), authority tends to be decentralized, as no positions of power are apparent and everyone is at the same level.

The way a person becomes a new member of a unit varies depending on the

5 number of members and the way the unit operates. If a unit is newly formed, there are usually no requirements to join that unit. However, for Dagorhir units with a substantial membership roster and a foundation in place, new members are required to attend a number of practices and events over a certain time period before they are able to become full-fledged members of a unit.

This final step of the initiation period is called a “trial,” which is held at an event campground aside from the main curriculum of activities. The tasks required in these trials also vary for every unit. One unit may require their member to fight the entire day, and then fight ten of the best fighters in a “barrel pit” 2. Another unit may compel their member to participate in an endurance battle.

Each unit has different operational structures. Some units don’t have much structure in place regarding member expectations. Other units can be quasi-military, where they require a certain level of skill and willingness to follow orders on the field in order to operate efficiently.

6 2B. LORE AND MYTHOLOGY

Alongside the organizational structure of a unit, there exists a cultural aspect which defines it as a distinct entity while still maintaining the cultural identity of the larger organization. The foundation for that culture is drawn from existing traditions practiced in medieval times, eastern dynasties, or other historical periods such as the golden ages of the Greek and Roman empires. In addition to these historical traditions, many units have a fictional history—their lore—which is a story of how their unit came to be, the pivotal events that occurred, and how it ends. An exemplary unit to examine in order to understand lore is Atlantis.

Atlantis is based heavily on Greco-Roman culture. Their written lore closely informs their unit operations. Whenever a new fighter is recruited, he and a few other recruits must go through what is referred to as the “Agogee,” which is essentially similar to a military boot camp. Upon successfully passing the Agogee, the recruit is then considered an initiated member known as a Remorae.14 The next ranking is becoming a

7 Hoplite11 and a Citizen5, which happens after a year of performing in the unit.

The written lore of the Atlantis unit describes how the nation of Atlantis takes children who are considered strong into the Imperial Academy, while the unfit are put into slavery. From there, those children from the age of 7 to 17 are drafted into the

Agogee for training. (Wilkening) This is a crucial part of the fictional backstory of the

Atlantis unit, as it can provide a biographical element for their members. For example, a former member of another unit who eventually joined Atlantis had a backstory about how he wandered around for a few years after a major battle. He was eventually captured by them, and was either given the choice to be enslaved or go through the

Agogee to be tested and fight for them.

The Sakura Moon Empire is a super-unit based on Japanese feudal history and culture, and further subdivided into smaller units. The units in the empire have the traditional leadership roles of a leader, a second in command, and a book keeper; identified as Daimyo, Taisho, and Daikan respectively. These positions also exist on a more encompassing level known as Imperial Administration. Similar to Atlantis, they

8 follow a ranking structure for their members who are not appointed administration positions. Their rankings start from Ashigaru1, to Bushi3, and finally Samurai4. Unlike

Atlantis, however, the methods of recruiting and initiating their members are different depending on the unit within the empire. Most of their recruits generally tend to be people new to foam fighting, in contrast to Atlantis where recruits are fighters who have been involved for over a year.

There are many other units who draw from different inspirations. For instance, Ravenous's culture and influence comes from the fictional Warhammer 40k series by Games Workshop. The now defunct Midgard unit was based on Viking culture.

Each maintains a distinct lore that serves as a basis for their history and how they view different events. Their lore influences the customs that are the basis for their unit operations.

2C. SOCIETY

Every organization in foam fighting has a different atmosphere to their events, which mostly depends on the age range of the attendees. Depending on the crowd, it could be an event where the night life is abundant, or it could be very low key.

WoTS has a reputation for having a party atmosphere at camp-out events. Most of the attendees were there to fight in games during the day and party all night, indulging heavily in alcohol and even narcotics. In a way, it is very much like a high-school party experience; which can have consequences if certain people got out of hand. The attendees are very young, usually late teens to early-twenties. The community has lost

9 campsites in the past due to a lack of care in some instances.

If WoTS could be related to high-school, then Dagorhir could be considered the college-level equivalent of foam fighting. Some of the units are very similar to university Greek organizations. Like fraternities, they require an initiation to get in.

Typical initiation requirements may include a multitude of different skill tests. The participants’ ages range from late teens to late-twenties. Most of the fighters in Dagorhir that I have met were either in college or in the early phases of their professional careers such as nurses, mechanical engineers, welders, and store managers.

Amtgard could be considered the senior group. The majority of the fighters are well into their professional careers (early to mid-thirties and beyond), and are much less willing to risk serious injury as a result. There is a drinking atmosphere present during those events, but they are kept low key. After the fighting, everyone goes to feast, and then either continues to do fighting at night, or return to their camp to sleep.

In contrast to these epic events/party opportunities, many organizations place importance on smaller scale events and practice sessions. Attendance at practices – usually located in public parks – is usually lower. The emphasis is put either on running short games or executing training drills to improve fighting skills

Foam fighting culture is male-dominated, and organizations tend to be comprised of participants of specific age ranges or experiential commonalities. While there is a female presence in the sport, they more than often take on less intensive roles such as archery, or other non-combatant roles such as crafting and making garb. James Steven

Martin, in his thesis Epic Glory: Nerd Identity, interviews a female fighter who confirms this. She also explains how most females involved in the sport are usually attending

10 practices and campouts to accompany their significant other, and furthermore how female archers see the role mainly as a form of boundary maintenance in terms of avoiding being struck. In addition, he observes how other weapons such as sword and shield, spears and glaives, and other melee weapons are seen as symbols of masculinity

(Martin, p.25).

Beyond organizational rankings, there are titles and positions that are bestowed upon members in the community, most commonly, knighthood. A knight in foam fighting can mean different things in various organizations. For instance, Amtgard has different knights, each belonging to a different order. The “Order of the Crown” is for those who have shown high quality leadership by taking up different positions. The

“Order of the Flame” is for those who have gone above and beyond with their responsibilities at events and in their practice. The “Order of the Serpent” is for those who have accomplished much in the arts and sciences, including creation of high quality garb and weapons. Finally, the “Order of the Sword” is for those who have excelled in combat skill. The requirements and time to achieve knighthood status vary in each of these orders, but it is a commitment that helps retain fighters (AmtWiki).

Dagorhir also has knights, but unlike Amtgard, there is no established order. The requirements differ, as they fall upon the knight that is taking on a fighter as his squire.

For instance, an interview with a higher-up of Ravenous known as Tekno-pop; talked about how he had to learn to juggle as part of his squire-ship term. From there it can be inferred to be very much like an apprenticeship program. They share many of the same qualities as Amtgard knights when it comes to community service and skill, taking up and aiding event staff responsibilities when necessary.

11 3.TECHNOLOGY AND MARKET

The motivations for participation in foam fighting exceed its guise as simply a combatant sport. First, beyond the fighting, this sport allows for creative expression.

This is apparent whether it is in someone's garb, the way their weapons are built, or the armor that they have made for themselves. Secondly, foam fighting offers opportunities for building entrepreneurial skills by selling wares at markets.

