SwiftVets.com

[Beldar]

This is a reprint of a suggestion to the SwiftVets I've just posted on my blog, and that I'm hoping will make its way through the proper channels to the folks who are plotting strategies and tactics and deciding where to spend the money. As always, I welcome feedback and suggestions from the readers of these forums.

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SwiftVets need computer animations to help sell their case


I wish the SwiftVets would invest, bigtime and right away, in the services of a first-rate computer animation firm.

So far I've seen one semi-decent (and still badly flawed) attempt by anyone to present in visual form the competing versions of events on 13Mar69 regarding Kerry's Bronze Star and the Rassmann rescue — that being WaPo's artist's drawing that accompanied Michael Dobbs' August 22 article.

But so, so much more could be done. Imagine the best graphics and animations you've seen on, say, the History Channel as they've illustrated the progress of some great battle or the sinking of the Titanic and you'll get a sense of what I'm talking about: maps, moving arrows, timelines, scale models.

With respect to those same events from 13Mar69 on the Bay Hap River, for example, a good computer animation firm could create multiple animated clips to show what was where, and when, under the various witnesses' versions of events. One of the flaws in the WaPo drawing, for example, was the trench-looking line that marked where the artist had omitted an unspecified portion of the distance that Kerry's PCF 94 travelled from the fishing weir. I don't fault the artist for that — he had to do something like that to make everything fit onto the page. But it completely distorts the time-and-distance aspect of Kerry's version of events.

An animated graphic — yes, a cartoon — could zoom in and out, and could run a set of stop-watch numbers in the corner to demonstrate the time passage. A cartoon could show how far Kerry's 1500 meters of fire actually would have actually taken him from the weir, for instance, and how much time it would have taken PCF 94 to travel that distance and back. To be watchable, the cartoon would probably need to run a while in fast-forward, but that could still be done in ways that made it clear to the viewer how much time it would have taken for Kerry's version to be true. The better one appreciates that times and distances, the more improbable it becomes that enemy fire could have been incoming without any boats or crew being hit by it.

An alternate version of the same cartoon could then show folks the events as described by Thurlow.

Understanding the SwiftVets' precise arguments requires one to visualize the scene and assess the relative probability and improbability of the competing accounts. The more clearly the competing accounts can be visualized, the more confident the viewer becomes in his assessment as to which is more probable.

Similarly, animated cartoons using detailed maps could zoom in and out to show where the rivers and canals ran with respect to the Cambodian border, and therefore just how improbable/impossible it is that Kerry ever crossed into Cambodia to insert SEALs/CIA guys.

Constructing these kinds of computer-generated cartoons wouldn't be cheap — we're talking five or maybe low six-figure expenditures, I'm guessing. Lawyers already use these sorts of things in trials now, but only in the big cases where the stakes justify the expense; and there's always a fight over admissibility, which usually comes down to how well the cartoons can be defended as being "fair." Obviously, the SwiftVets would want to be as scrupulously fair as they could, just for reasons of credibility; but there's no judge in this dispute to bang his gavel and say, "Objection sustained! The jury shall not view that cartoon!"

Even with skilled artists to help conceive and create them, the results would probably be too long to run in 30 second TV ads. But this sort of stuff would be tailor-made for distribution through alternative media — and in particular, through the internet and through cable TV.

I'm sure John O'Neill knows from his courtroom experience that talking heads and historical documents induce MEGO — mine eyes glazeth over — which means your audience, be it jurors or voters, zone out quickly if that's all you've got. Plus they're ineffective in creating the mental images that need to be understood here. When you've got a tough case to sell simply because it's outside ordinary people's daily experiences and therefore hard for them to conceptualize and visualize, MEGO is your worst enemy.

I think computer generated graphics would be a good investment. It's time to get creative.

[Wing Wiper]

Beldar: I agree 100% with you, it would be the best bang-for-the-buck route to follow right now. TV = visual media, give them a free "movie" of the event and they'll fall over backwards to put it on the air -free. They love that kind of stuff. It's the OJ Simpson trial all over again, remember those animations of OJ doing the killing? I saw it replayed last week.

[BenDeR]

I agree with you Beldar. I have begun work on a PowerPoint presentation about the 13MAR69 incident. It will not have the impact of full blown animation, but it does dovetail with your idea. If you have any suggestions please let me know.
_________________
USMC res 3rd ANGLICO
1986 - 1988

"Retreat hell! We just got here!"
Capt. Lloyd Williams, USMC

[sevry]

[Wing Wiper]

[.::geo::.]

Most of this could be done with Flash. If anyone has the patience to work with this, http://www.swishzone.com/ should have just about everything you'd need. There's a bunch of flash programs out there, this is the first one that I thought if though.

Good luck ya'll!

e,

Georgi

[sevry]

[.::geo::.]

Right on, just making a suggestion. Good luck!

e,

Georgi

[RickInDallas]

I can easily convert a Powerpoint presentation into Flash, so if you like you can send it over to me and I'll be glad to send back as a Flash and even post it on my server.

Lemme know! Will be interesting to see what you've come up with..

[debewley]

I agree totally. But this is something that needs to be done exceptionally well. It would necessarily be subject to intense scruutiny and even the smallest mistake or misrepresentation would be played up by the MSM and used as a basis for discrediting the whole thing.

Do it well; present it; and beg anyone who can dispute the presentatiobn to come forward.
_________________
Served with US Army in Americal Division 2/69 to 9/70.

[BenDeR]

I have always intended to have my presentation reviewed here. I would imagine that there would be MUCH reworking and adding. I only care that it would be as accurate as possble.

If the final product can be converted to Flash that would be great. The benefit of working in PowerPoint first is that it is viewable in it's raw form by many more people for review purposes.

Right now my presentation is in outline form with the most basic graphics. I am still putting together the 'details'. If anyone could point me to a few specific post that delve into the minutia I would appreciate it.
_________________
USMC res 3rd ANGLICO
1986 - 1988

"Retreat hell! We just got here!"
Capt. Lloyd Williams, USMC

[LimaZulu]

What a coincidence. Does anyone have a way to contact the SwiftVets directly (email has not worked for me as of yet) to line them up with an animation/VFX studio? I happen to know a place they can get this work done pro bono. And yes, I do realize this would be a contribution in the 5 digit range.

LZ

[Wing Wiper]

[Wing Wiper]

LimaZulu: Great! Can you keep in mind what I said about allowing the objects to be modified "on-the-fly" when you contact them? It's a much better tool, if this can be done.

[ASPB]