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Post by dhall on Mar 1, 2021 19:33:49 GMT
We're in a bit of a rebuilding stage with our videos at BUDK but the honest opinions here are invaluable. This is the 7cr17 version of the new Honshu Gladiator Sword, we have a D2 and a VG-10 version coming soon. But I wanted to get your ideas on how to do the cutting parts better. Take into consideration that we are reaching both sword folks, and mall ninjas with these, so you have to take the music and narration with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, I thought you guys could help with suggestions on things to cut so these videos don't get boring.
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Mar 1, 2021 20:51:49 GMT
You're essentially walking a trail blazed by Cold Steel when you produce sword testing videos cutting various types of targets. Doesn't mean you're ripping them off, but they did do it first and better, so there will be comparisons. I'd love to see every sword company do testing videos, and I love that you're here asking for ideas.
I personally love to see cutting that involves footwork, cutting from more than just Angle 1, and multiple targets. Having a martial artist showcase your sword shows that it can be handled fluently in all the ways a sword should cut.
Cold Steel brought in guys like Richard Lee, who are experienced with kali/escrima or other sword arts, explicitly to act as video demonstrators and consultants. Windlass brought in John Clements specifically to design and then do video demos with the Battlecry series of blades.
Employees can still do demos but consider finding a local blade arts guy to consult and coach for a fee. Expertise has a price. You can become experts or pay an expert.
If you're cutting an aluminum can, you better slice that sucker cleanly in half, because I know it's an easy cut. That goes for bottles too. Do a hundred takes if you need to but only showcase good cuts.
Meat is the best. It's expensive and some people object.
Ballistic torsos or heads are expensive but impressive.
Green coconuts are good. They should be cleanly cut.
The water buoys or whatever with the colored water in them were cool.
Tatami is good because it's measurable and can be used to compare sword performances.
Flying fruit is best used with some footwork and rising cuts to look more professional.
Targets on a chest-high stand, not a waist-high table.
A dimensional 2x4 chop is a pretty standard durability test.
Ice block chop.
Plywood can be used to demonstrate thrust durability or chop depth.
If you're brave, stick it in a vise and bend it on camera.
Do not try to hide swords getting damaged with quick edits. Someone will notice and your credibility will tank. It may happen - just discard, accept the limitation and do a different test. Consider it feedback to improve production.
Basically, if you're gonna do it, make it a whole big thing with a budget. I personally think it's a pretty critical part of marketing in this day and age.
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AJGBlack
Member
"This world will stress you like Orson Wells on the radio." -RTJ
Posts: 375
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Post by AJGBlack on Mar 1, 2021 22:21:51 GMT
I'm digging the esthetics of the Honshu line. Personal 2 cents: I've noted a lot of hollow ground blades. While there are places where a hollow grind gives an advantage in cutting they always scream, "cut corners" to me. Throwing a hollow grind on a blade is generally easier than a flat or convex edge. The hollow grind is also possibly one of the factors as to why that can cut didn’t go all the way through. If not for the hollow grind I would likely have added a couple of these to my wish list.
But Hey, if you've got no complaints from anyone else, don't change it. If it's working it's working!
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Mar 1, 2021 23:31:07 GMT
I'm digging the esthetics of the Honshu line. Personal 2 cents: I've noted a lot of hollow ground blades. While there are places where a hollow grind gives an advantage in cutting they always scream, "cut corners" to me. Throwing a hollow grind on a blade is generally easier than a flat or convex edge. The hollow grind is also possibly one of the factors as to why that can cut didn’t go all the way through. If not for the hollow grind I would likely have added a couple of these to my wish list. But Hey, if you've got no complaints from anyone else, don't change it. If it's working it's working! There are hollow grinds but I just wanted to highlight the Grosse Messer model is NOT one of the hollow ground examples.
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AJGBlack
Member
"This world will stress you like Orson Wells on the radio." -RTJ
Posts: 375
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Post by AJGBlack on Mar 2, 2021 0:06:13 GMT
I'm digging the esthetics of the Honshu line. Personal 2 cents: I've noted a lot of hollow ground blades. While there are places where a hollow grind gives an advantage in cutting they always scream, "cut corners" to me. Throwing a hollow grind on a blade is generally easier than a flat or convex edge. The hollow grind is also possibly one of the factors as to why that can cut didn’t go all the way through. If not for the hollow grind I would likely have added a couple of these to my wish list. But Hey, if you've got no complaints from anyone else, don't change it. If it's working it's working! There are hollow grinds but I just wanted to highlight the Grosse Messer model is NOT one of the hollow ground examples. Totally. I was more talking about this model as well as the Spartan, tanto, and Seax models.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2021 0:10:44 GMT
I love the aesthetic. Reminds me of my M48 Highlander Dirk. I been meaning to get a few others from these sort of lines, a sword would be nice
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Mar 4, 2021 21:21:19 GMT
One more thought - your videography is great. You obviously have a good camera, someone who knows how to use it and someone who knows how to edit.
You'd never post a video that looks like it was shot with a vertical shaky potato phone.