Still, building weapons and shields is one of the most prominent aspects of foam fighting. The kind of weapons you find on the field are usually hand-made by the individual or purchased from a well-known supplier. The latter option is the most viable if the person does not have the time, ability or money to build it themselves. Building weapons involves taking a core (which is usually a rod made of fiberglass, PVC, golf shaft, or kite spar) and adding foam of different varieties to pad it safely. This is done

12 with the application of contact cement to bind the foam and core together. A pommel must be attached at the back of the sword to reduce the risk of a face or eye injury, and a handle must be attached as well. Lastly, a stab tip is adhered using a consistency of foam that is similar to a Yoga mat to buffer a stab into someone. There are many different ways to make a weapon, and the methods differ for the type of weapon being made. The cores also determine the durability of a weapon, with fiberglass being the most resilient, and PVC being the weakest in durability in the long run (Dagorhir Manual of Arms).

Along with weapons, shields are a major aspect of the game. They're usually constructed of plywood and padded with foam, or even made of just foam, making it coreless. Designs on shields, however, vary from simple solid shield covers made of fabric to complicated and creative designs made with the application of plastic-dip.

The next subsection of equipment is armor. Depending on the organization rules, armor is made up of different materials. For example, Dagorhir allows the use of either leather or titanium. Amtgard and WoTS allow the use of the aforementioned, as well as cheaper materials like barrel plastics and vinyl. However, their worth on the field vary depending on the rule-set being used. The Dagorhir rule-set states that armor only protects you from one hit (Dagorhir Manual of Arms) but Amtgard allows armor to take on a maximum of six hits depending on the quality of materials used (AmtWiki).

Many of the organizations have different rule-sets that weapons must adhere to.

For example, they may need to meet an inch minimum for width. These rules are subject to change on a yearly basis to keep the game safe. Stark’s Leaving Mundania (2012) mentions that Dagorhir used to have less safe rules in place: shields did not require any padding to be legal and pommels were unpadded. The consequences included broken

13 teeth and bones (Stark, p. 833). Another example of rule changes in regards to weapon construction is Belegarth, who insisted that spears would have to be three inches instead of the previously established 2.5 inches in diameter (Belegarth Rulebook) (Dagorhir

Manual of Arms).

Most of the weapons and equipment are built in members’ home garages and then sold at local events, much like a cottage industry. Construction involves woodwork equipment including a bandsaw, drill press, and a router, each for different steps of the process.

The work that goes into the development of the equipment has created a market often seen at events; from weapons, leather-working, and garb-making, to non-game related products such as glasswork, and home-made wine. One of the most reputable weapon vendors that were interviewed is Gorg, who has made this hobby into a living and ships his products nationwide. Along with running a business, he’s running a unit and has been involved in the community for a great deal of time.

14 4.GAME THEORY – KEY GAME CONCEPTS

In her book Critical Play: Radical Game Design (2009), Mary Flanagan discusses the aspects of “play” as the core concept. She references the six key game concepts stated in the game creation book Rules of Play by Salen and Zimmerman

(2003): “1. A game is a system, 2. It is artificial, 3. It has players, 4. It has conflict, 5. It has rules, and 6. It contains a quantifiable outcome/goal, an ending state in which players can either be the ‘winners’ or the ‘losers,’” (Flanagan, p. 7-9).

This concept is the basis of many games, as well as in foam fighting and other

LARP games. Just as Flanagan (2009) describes hopscotch as a peer-sanctioned game, foam fighting follows the same criteria. Games in foam fighting require the presence of

“heralds” to enforce rules to prevent and reduce any cheating such as “sloughing” (not taking hits), sneaking out of boundaries, or using unsafe equipment.

The most basic game in foam fighting is a one-life “ditch.” Two teams are evenly matched and the objective is to defeat everyone on the other team. Each fighter in a ditch has only one life for each round. After the round, the fighter who died first on the winning side has to go over to the losing side. The rounds go on usually until fighters become worn out, and/or they are ready for another game.

When it comes to game planning in foam fighting, there are two factors to consider: internal and external. Internal factors include re-spawn time (how much time lapses before the fighter can come back in), life count (how many lives they have before

15 they are “shattered out” and cannot come back in), and special variables within the team

(allowing unlimited re-spawn, having a person on the team whose death is the opposing team's objective, or restricting specific weapons). The external factors include how many teams are on the field, the boundaries that exist, hazards (if there are any), and winning objectives.

For the most part, games in foam fighting are usually a team-versus-team scenario. There are some game types where it is a free-for-all scenario, which are held at a field level and games that turn from a free-for-all into a team-versus-team scenario.

Necromancer is an example of the latter; one fighter is picked as one of few necromancers to bring others back from the dead to fight for him. Some of these games can be a capture-the-flag scenario, where the winning objective is stealing the other person's flag and bringing it back to the home base. Another is “Kill the King,” where the objective is to defeat the other team's captain. Boundaries in the games can be set up so the playing area is a bridge of sorts or so that the fighters are in an enclosed area for fighting such as a boat or island; this way, they have to knee-walk through the water set by boundaries, which makes the battle more challenging. These boundaries vary in the ways they are portrayed depending on the budget and the nature of the event. Boundaries are typically made either with spray paint or rope but larger event sites, like in Ragnarok,

Pennsylvania, and Eastwinds have actual, elaborately built castles and walls for barriers.

Internal factors such as the re-spawn count and lives are factors that can be changed during the execution of a game. This usually occurs for balance reasons in cases where the fight goes on too long or if it ceases too quickly. Sometimes this gets changed to a person re-spawn count, where there has to be a certain amount of fighters at the re-

16 spawn point before they can go back in. In some instances, a player can be granted special powers, like black damage, which kills a person if struck anywhere and breaks shields in one hit, armor rules, which grants the fighter armor without the need of wearing armor, or invincibility to certain weapons in a designated area.

The presence of heralds on the field during games and especially at events is necessary as a peer-sanctioned responsibility. In addition to their responsibility as rule enforcers, they are also in charge of balancing out a game whenever deemed necessary; like for instance, if a capture-point game has gone on too long with no end in sight. They are responsible for enforcing rule changes such as a reduction in re-spawn time or the announcement of a time limit. Sometimes, they also assign fighters to a team or even act as boundaries.

As is the case with a peer-sanctioned game, there are always consequences and social implications if rules are broken (Flanagan, p. 9). One instance was an event back in 2014. A fighter on the field during a scenario game suffered a concussion when she was struck in the head with a weapon's insufficiently padded pole-arm. The player had to be removed from the games for the remainder of the event. This accident could easily 17 have been avoided with proper training and considerations for safety. The player in question now has a poor reputation on the field because of this incident.

18 5. EVOLUTION OF THE GAME THROUGH AR AND VR

As of this writing, we are entering an era where devices only seen and heard about in science fiction are becoming integrated into our society. Technology has entered gaming in a big way and could influence the sport of foam fighting in the future. The

Samsung Gear Virtual Reality (VR) entered the market in the fall of 2015, and 2016 will see Oculus and HTC introduce their consumer headsets to the market. However, foam fighting’s foray into the use of these technologies remains to be seen.

Currently, the connection between VR and foam fighting seems useful as a means of learning and practicing. Through the use of the Gear VR, videos captured in full 360- degree view provide an immersive visual experience of faraway or even fictional places, and YouTube features countless GoPro videos of scenario battles at events as well. It is not unimaginable that the two technologies can merge and significantly enhance the simulative game-playing aspects of foam fighting. If only as a learning tool, this would allow fighters to study what they have missed happening around them while they are in battle. For someone who is not involved, it can be a useful and insightful way to experience what this sport can offer.

