Anybody here do Stage Design for matches?

[Diamondback]

Just wondering if anyone here who runs a range ( @Cerberus Group or anyone else who's designed serious training courses a BIG plus) who's done Stage Design might have some advice on something I'm considering, or be up for grabbing the football on my idea and running with it.

I've been thinking about a "Range Day At the Movies" event as something that might be fun for a shooter-community get-together, something where you take iconic shoot scenes from various movies and set up stages based around them. First part is watching the scene, second is trying to shoot it like a SASS or Zootshooting stage, and then a discussion of what the reality would have been and a re-stage based on that. Trying to make things both fun and educational...

Y'all will laugh if I tell you what sparked this... since my gal is a fan of film noir and classic spy movies, if I can find a venue up for it I thought it might be fun for her and HUGE relationship points for me if I could draw up something where she could be a classic femme fatale or Bond Girl for a day. And then I thought, why be exclusively focused on her, the basic concept could easily be expanded to be fun for everyone... SASS stages cover the Western genre and AZSA capers cover the "Gangsters & G-men" period and might be adaptable to noir detective-flicks, but that leaves the spy-movie genre to explore. From Russia With Love's rifle-in-a-briefcase is pretty straightforward, to the point that the Krilencu Hit is actually rather boring. Assemble rifle, line up, one shot, break down, put back in briefcase and walk away, yawn.

Granted, we all know I'm nuts and I've never denied that, but is this just yet another Good Idea Fairy visit or is there something worth exploring down this rabbit hole?

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[Forester]

I like the idea. Re building it to be more realistic may add a lot of time.

 

[Diamondback]

I like the idea. Re building it to be more realistic may add a lot of time.

So maybe just reducing the "The Reality" stage to a discussion afterward would be more practical. Not as fun getting the run-and-gun on, but less time and labor intensive... kinda important if we're going for a few hours of fun rather than a Knob Creek-scale event.

 

[Cerberus Group]

My range is open for it, will just need to fit around the training schedule.

 

[Diamondback]

Steve, in your case I thought maybe a single stage like this would be good for the NWFA summer meetups. Booking the entire range or shoothouse for just two of us would be a little beyond my budget even if I could get down there--at this point I was more floating the concept debating the "SHOULD it be done" question before moving to "CAN it" and "How."

That said, since it sounds like there might be potential here, what would be some good "movie moments" to recreate this way? Jack Ryan stalking the saboteur aboard Red October doesn't sound real fun because as soon as you see another human shape you know that's a target unless you somehow score the missiles as "hit one of these at all you lose"...

 

[P7M13]

What about high speed car chase + shootouts with live ammo around Po'tland traffic cones?
A multidisciplinary endeavor!
@Mikej could keep score using drones!

 

[Diamondback]

What about high speed car chase + shootouts with live ammo around Po'tland traffic cones?
A multidisciplinary endeavor!
@Mikej could keep score using drones!

The entire point would be to keep it safe, sane and consensual... live-fire two-way range is none of those three.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Steve, in your case I thought maybe a single stage like this would be good for the NWFA summer meetups. Booking the entire range or shoothouse for just two of us would be a little beyond my budget even if I could get down there--at this point I was more floating the concept debating the "SHOULD it be done" question before moving to "CAN it" and "How."

That said, since it sounds like there might be potential here, what would be some good "movie moments" to recreate this way? Jack Ryan stalking the saboteur aboard Red October doesn't sound real fun because as soon as you see another human shape you know that's a target unless you somehow score the missiles as "hit one of these at all you lose"...

No booking fees, it's on me...should be a hoot.

I'll ponder some possible scenarios

 

[Diamondback]

Last Man Standing would probably be a SASS Wild Bunch-style event, The Magnificent Seven would be more Classic SASS, The Untouchables could probably be lifted from AZSA--one of their big guys is a cop who I know from a history forum, I should give him a poke for ideas too.

 

[P7M13]

The entire point would be to keep it safe, sane and consensual... live-fire two-way range is none of those three.

Well, not really consensual for the collateral diving for the floor. The rest would be good, wholesome fun.















<1st and 2nd posts are for levity>

I've done role playing. It can be a gas, as well as the subsequent improv.

 

[American123]

The data aspect of things seems super strait forward regardless of how unrealistic movie shooting scenes can be. This is already done by people on youtube. One example specifically I'm talking about is Larry Vickers performing the scene in Collateral where the hit-man played by Tom Cruise performs some controlled pairs on and a single headshot on two thugs who pulled a gun on him. That one was at least doable.

In contrast, John Wick 2, Reeves and Fox exchanging gunfire in a crowded walkway using silencers that make their gunfire so quiet it does not alert anyone around them as they have a walking gunfight for 50 yards at a distance of about 30 yards.

I could see costumes and role playing being a bonus, or maybe even the main attraction and shooting being the bonus for some people.

 

[41mag]

I helped build big annual theme SASS/OOWSS stages for years. Some of the sets were pretty elaborate, using props simulating familiar Western movie scenes. Sometimes even included a short pithy movie line to initiate the action. Part of the fun for a group that already has certain B Western clothing model in regular match duds.
Largest event for me was a 250+ participants in State match about 15 years ago. There's a LOT of cooperative effort & work that goes into such an event. Scheduling a 12-stage 3 day themed event requires a host of volunteers along with a circus tent & catering, a campground, the supporting club grounds, etc etc.

 

[Longwalkhome]

I was an assistant for many years setting up a match at the ARPC. The main guy always had fresh ideas and because we had plenty of variety in targets folks were happy with the matches.

One match I was proud of was my idea of doing the Sgt York stage. 7 targets in a V shape that you had to shoot the last ones first just like York did. It works best with steel pepper poppers as reactive targets shows it falling.

 

[RicInOR]

Do a DuckDuckGo search for IDPA, "Wild Bunch" and IPSC stages.
Many scenario based ones out there to steal, er, use.

Movies, TV shows, real life etc.


Props are key. They have to work the same for each shooter.

So, maybe attend an IDPA match, or 3?

idpa stages at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

"Wild Bunch" stages at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[Stomper]

The entire point would be to keep it safe, sane and consensual... live-fire two-way range is none of those three.

So…. what you're REALLY saying is that you want a bunch of us to "consensually" kick each other in the balls, Krav-maga body slam one another, inflict Vulcan nerve pinches, compile fake Russian collusion dossiers, and cap rounds at each other, then have Steve sweep up all the inevitable mess afterwards…. so you can get nookie points with your GF.



Talk about recruiting wingmen!

 

[Diamondback]

No, not going that far... by the time I posted it, the idea was trying to use SASS/AZSA/IDPA stage techniques to try to take a little more in-depth look at the big screen. Have some fun on the range trying to walk in favorite characters' shoes, any Getting Lucky afterward is just a really nice bonus. Two-Way Range is more for Airsoft, Simunitions or paintball. Maybe we all walk away a little sore--and in my case a LOT sore with my round-IS-a-shape lardbody--but no more holes than we came in with.

Besides, the same principles could be useful for LE discussing historical gunfights, like stepping into Ed Mireles's shoes at the Miami Massacre.