Why movie explosions look different to real explosions

[Heedless Horseman]

Actually, having re-watched some clips from 'Gettysburg'... good stuff! Not as 'overdone' as I 'remembered' 

[John Cook]

This is an interesting video which, I think, I've already seen, or one very much like it.  The thing that impressed me was the accuracy of that smoothbore (12pdr?) and the thought of standing in a line under fire from a battery of them.  It must have been horrific.  Even if they missed, dropped short or over-shot, the effect on morale must have been significant the longer a unit had to endure it. 

[steve_holmes_11]

Movies do blood and guts anyway. In long shot it wouldn't be the imagery of a bombardment.

There is a description from a British officer (I think at Waterloo) watching a cannonball get closer, and not ducking so he wouldn't give his men a bad example, and it completely decapitating the file next to him. Cannon balls moved slowly enough you could watch them approach with time to think and react!

It all depends on crossing speed.
From the right position, and with smokeless propellant people have even been able to watch battleship shells.
(Outbound battleship shells).

[Orcs]

It all depends on crossing speed.
From the right position, and with smokeless propellant people have even been able to watch battleship shells.
(Outbound battleship shells).

You can see a variety of projectiles in the right conditions. I have seen both Airgun pellets and .22 rimfire rounds after firing them

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

You can normally see a feild gun shell to the top of it's trajectory. From then on it disappears from sight. And know I don't know why.

[fsn]

It's because at the top of it's trajectory, it has no vertical velocity.

[Last Hussar]

While we are on the Venn diagram of "Tom Scott" and "things Pendrakeners have heard of", here is "citation needed" for Mad Jack Churchill.

Gary (in glasses) is normally a motor mouth; watch him at 3m35ish when his normal exaggeration can't match Mad Jack's actual actions.

Also Chris (beard) getting a point for the incorrect answer to Churchill's escape, because by this point ANYTHING is possible!

[Westmarcher]

 .... meanwhile .... back to Horse & Musket era artillery.   
Did anyone see the "follow-up" YouTube video entitled Artillery Games? I recommend it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPIMqvtocfU

[Heedless Horseman]

I have read accounts of WW1 pilots who could see heavy arty shells 'going past'and realising that 'there' was not the place to be! 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I have read accounts of WW1 pilots who could see heavy arty shells 'going past'and realising that 'there' was not the place to be! 

Seem to remember that more aircraft were lost due to collisiion with heavy shells than in air to air combat.

[Heedless Horseman]

Not sure about that.
But, most WW1 Memoirs were written by 'Scout/Fighter' pilots... who survived to write.
Just thinking about those who went up in BE2's! Slow, unreliable, no maneuverability, no gun... 'loitering' over very hostile environment...when 'spotting' was 'Their Job'. Daily. A silent Salute to them.

[Aksu]

The recent Russian movie of the Decembrist revolution has IMHO fairly good movie representation of solid shot and canister against dense formations. The St Petersburg square shooting starts at 1h40mins https://youtu.be/uRMmG-0rMVE
Cheers,
Aksu

[steve_holmes_11]

You can normally see a feild gun shell to the top of it's trajectory. From then on it disappears from sight. And know I don't know why.

Crossing speed again: On the way up, it is travelling almost directly away.


Past the top, it is tracking faster relative to the shooter's viewpoint.

[Leon]

The thing that strikes me about that ACW artillery video is the sound it makes, almost a whistling, vibrating sound.  Having a whole battery of those aimed your way with that horrendous incoming noise, then seeing them impact around you, must have been terrifying.

[Heedless Horseman]

True. And relatively low MV means time to hear incoming.
But ANY incoming Arty would be Most unpleasant. WW1 'Wizz Bangs', WW2 'Moaning Minies'...
HV AT rounds... 88 or 75... not much time to register before the Clang.

One can only imagine the fear among 'formed' troops having to advance across 'Real' battlefield distances.. not just a few table inches... when under fire.

Having no experience... and thinking 'Table' Distances... seeing Vid of actual battlefields... My God...How did They do it?