Augmented Reality, or AR, in theory seems like it could offer more to this sport than VR technology. There is a more practical application to changing the environment and enhancing aspects of planned scenario battles without being closed off visually from

reality as with VR. Still, there are two recognizable challenges that prevent this from

19 becoming a widespread reality.

The first challenge is determining how to give the user this experience with an operational but durable device. Google Glass® has a proven concept of AR, but because they are glasses, they can be knocked off or broken by an accidental face shot in the heat of battle. Although being hit in the face is not legal by definition of the rules, it does happen often by accident at events. The same can be said about the Microsoft HoloLens, along with the fact that it may need to be rewired to a high-powered computer to function in this capacity.

This leads to the second challenge that AR poses: affordability to the consumer base represented by the foam fighting community. When first released, Google Glass®, was overly expensive for many consumers and, thus, deemed a failure. The product simultaneously presented health concerns and relied on what consumers referred to as buggy software (Crothers, 2016). Microsoft HoloLens, while a promising enterprise from early prototypes, has not announced how much it will cost upon release. The cost and fragility of such technologies make them difficult to utilize in a sport where physical activity and battles are commonplace. The products need to be inexpensive enough to attract young gamers and durable enough to endure impact. While it is probable that in time this will happen with AR, until then, it is unlikely to make significant contributions to foam fighting.

20 5A. FOAM FIGHTING INFLUENCE ON GAMING?

Because foam fighting was created to emulate medieval and fantasy based combat, the prospect of developing a game based on it in all its splendor is low. Interviews conducted with fighters involved in the sport inform various reasons for their involvement. One subject was inspired by The Lord of the Rings books, and another from growing up watching Japanese animation. In the video game market, there is no shortage of games meant for immersion into fantasy, especially for those based around popular fran- chises such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. From a production standpoint, it isn’t feasible to develop a game based on this hobby only to participate from the comfort of a chair.

While the prospect of foam fighting as a whole doesn’t seem feasible, elements from it are. There are aspects of Foam fighting that have influenced video games. For example, the Dagorhir unit GTG submitted their unit logo to From Software for the game Dark Souls, and it was integrated into the game in the form of Lord Tarkus's

21 shield. Another factor to consider in theory is that it is possible to make a game out of a unit's lore. Taking into consideration the structure of a unit’s lore, it can be influential for a game's plot and design. These factors make it possible for someone to draw influence from foam fighting, and thus in turn create aspects of a video game or other media.

5B. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

Apart from prospect of using VR and AR in foam fighting, there are other technological advancements currently in progress. The use of motion sensors and the inclusions of 3D printing have been making their first steps into the sport.

There have been attempts in the past few years to integrate motion sensor and score tracking into the game’s equipment. Sabertron, which was funded in June 2014, is one of these endeavors. It is still a product in the pre-order stage, but it is slated to come out later in 2016. It features Bluetooth, a touchscreen, motion and hit sensing programming, as well as a health meter shown on the sword (Sabertron). While this is great for one-on-one dueling, it doesn't seem quite ready for something like massive battles. There are more distant plans however to expand the product line with other weapons and shields.

Another noteworthy endeavor is the Unified Weapons Master (UWM) project on

Indiegogo, which has advertised armored body suits equipped with sensors for a scoring system, a camera and microphone, health monitoring, and an inbuilt cooling system. The suits would be used in conjunction with actual realistic weapons. Unfortunately, the

22 project was not fully funded, so while the prospect has been delayed it does represent an interesting look into what may come. (Unified Weapons Master)

It is worth noting that 3D printing has influenced technology in foam fighting recently. At Winter War 2015, vendors sold weapon templates to check tips and pommels to make sure they passed specifications. These were, of course, made from thermoplastic

3D printing material (Example: http://www.absplastic.eu/5-most-popular-3d-printing- thermoplastics/). 3D printing technology has also been used to design arrow caps.

Although it may not be a widespread practice, 3D printing can not only help with weapon construction, but also with crafting wares.

23 6. CONCLUSION

Although foam fighting has been generally viewed as a hobby, it is often overlooked for what it offers as a sport and community of participants. There is a market for a variety of crafts, such as leather-working, foam-smithing, and garb making. In addition, the infrastructure for foam fighting organizations is a learning experience in itself. Within an organization, each unit can have its own culture and unique set of rules by which it lives and operates when its members gather. Participants taking up responsibility of a leadership role in these units acquire skills that prepare them to function better in the real world. Apart from developing leadership skills, foam fighting promotes a sense of team work, political debate and accountability. Those immersed in these cultures develop an understanding of the historical contexts of a community, in much the same way an actor immersed in playing a role develops an understanding of the character he is playing.

With further anticipated technological advancements, the prospects for growth in foam fighting are promising Technology provides many new opportunities for the sport to evolve, such as safer weaponry in the form of industrial-grade foam; but, it also presents many challenges in applying new and emerging technologies. With new participants joining the ranks every year, the sport has the potential to expand and develop well beyond its current accomplishments and stature.

Finally, although foam fighting is not likely to be an impressive inclusion on a

24 resumé, the skills and discipline learned and practiced can be applied to everyday life andwork. This is a sport that has provided a place to belong for the socially awkward: a community with a unique identity. Ultimately, it allows the participant opportunities for self-definition and self-improvement, whether it is through learning a new skillset for personal development or supporting the larger foam fighting community.

APPENDICES

26 APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY OF TERMS

1. Ashigaru – Foot Soldier. Basically an initiated member of the SME.

2. Barrel pit – A activity where one fighter is pitted against numerous other fighters se-

quentially in a one-on-one fight. When the opposing fighter is defeated, the next

one goes in. This may be run as part of a trial, and may have different rules put in

place depending on who is running it.

3. Bushi – Secondary Rank in the SME for an un-appointed position.

4. Samurai – Highest Rank awarded in the SME for an un-appointed position.

5. Citizen of Atlantis- A initiated member of Atlantis who has put in a specified amount

of time in the unit to earn citizenship. Can be a combatant or non combatant.

6. Ditching - A basic team game. Each side only has one life. First dead on the winning

team goes over to the losing team.

7. Eastwinds – A private property campsite held in South Carolina. Host to numerous

events such as Winter War, Crystal Chronicles, and Eastwinds Under Siege

8. Foam Fighting Organizations a. Amtgard – A organization that spawned off of Dagorhir that is known for using

lighter force, and the use of a class system that uses magic. The player

classes are: warrior, monk, druid, healer, scout, barbarian, paladin, anti-

paladin, monster, archer, assassin, and bard; each with different abilities,

and perks. These classes can be leveled up from earning a certain amount

of credits from participating in the practices and events. b. Belegarth – A organization spawned off Dagorhir that differs very little. It is

more commonly found on the West Coast

27 c. Dagorhir-A organization that promotes realistic combat with safely padded

weapons. d. Dystopia Rising – a LARP that uses Zombie Invasions as its premise. e. Grappling – To latch onto another fighter to take them to the ground in a safe

manner, avoiding the manipulation of loose joints such as elbows, wrists,

knees. Mostly allowed in Dagorhir, Belegarth, and WoTS, with a few oth-

er rules in place concerning appropriate take-downs. f. NERO – A full immersion LARP that uses latex weapons, magic, and a class

system. g. WoTS – Way of the Sword, an organization spawned off Amtgard in Florida.