But the can cut? That's the sword handling equivalent of potato phone video. Not to knock the employee in the video. A couple HEMA or kali sessions and he could make it look great. But it takes a little more practice and planning to make good cuts just like it takes more to make good video footage.
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Post by JH Lee on Mar 4, 2021 22:28:52 GMT
A bit of seriousness in the narration and more thoughtful choice of music would help improve things a lot... not to mention some actual specs and details.
I find this style of advertising annoying and extremely patronizing. To me, it just says, "Hey! We think you're stupid and easily impressed! It's got electrolytes!"
It's almost as though you've decided to go after the uncritical impulse-buy market exclusively. I actually like the look of the sword, but this video tells me nothing about why I should actually buy this over any other sword out there. After all, my kitchen knife can cut all of the "targets" in this video as well. What exactly sets this apart?
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Mar 5, 2021 1:47:43 GMT
On that note, stats we care about are missing from the item descriptions on your retail sites. Look at the Kult of Athena stats. Do the same ones. Those who don't care won't care that you added them. Those who care will be more likely to buy.
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Greg
Senior Forumite
Posts: 1,800
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Post by Greg on Mar 5, 2021 18:39:24 GMT
Adventurer'sBlade pretty much nailed every point I was going to make. Cut out the table height cutting, unless you were going to do a vertical chop into the soda can as part of an edge durability test. Keep your shots primarily on the blade and less on the cutter. For instance, if you wanted to do a fruit catch, place the camera to the side and get a profile of just the blade with the fruit landing on it.
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Post by JH Lee on Mar 5, 2021 20:20:23 GMT
What exactly is the point of a sword video that shows fruit cutting? Is fruit supposed to be a tough or challenging target that tests the durability or sharpness of a sword edge?
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Post by Adventurer'sBlade on Mar 5, 2021 20:29:49 GMT
What exactly is the point of a sword video that shows fruit cutting? Is fruit supposed to be a tough or challenging target that tests the durability or sharpness of a sword edge? Durability and sharpness aren't the only things worth showcasing. First and foremost, people want to see it in "real life", not just a picture. You get to see it in relation to a person and from multiple angles from fruit cutting. You get to see what it looks like when a person moves it from cut to cut. Does it look agile? You get that from fruit. It's not to test the blade. That's why cutting multiple kinds of things is useful. Some are just to showcase the blade. Some test the durability or sharpness.
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pgandy
Moderator
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Post by pgandy on Mar 5, 2021 22:26:36 GMT
Adventurer’sBlade hit it pretty much on the head all the way through but others have good points also. Your video focal point too much on the user when more should be shown about the sword such as agility, ease of handling, rigidness. You said that although you wanted to appeal to mall ninga customers you wanted to include sword people also so show worthy targets for durability and power. And OMG, get rid of the failed aluminium can cut. Aluminium cans are about the easiest to cut and a sword that won’t do that...? Gallon milk containers are soft targets but better than drink cans. However when your demo man uses both hands and makes it look like it’s a chore is not the best selling point.
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Post by treeslicer on Mar 6, 2021 0:18:22 GMT
...........Take into consideration that we are reaching both sword folks, and mall ninjas with these, so you have to take the music and narration with a grain of salt.....................
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Post by dhall on Mar 12, 2021 1:17:19 GMT
Thanks guys. Your comments line up with mine almost exactly. I'll pass this along as we try to get better
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Post by joeydac on Apr 11, 2021 19:47:46 GMT
Thanks guys. Your comments line up with mine almost exactly. I'll pass this along as we try to get better just bought your broadsword and love what your doing with the lineup. Is there anyway we can see come future prototypes or models coming to market early. Might be beneficial to your guys getting feedback from the members. Also the historical line is great can’t wait to see what’s made. Also if the lord of the rings line was made fully functional and balanced with quality steel even if the design is changed slightly would be great addition to your line. There is so many movie swords out there that where never produced or done correctly would be a great market to look into. Like the clash of the titans sword,dragon slayer Disney movie spear and kings sword. The swords from legend, king Arthur’s movie sword the one set in the Roman time period. That’s just a start some food for thought.
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Post by dhall on Apr 12, 2021 14:25:30 GMT
Thanks guys. Your comments line up with mine almost exactly. I'll pass this along as we try to get better just bought your broadsword and love what your doing with the lineup. Is there anyway we can see come future prototypes or models coming to market early. Might be beneficial to your guys getting feedback from the members. Also the historical line is great can’t wait to see what’s made. Also if the lord of the rings line was made fully functional and balanced with quality steel even if the design is changed slightly would be great addition to your line. There is so many movie swords out there that where never produced or done correctly would be a great market to look into. Like the clash of the titans sword,dragon slayer Disney movie spear and kings sword. The swords from legend, king Arthur’s movie sword the one set in the Roman time period. That’s just a start some food for thought. I do frequently post some teasers here and I've began seeking suggestions from you guys. We'd love to do some functional LOTR stuff, but the problem is that most of the tooling exists for non-functional swords, so all of the parts would have to be retooled and the market just isn't large enough to invest in tooling for only functional swords. As far as other movies that haven't had replicas made, the licensing for movies is tricky and historically disney hasn't been a fan of anything with a blade on it to be made as a replica.
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