Started out as a Amtgard knock-off, and teetered towards adapting Dago-

rhir's rulesets. Its only standout from Dagorhir is the use of head-shots

with an appropriately weighted weapons.

9. Units in Foam Fighting a. Atlantis – Long standing unit in Dagorhir located in Florida. Members are

identified by a teal tabard or sash, and black undershirt and pants b. Sakura Moon Shogunate – Began as a Amtgard unit in Tampa, eventually be-

came the Sakura Moon Empire (SME) c. Ravenous- A unit based out of Alabama and Georgia. Identified by purple as a

primary color, and based around Warhammer 40k lore.

10. Heralds – Participants wearing yellow tabards. They are responsible for enforcing

rules on the field, explaining rules of a game, and making sure everything runs

smoothly during it. They may change factors in a game if it goes on too long, and

28 can remove players if they are blatantly breaking rules, or exhibiting unsafe be-

havior on the field. They may also call a “hold” on a game if someone is injured

on the field and requires medical attention.

11. Hoplite-The secondary ranking given to an initiated member of Atlantis.

12. Necromancer – A game that starts out as a free-for-all with two fighters being the

necromancers. The necromancers can raise dead fighters to fight for them, which

makes this become a team based game eventually.

13. Ragnarok – A campout held in Pennsylvania, going on for 30 years and counting.

Considered to be the epitome of foam fighting with more than a thousand people

attending each year.

14. Remora – A initiated but low ranking member of Atlantis.

15. Respawn – Factors concerning coming back into the game from a death, usually

a life count. Example: Respawn time of 15 seconds, means you have to wait 15

seconds before coming back into the game. Life count in regards to Respawn

means how many lives you have left before you are “shattered”

16. Shattered – When you are out of lives and can no longer participate in the current

game.

APPENDIX B. FILM PACKET

Thesis Film Project April 13, 2015

Documentary Film Proposal & Packet:

The Art of Foam Fighting:

A study into the culture of Foam Fighting

-Directed and Written by David Wichinsky

Shane Eason, Faculty Advisor. Ft. Lauderdale, Fl Email:[email protected]

I. Synopsis & Treatment ...... 33 II. Crew, Subject, And Equipment Details ...... 34 Cvs/Resumes of Principal Crew Members () Estimated Total Run Time Equipment List Media Used to Film/Record Software List Subject List Subject Question List *Model Releases (Copies) III. Film Marketing ...... 41 Purpose and Objective Target Audience Genre and Style Budget Airing and Distribution Camera Blocking Film Schedule Location and Events IV. Production ...... 45 Shot Lists B-Roll List Edit Logs Script V. Miscellaneous Materials ...... 65 Shooting Permits (Copies) Music and Sound Rights/Sources Stock Photo and Video Rights/Sources Production Stills/Photos

I. Synopsis & Treatment

Foam fighting is a broad term applied in many forms. One of the most

popular forms in the media is known as Live Action Role Playing or LARP.

However, a organization called Dagorhir is another form that gets little if any

exposure in the media today. While it may come off as a cult following, there is

a wide audience that do this. One of the most popular events called Ragnarok

gets more than 1,000 attendees each year, and is held in Pennsylvania.

There are a lot of other aspects to this sport beyond the actual fighting

however. It is a vehicle for a cultural and technological outlet. There are people

who make period clothes for fighters in order to make this activity more

immersible . There are also people who make the weapons, and improve each

time they attempt to build them. It is a creative outlet as much as it is a

recreational hobby.

There is also a political side to it as well. In some LARP organizations,

you're playing a character who can act however he wishes without much

consequence. However, there are some other organizations where your actions

and attitudes are that of your own. Just as it does in the real world, it reflects

upon you and your reputation.

This is a 15 minute documentary exploring Foam Fighting through a study

on different facets of the sport through a few organizations that exist. It is an

exploration surrounding the creative aspirations that surround this sport, along

with the way it influences participants and fighters all over the nation.

II.Crew, Subject, and Equipment Details

Cv/Resume

David WICHINSKY (Email Removed) http://dwichinsky.wordpress.com/portfolio-2/ (Phone Number Removed)

EDUCATION FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, School of Communications and Multimedia Studies, Boca Raton, FL May 2015 Masters of Fine Arts in Media, Technology, and Entertainment, Full-Time Program • Presidential Full Scholarship Recipient, Current GPA: 3.6 • Mobile Applications Graphics (Android Platform): Collaborated as a concept director and graphic artist on a 5 person team consisting of 2 engineers, an app planner, and presentation specialist to design and develop a phone app targeting K-5 students; App was designed to build environmental awareness in target audience by suggesting everyday tips and tricks to help save the planet • Exhibition Practicum in Film and New Media: Teamed with a group of eight students to plan and execute a department-wide film festival with 100+ attendees; Reviewed films submitted for the film festival, Concepted and Designed campaign marketing assets for select films - including print media and film festival trailers • Other Key Courses Completed: Advanced 3D Production for Interactivity, Portfolio Workshop, Documentary Video Production, Video Production Workshop, Creating Interactive Culture

LYNN UNIVERSITY, Boca Raton, FL May 2009 Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, Concentration: Drama • GPA: 3.6, Graduated Cum Laude • Drama focused Study Abroad Experience in London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland (2008) • Extracurricular Involvement: Heavy involvement with the Lynn University Drama Department through participation as a lead actor, set designer, and story developer on University productions including The Boys Next Door, Deadline, The Philadelphia, Soda Corp during undergraduate studies, and continued involved as a lead actor in The Diviners post-graduation • Awarded a key acting role in a week long performance through Lynn University’s select Boca to Broadway program in New York, New York (2009)

AREAS OF EXPERTISE Adobe Dreamweaver Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Adobe After Effects Adobe Audition Autodesk Maya 3D Character Development 3D Environments Cross-functional Teams Android App Development Adobe Premiere Vector Art Experience with Next Gen Techniques such as normal mapping and High Low Poly modeling Proven experience working from existing concepts, as well developing my own concepts for asset creation Passion for interactive entertainment

EXPERIENCE THE WEASEL WORKSHOP, Boca Raton, FL 2012 - current Sole-proprietor: Live Action Role Playing Weapon and Garment Manufacturer 1. Identified a market need for high quality and custom designed weaponry and clothing to meet the needs of the growing Live Action Role Playing hobbyist market in South Florida and developed a custom workshop to work with customers directly 1) Developed a 2014 market plan to expand brand awareness and consumer reach in the Southeast through online marketing activities in social channels, increased convention presence, and launch of an 35

online sales presence

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, Boca Raton, FL 2012 – 2014 Graduate Teaching Assistant 1) Oversaw Florida Atlantic University video editing labs, providing both technical software usage assistance and stylistic editing guidance to undergraduate students

PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Boca Raton, FL 2010 -2012 Per Diem Substitute 1) Served as an “on-call” substitute, accepting teaching assignments delivered on previous night or morning of class. Executed lesson plans across every grade level and discipline

Estimated Total Length

Between 15-18 minutes

Equipment List

Canon VX RF10 camcorder

Audio Technica Shotgun Mic

L Frame Mount

Lavalier Mic, wired and wireless

Software Used

Adobe After Effects

Adobe Premiere

Adobe Audition

Subject Lists

Gorg Thee Blacksmith

Newlok Tree (CUT)

Blackhawk Dagorhir

Tekno-pop(Cut for time)

Paul Friedel

Keliance Eastwind

Lauren Ashley Puron

King Exo (Cut for time)

Darryl Isaac Jensen

Forkbeard Rex (Cut for audio issues)

Various Fighters in Foam Fighting

Fights at the practices

Fights at the park

Process of building foam swords

Interview Subjects:both at home and at work

Photos/Footage from past events

Subject Question List

Gorg Questions

What is your name, and what do you do for a living?

Whats involved in making a foam weapon?

How did you manage to make this into a living?

What do you like most about the world of foam fighting?

What reason or drive has kept you in the Foam Smithing business for so long?

What do you find most challenging about the Foam Smithing process?

Newlock Tree Talking Points

“What's your name and ranking in the community?”

“How long have you been involved in foam fighting?”

“How do you carry yourself on and off the field?”

“What do you do in real life for an occupation?”

“Tell me about your unit”(go into trials, structure, etc)

“If there was something in foam fighting that could be changed, what would you want it to be?”

Lauren Puron Talking Points/Question

Who are you?

As a non-combatant, what aspects of foam fighting are you involved with?

How many commissions do you get on a daily basis?

What challenges do you see from your point of view, especially in terms of the sport being male dominated?

How has your view of foam fighting changed from since you started, to where you are now?

What do you enjoy most about it?

Discussion of Cultures in Foam Fighting

Discussion of Campsites in Florida and loss of use for events 39

Keliance Eastwind Talking Points

“What is your name, and occupation”

“When did you set up this property”

“What motivated you to do all this”

“How many events do you hold a year?

“Other than Dagorhir events, what other organizations host events here?”

Paul Friedel Talking Points

“Who are you?”

“How did you end up with the name Viccer”

“Tell me about Dagorhir Lore”

“You did Battle for the nations this past year. Tell me about that experience”

“If there was something you could change in foam fighting, what would it be?”

Darryl Isaac Jensen Talking Points

“What do you like about foam fighting”

“Do you feel Foam fighting gives you a sense of Community”

“Being physcially handicapped, how does it affect the way you fight on the field”

“If there was something you could change about foam fighting, what would it be?” 40

General Questions for fighters

“What got you into foam fighting? “

“Why do you continue this hobby? “

“Whats your.favorite thing about foam fighting? “

III.Film Marketing

Film Purpose and Objective

The purpose of this film is to arouse intrigue in the process and work that's

involved within Foam Fighting, in all its aspects.

Target Audience

The target audience for this film would be Japanese animation fans, people with

martial arts backgrounds, people with interests in historical re-enactment, and

people involved in foam fighting.

Genre & Style

Participatory Documentary

Airing and Distribution

Distribution strategies include viewing at film festivals, convention panels,

trailers using unused footage, and eventual distribution onto internet services

such as Youtube.

Camera Blocking

Interviews will have standard 2/3rd frame shots, with no varying angles due to

the small scale of the project. Handheld footage for wandering shots, follow

shots, and pan shots. Use of still shots and establishing shots for campground

locations. GoPro footage shot for POV.

Lighting Schemes

Outdoor lighting

Natural indoor lighting.

Shooting Schedule

2014

October 9-12 – Chrystal Chronicles in South Carolina

November 5th-9th – Winter War

November 9th – Interview at WW with Keliance Eastwind

December:Planning period (focus of film shifts to be smaller)

2015

January – Battle for the Ring 7 (Belegarth Event)

March and April – Interviews with “Davo”, Lauren Ashley Puron,

June – Ragnarok XXX

October – Interview with Gorg at Daybattle

November – Reshoot with Gorg at Winter War

Budget

Pre Production Research, Planning, Project $0.00 Consulting Production Filming, Travel Expenses in Estimated rental vehicles and flights, and $2,000 Lodging. Post-Production Editing film into a cohesive piece, post production sound, music rights, titles and visual effects Total Budget = $2,000

Location and Event List

Winter War 2014 – Trenton, SC

Summer Slaughter 2014 – Doe Lake campground, Fl

Ides of March 2014 – Dragon Hills, GA

Battle for the Ring 2015 – Ontario, California

Ragnarok 2015 – Coopers Lake, PA

Summer Slaughter 2015 – Trenton, SC

Winter War 2015 – Trenton SC

Production TimeTable

Description of Work Start and End Dates Phase One Pre Production July 2014 – September 2014 Phase Two Production October 2014 – November 2015 Phase Three Post Production October 2015 – April 2016 Phase Four Airing and Distribution Summer 2016

IV. Production

Shot List

Chrystal Chronicles

1) Do not use 2) End of Ditch and start of some 1 on 1 fights 3) Establishing shot of village at night 4) Same thing 5) Establishing shot of pit at night 6) Another night shot of the premise 7) Live Steel Battle Axe Throwing 8) Eastwind castle at Night 9) Mexican Standoff at night & chase 10) Continuation 11) Odd lady making ghost noises? 12) Night line fight 13) Back shot walking back to camp 14) Back shot walking to fighting pit & fights with Blakstar Co. 15) Last shot of Friday night: Walking shot back to camp 16) Start of Sat. Shots: Establishing shot of empty Field 17) Morning footage of breakfast at camp at Blakstar camp 18) Shot of cook making breakfeast 19) Another shot of cook, with eggs cooking on the grill 20) Follow shot of Mikey (No audio) 21) Another general shot at camp with some LARP convo 22) Footage of field fighting walking to the fort and around 23) Blakstar suiting up in armor for the campout duration trials, walking to village, and fight in village 24) Relaxed shot in village and quest summons? 25) Shot of King Marshmallow in the tower 26) Do not Use 27) Quest explanation by reeve 28) Quest begins, some fighting goes on 29) Side view and moving shot of fighting, Fight on hold by reeve for rule. Fighting moves mainly into village(11 minutes)

30) Quest moves from village area, lots of walking 31) Do not use 32) More walking, back shots, Attempt to capture the fort 33) Resuming of capturing the fort side view . Break starts 34) Shot of Seraphim fighters dueling single sword 35) Idling around the fort waiting for the reeve. 36) Moving shot of fight in the woods beyond the village 37) Do Not use 38) Continuation of battle in the woods 39) Reeve comes by Fort with Gatorade, Dragon Quest is explained, Party moves towards Dragon dungeon 40) Shot of fighters defending the dungeon 41) Fight at dungeon wall begins 42) Fight moves inside dungeon, Footage of puzzle 43) Inner dungeon walls, debate, dragon starts coming out near the 3rd of the clip 44) Fight with Dragon, Dragon is captured 45) Captured Dragon is taken to the home base. 46) Defense of castle in field 47) Dragon is taken back, fighting continues to reclaim it. 48) Dragon is faced off again in Village, quest ends 49) Druid Quest begins 50) Unicorn footage 51) Quest is over, capture of fort, “not teleporting” 52) The repercussions of calling Blondie “Marshmallow, Recapture of fortress again, graveyard quest beings 53) Graveyard quest continues 54) Capturing the fortress back and forth 55) Explanation of Iron Man trial for Blakstar trials 56) Start of Iron Man Trials 57) Continuation of Iron man trials for Newlock. Timelord, and Avery 58) Court beginning soon 59) Court is started. Khazon's knighting ceremony 60) Court Continues 61) Court Continues 62) Court Continues 63) Court Concludes 64) Fire-dancing show 65) Flame dueling 66) Night Ditching in fighting pit 67) Sunday Morning: Taking down of camps 68) Same thing 69) Do not use

Winter War (2014) Shot List

0) Friday:Still shot of line fighting 2) Ditch Line fighting 3) Ditch line fighting 4) Ditch line fighting, some good pan shots 5) Close up of archer 6) Kneeling for injury 7) People hitting respawn for game 8) Establishing shot of Eastwind 9) Do Not Use 10) Pan Shot of Plasti-dipped weapon 11) Panning shot again going down 12) panning shot close up 13) Poi stick dancing on stage 14) Lady gorg doing business in shop 15) Close up of jewelery shop 16) Do Not use 17) Rotationary shot of items in jewelery shop 18) Pirate shop, and mini interview 19) Footage of leather shop, and interview with shop keeper 20) Leather shop interview cont. 21) Footage of blacksmith at work 22) Exo sparring with Chris Stone 23) Part of Ryan Fox's trials 24) Eastwind Court prep 25) Eastwind Court prep 2 26) Eastwind Court Begins 27) Eastwind Court cont. 28) Eastwind Court cont. 29) Eastwind Court cont. 30) Eastwind Court Cont. 31) Eastwind Court continues 32) Eastwind Court Concludes 33) Cu Sith Court begins (lighting is to bright near beginning) 34) Cu Sith Court cont., Nibenon's Knighting Ceremony 35) Nib's knighting ceremony concludes. 36) Saturday Footage:Footage of people sparring waiting for scenarios to start 37) Sparring footage cont. 38) People hanging around cont. 39) Sparring footage 40) Atlantians walking back from reeve 47

41) Groups hanging out again waiting & sparring 42) Line ditching 43) Fighters hitting re spawn 44) Fighters singing Bohemian rhapsody, and scenario start 45) Line fighting during scenario 46) More scenario footage 47) Scenario footage cont. 48) Scenario footage cont. 49) Scenario footage cont. 50) Scenario footage cont. 51) Footage of food stand 52) Footage of fighting 53) Fighting cont. 54) Footage of Blacksmith working on stuff, panning shot of wares 55) Panning shot of wares 56) Panning shot of other table of wares 57) Panning shot again 58) Shot of forging fire 59) Shot of forging fire 60) Footage of wood ware shop 61) Do not use 62) Not sure 63) Not sure 64) Blacksmith working 65) Interview with Blacksmith 66) Mankhe screwing around on camera 67) Pacman mini interview 68) Day shot of fire in village 69) Interview with Blackhawk begins 70) Interview with Blackhawk part 2 71) Green Tournament 72) Green Tournament Part 2 73) Green Tournament Part 3 74) Sword & Board Tournament 75) Sword & Board Tournament Part 2 76) Sword & Board Tournament Part 3 77) Sword & Board Tournament Part 4 78) Footage of crafts for Arts & Sciences tourney 79) Mask 80) Crafts Cont. 81) Leather bracers 82) Pirate cover shield 83) Foam Chainsaw 48

84) Ceramic cup 85) Wolf Mask & Liquor 86) Shot Glass 87) Poi Stick Dancing 88) Sunday: Footage of stuff being packed 89) Footage cont. 90) Pirates spotting camera 91) Footage of tents being packed 92) Footage cont. 93) Footage cont. 94) Do Not Use 95) Do not use 96) Interview with Keliance starts 97) Interview Cont. 98) Interview Cont. 99) Interview cont. (Tour of Cu Sith Camp) 100) Interview cont, side interview with Bam from Cu Sith 101) Interview cont. 102) Interview cont. 103) Continued interview with Keliance and concluding comments.

Daichi Campout shotlist

0)Saturday: Explanation of game, and footage on field

2) Field Footage 3) Field Footage 4) Field footage 5) Field Footage 6) Field footage 7) Field Footage 8) Field Footage 9) Field Footage 10) Footage of Will from SIA 11) SME Samurai Ceremony 12) Field footage 13) Field Footage 14) Field Footage 15) Establishing shot of fort 16) B Roll near Fort, and explanation of rules for Fort Battle 17) Explanation of Rules part 2 49

18) Garbage Footage 19) Garbage Footage 20) Shot of Bruce in fort 21) Shot of upper fort 22) Garbage Footage 23) One on One fighting while waiting for fort battle 24) Fort batttle starts 25) Fort Battle cont., closer shot on stairs 26) Garbage footage, 27) Garbage footage 28) Garbage Footage 29) Footage of fight on stairs from behind. 30) Kenjutsu Tournamnet starts 31) Kenjutsu Cont. 32) Kenjutsu Concludes 33) Sword & Board Tournament Starts 34) Sword & Board Tournament Cont. 35) Sword & Board Tournament Concludes. 36) Open Weapon Starts 37) Open Weapon Cont. 38) Open Weapon Ends 39) Garbage footage 40) Prizes for Tournament winners

Battle for the Ring 2015

2) Polearm sparring 3) still shot of conversation for announcement 4) wandering shot of weapons check area 5) mini interview with guy in jason like mask 6) Batman's polearm class part 1 7) Batman's polearm class part 2 8) Batman's polearm class part 3 9) Batman's polearm class part 4 10) Rotary shot at weapons check 11) Shots of fighting 12) Panning shot of fighters 13) Ditch fight 14) shot of weapons checker at field 15) fighters walking on field 16) Limbo line during fighting 17) Limbo line during fighting 18) Do not use 50

19) Limbo line during fighting 20) Limbo line during fighting 21) Field shot of fighting 22) Shot of fighters laying on the ground 23) Shot behind herald of ditch going on 24) Tracking shot of Forkbeard and Feet on the field/ scratch footage 25) Panning shot of fighting 26) Do not use 27) Do not use 28) Shots of fighters waiting for scenario to start 29) Panning shot of fighters before fortress battle 30) Shot of Bacchus explaining fortress battle 31) Shot of fighters charging into castle, and panning shot of outside 32) More footage of ditch fighting with boundaries 33) One on one sparring with Peter the Quick 34) Shot of Shaman setting herbs on fire 35) small field fighting 36) Do not use 37) Setup for knighting ceremony 38) Setup for knighting ceremony 39) Setup for knighting ceremony 40) Setup for knighting ceremony 41) Knighting ceremony for Shadowsin 42) Knighting ceremony for Shadowsin 43) Do not use 44) Establishing shot for nightlife 45) Shot of people around campfire 46) Bellydancing to jewish synagogue songs 47) Belldydancing Cont. 48) Belldydancing Cont. 49) Belldydancing Cont. 50) Belldydancing Cont. 51) Gameroom Footage 52) Gameroom Footage 53) Gameroom Footage 54) Weapons Check 55) Weapons Check 56) Dual Wielding Class 57) Dual Wielding Class 58) Dual Wielding Class 59) Dual Wielding Class 60) Dual Wielding Class 61) Dual Wielding Class 51

62) Dual Wielding Class 63) Dual Wielding Class 64) Dual Wielding Class 65) Dual Wielding Class 66) Dual Wielding Class 67) Forkbeard interview 68) Vendor tables(Plastidip swords, crossbows) 69) Vendor Tables 70) Vendor Tables 71) Vendor Tables 72) Vendor tables 73) Vendor tables 74) Vendor tables 75) Vendor tables 76) Vendor tables 77) Vendor tables 78) Vendor tables 79) Vendor tables 80) Vendor tables 81) Vendor tables 82) Vendor tables 83) Vendor tables 84) Vendor tables 85) Vendor tables 86) Vendor tables 87) Vendor tables 88) Vendor tables 89) Do not use 90) Paning view of tournament field 91) “Feet” interview 92) Footage of Sith group discussing at field 93) Fighters prepping 94) Private use 95) Field fighting from afar 96) Guy in a hat playing acoustic guitar 97) Belbowl 98) Belbowl

Ragnarok XXX

0-10) Classes Footage for Red Class 11-13) Interview with King Exo 52

14-17) Class Footage 18-27) Class Footage 28) Panning shot of lake 29) Walking shot of on road (Iffy if can be used) 30) Walking shot pan through trees of the bar at the campground 31) Panning shot of security camp 32) Panning shot of camp near hill 33) Footage of people at a camp 34) Panning shot of camp near hill 35) Walking panning shot of camps 36) Panning shot of “Kingdom of Jerusalem” unit camp 37) Panning shot of middle campground 38) Panning shot of middle campground 39) Shot focused on trio of “Healz for Dealz” 40) Still shot of people walking to vendor tents and convenience barn 41) Garbage shot 42) Panning shot of vendor tents and convenience barn 43) Railing footage of vendors from one way 44) Still shot of someone at a trading post 45) Garbage shot 46) Garbage shot 47) Garbage shot 48) Railing footage of vendors 49) Railing footage 50) Railing footage 51) Shot of “Feet” on a 4 wheeler passing through 52) Techno interview 53) Techno Interview 54) Techno Interview (REVIEW ON SUNDAY) 55) Viccer Interview 56) Viccer Interview 57) Viccer Interview 104-109)Dual Wielding Class 109) Archezedia and Trogdor sparring 110-119)Advanced Sword & Board class 120)Still shot of fireflies 121)Still shot of fireflies 122)Still shot of tents at campground at night 123)Fire going on at a camp 124)Shot at a outdoor pavilion at a camp at night 125)Still shot at night 126)Rotary shot of fire-dancing 127)Shot of camp at night 53

128)Still shot of vendors at night TOTAL FOOTAGE(barring classes): 1:23:58

GoPro Footage Scenario Battle

Summer Slaughter (2015) Go Pro Footage from Scenario Battles

Winter War (2015) 1-12)Ebon Light Trials:Datsun 13-16)Ebon Light Trials 17)Weapons Check 18-21)Gorg Interview 22)Mick Arney Interview 23)B Roll Tracking shot of scenario battle 24)B Roll Wandering Shot of scenario battle 25)B Roll Panning shot of scenario battle 26)B Roll Panning Shot cont. 27)B Roll still shot of people hanging out 28)Short interview footage with fighter 1 29)Short interview with fighter 2 30)Short interview with fighter 3 31)Short interview with fighter 4 32)Orc blocking his face from camera with shield 33) 34)B Roll Bridge Battle shot 35)Syr Concert Footage 36)Syr Concert Footage 37)Still shot zoomed in of Lauren's vendor booth 38)Sculpted bottles at Lauren's vendor booth 39)Shot of necklaces 40)Wasted Shot 41)Other bottles at booth

Misc 1)Interview with Lauren – home residence – 39 minutes total 2)Home footage of weapon building

TOTAL FOOTAGE COLLECTED 54

Approximately 23 hrs

B Roll

Fighting and Tournament Footage from “Crystal Chronicles”, “Winter War”,

“Battle for the Ring”, “Daichi Campout”, “Ragnarok”, “Summer Slaugthter”, and

various Florida day battles.

Edit Log

Mid October 2015- Editing begins. 5 minutes together

Nov 3rd 2015 – Decision to add Narrative was made.

December 2015– Most sections have progressed in editing, Voiceover for a

couple sections were decided on.

January 2016– Decision to add intro with definition in a few sections was

decided. Will be done in Premiere

Early February – Slow progress, still figuring out certain things

February 21 – Heavy Editing is proceeding. Decision to cut the section on

Campout Issues was decided. Went against flow and purpose of the film

February 22nd- Made a lot of reorganization edits. Made the weapon construction section one montage. Also was suggested edit on certain points by a friend to take upon.

February 23 and 24th – Title cards have been made for interview subjects. More footage spliced into Technology and History. As of now that section, Crafting, and Units and Lore stand at 90% completed. Have only a couple more things to really splice in there.

February 24th 7:30 pm – Voice overs have been completely redone now. Started making progress on the Events section.

February 26th 12-3pm – Composed more of the Events section. 60% complete as far as editing and splicing goes. Redid one voiceover to fit better with the context of a minisection.

5Pm -Checked run time of last two sections. Events section can be cut down more, since its at 5 minutes. Total run time is running at 28 minutes currently, so the last two sections can be subjected to cutting down. Had to cut out Techno's interview, since it doesnt make sense to place it there for only one bit. Had I been able to incorporate that into the film, it wouldve made it unnecessarily longer than the run time I wanted, and could fill another entire documentary. 56

10Pm – Cut out Gorg's bit in Personal Growth. Didn't have footage to refer to, and after looking over a few times, didnt fit in with the flow of the section. Splicing together pieces for that part, and Events section. Pulling a all nighter on this one...

February 27th 2am – Nearing completion with Events. Fixed up keyframes in

Units and Lore section. Crafting just needs a shot of a sewing machine working on something, and its done. Technology and History just needs a few more shots on making a weapon. Will be spending one more hour before calling it a night.

One section remains as far as what needs the most work, aside from splicing parts of the opening

3 am – Spent the last hour on Personal Growth. Got quite a bit spliced in.

Section is probably at 70% I want to say. Events is at 80%. Stopping there for the night. Need one more day to complete editing. May cut down events one more notch.

February 28th – Got first rough cut rendered out. Cut a bit of Gorg's segment out of the section about building weapons. There was fluff that didnt need to be there

March 2nd – Started cutting down more fluff, Cut down to 26 minutes.

Revamped beginning to take care of negative space. Cutting will continue through the week down to 23 minutes at the least.

March 4th 6:00 – Cut the film down to 23 minutes. Re-arranged a few bits around for a smoother flow, as well as removing some redundancy. There's still a bit of image overlaying to be done with the rough cut. Going to put off more cutting until I smooth over a few cuts.

March 5th(6th) 12:20 – Film is down to 22 minutes. Smoothed over a few pieces with overlaying video and images. Going to stop there for the night.

Week of March 6th-12th – Graphics for sections and title are being worked on

March 14-16 – Finished graphics to replaced section placeholders. Tightened up a couple sections with some more B-Roll and a couple cuts. Added a timeline graphic in History and Technology. Trying to figure out what final cuts I need to make before picture lock and audio editing happens. Film now sits at around 21 minutes.

March 21st , 9:20 pm– Made more cuts, and started audio editing. Fixed audio in

Viccer's section that was at 15 minutes on the last cut. Removed last part of crafting, and merged with Events section. Cut back Feet's interview even more. 58

Cut a section with Blackhawk. Fixed a edit in Units and Lore with Viccer that didnt seem natural. Blacksmith's audio has been fixed a little to be more audible, without gaining the levels with the hammer pounding. Fixed the framing with Viccer's interview, since the background was tilted odd. Moved around title bits to work better. Fixed some edits that I didn't catch when I last edited. Added a different sequence for the nightlife. Film now sits at around 19 minutes. Only got one more minute to cut.

1:00 am – Film now sits at 17:30 seconds. Followed through with the notes that were left for me. Going through one more time before I make another rendered file, and then calling it a night. Music is starting to get implimented.

March 23-26 – Audio editing is progressing. Did several different edits on Feet's audio. Lauren's audio has been edited now on a master level. Started using placeholder instrumentals from Syr until I recieve the tracks. I changed around the intro to Feet, with sections that were later in the actual interview. I'm unsure how to go about B-Roll when he talks about how his legs were blown off in Iraq.

Film still sits at 17:30 seconds

March 27th – fixed inconsistencies in editing I overlooked. Finished putting the background music in for the film.

April 13th-15 – Film has been tweaked with audio balanced, and first revision of credits are done. Title cards have been made for events, and placed in the film.

Took out Bam’s interview since it was filler that could be cut. Film sits at 16 minutes without credits.

April 17th- More tweaks and cuts have been made. Camera pops in audio have finally been edited out. Title card for myself has been implemented, and credits sequence has been revised and extended.

April 19th – Went through rendered file twice to spot anymore mistakes. Fixed up inconsistencies with interview cards, and tweaked the b-roll in a few sections.

Extended my title card to 5 seconds, and added more footage to identify myself.

Added a break of sorts after Viccer’s section in “Campouts and Events”. Film sits at 16 minutes, 30 seconds with credits. There is barely much more I can cut out of the film at this point however.

April 22nd – Editing on final cut has been completed. Final audio adjustments and cut have been made, and credits have been corrected.

Voice Over Script

INTRO

...It's known by many names: Foam Fighting, Boffer Fighting, or as you may know it by…LARP, or Live Action Roleplay. From there, it is defined by organizations such as Amtgard, Dagorhir, Belegarth, and many others. These organizations have different but similar playstyles and rules to them. Through my career of 4 years playing this sport, I have attended a many phenomenal events held at campgrounds all over; from California, Georgia, South Carolina, and even here in Florida. On my travels, I have interviewed various participants on different facets of this sport; about how it has evolved, how it changes people, and what lies beyond the portrayal of battle re-enactment.

EVENTS:

Campouts in Foam Fighting are the big events fighters from all over attend or, at least, attempt to. They tend to last three to four days, with normally three scenario battles planned and spread ou. These scenarios can take up from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the goals and objectives. Besides the main events, other scheduled activities and services at campouts are tournaments, classes, and vendors; with different wares and services and, of course, the night life

EASTWINDS:

Eastwinds is home to such well known events such as Winter War, and Crystal Chronicles. It's a privately owned site that was built upon by the Cu-Sith(Kushie) unit, and is an ongoing work of Progress, with additions each year.

RAGNAROK One of the largest events in foam fighting is a Dagorhir event called Ragnarok, which has been running for 30 years and going. Located in Pennsylvania, this event gets around a thousand to nearly two thousand people a year; and lasts for an entire week in june. With the highest attendance count in the sport, it's considered the epitome of foam fighting events

V. Miscellaneous

Shooting and Model Releases

Consent to film on premises was given through verbal and electronic means

beforehand. All interview subjects had been approached and consented through

verbal or electronic means before being filmed

Model Releases

Music and Sound Rights/Sources

“Albion”, “Defiance”, “Home”, “In the End”,“Mo Gradh”,“Who are You” by Syr

Celtic Impulse, Asian Drums, Enter the Maze, Folk Round By Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attrition 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Stock Photo and Video Rights/Sources

Photo of Viccer at “Aratari Post-Thanksgiving Day Battle 2013” taken by Jenna M. Miller https://www.facebook.com/jennamillerphoto/timeline?ref=page_internal

Photos of Appolyons taken by Blackhawk Dagorhir

Atlantis Hoplite Ceremony footage taken, and authorized for use by Scott Currington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1K-BSKE9zE

Minotaur image taken from Dreams of Animals http://animal-dream.com/data_images/minotaur/minotaur1.html

“Theseus and the Minotaur” drawn by aka-maelstrom http://aka-maelstrom.deviantart.com/art/THESEUS-AND-THE-MINOTAUR- 147416357

“Magic the Gathering” artwork taken from the official Magic the Gathering website http://magic.wizards.com/

“Dungeons and Dragons” artwork taken from the official website http://dnd.wizards.com/

“In Mordor” artwork by John Howe http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/fantasy/Tolkien/mordor.jpg

“Christian and the Appolyon” located from Wikipedia, from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abaddon

Youkai artwork from unknown source http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2nqa928&s=6#.VvycinqYKpo

Kawanabe Kyosai’s 1887 print “May: Shoki the Demon Queller Riding on a Tiger, Subjugating Goblins,” from the series ‘Of the Twelve Months: The Fifth’ (Junikagetsu no uchi: gogatsu) (all images courtesy the Art Institute of Chicago, Clarence Buckingham Collection) http://hyperallergic.com/158516/goblins-ghosts-and-ghouls-in-japanese-prints/

Warhammer 40k artwork from Warhammer 40k wiki http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_40k_Wiki

Production Stills/Photos

Pacman being interviewed at Winter War 2014

Blackhawk Dagorhir being interviewed at his vendor booth “Badass Garb” at Winter War 2014

Winter War 2014: Dead fighters walking to the respawn point

Winter War 2014: Fighters in their group 68waiting for scenario battle to start

Traveling Group at Chrystal Chronicles heading to the next quest point

Illustration 1: Kinsman Bam and Keliance Eastwind being interviewed about building the campground 69

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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"Belegarth Medieval Combat Society." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. .

"Belegarth Book of War." Belegarth Medieval Combat Society. Web. 05 Apr. 2016. .

Crothers, Brooke. "The Google Glass Epic Fail: What Happened?" Fox News. FOX News Network, 26 June 2015. Web. 5 Apr. 2016. .

"Dagorhir Manual of Arms." Dagorhir. Web. 05 Apr. 2016. .

Flanagan, Mary. Critical Play: Radical Game Design. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2009. Print. "The History of Dagorhir." Dagorhir Battle Games. Dagorhir Battle Games Association, 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. .

"Knighthood." AmtWiki. N.p., 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. .

Martin, James Steven. Epic Glory: Nerd Identity, Manhood Acts, & Dagorhir at a Northeastern College Campus. Thesis. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2013. N.p.: Proquest, n.d. Web.

"The Sabertron Story." Sabertron. LEVELUP INC, 2016. Web. 10 Mar. 2016. .

Stark, Lizzie. Leaving Mundania: Inside the Transformative World of Live Action Role- playing Games. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review, 2012. Print.

Wilkening, T. J. "Atlantis." Loreweaver. Wordpress, 23 Aug. 2015. Web. 3 Mar. 2016. .