I had a whole bunch of posts detailing where he was wrong and trying to give corrections but he doesn't take criticism well. I said the same thing about his 'research' as well.
Photos & Videos Ancient Olympics re-creation / nude athletes, etc
- Thread starter blakeyelavich
- Start date
Hey now let's keep a friendly atmosphere. Maybe he will consider what you wrote. You'll know when the final product is out. I'll say as someone who works in a creative field, taking criticism in public isn't the easiest thing in the world. Doesn't mean that the criticism isn't heard though.
I believe that he has done his research. I think it would be helpful to have an expert in the field because the problem nowadays is that there's so much information that it's becoming harder and harder for someone who isn't an expert to distinguish between good and bad sources - especially in a niche field like this one. The good thing is that as he's living in Greece, finding actual experts won't be difficult. And those are the people that he should really listen to, not me and you who are commenting in a weird forum.
I believe that he has done his research. I think it would be helpful to have an expert in the field because the problem nowadays is that there's so much information that it's becoming harder and harder for someone who isn't an expert to distinguish between good and bad sources - especially in a niche field like this one. The good thing is that as he's living in Greece, finding actual experts won't be difficult. And those are the people that he should really listen to, not me and you who are commenting in a weird forum.
Just need to take off the loin cloths…
Dancing naked with an erection also part of the movie? hope so…
![IMG_4032.jpeg]( "IMG_4032.jpeg")
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2023
- Posts
- 58
- Media
- 176
- Likes
- 621
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Athens, Greece
- Sexuality
- No Response
- Gender
- Male
There are two films (the second being a trilogy of shorter sub-films) all which shared the much of the same recreation portions, both featured heavily on the History Channel and subsequently by PBS.
- "Ancient Olympics: Let the Games Begin": Directed by Jane Armstrong, this 52-minute documentary transports viewers to 448 BC, showcasing the original Olympic Games, including events like chariot racing, running, jumping, discus, javelin, boxing, and pankration.
- "The First Olympics – Blood, Honor, and Glory": Produced by The History Channel, this compilation includes three documentaries: "The First Olympics," "Blood and Honour at The First Olympics," and "The Greek Gods." It delves into the origins of the Olympics in ancient Greece, highlighting events such as boxing, wrestling, chariot racing, and pankration.
Hey, cool idea for a project! I think a lot of people would be interested in this. I can see it on a LOT of Palm Springs coffee tables, lol!This has NOT been broadly announced because I am getting all the details in line before the unveiling of my concept and idea, but I would love the LPSG members help. I am the creator of the well-known "Men Of Utah" series, (you can find that website easily) but now I live in Athens, Greece. I have found that except for PBS in the early 1990s, no one (NO ONE !?!) has done a photographic re-creation of the first Olympics in 776 BC... so I am taking this on as my next project. Even PBS, of course, shy-ed away from any nudity - they're PBS. I am not going to do that. I'm using twelve athletes, authentically naked, training, preparing and competing in the first six primary events (foot race, javelin, discus, long jump, wrestling and the very bloody pankration - the precursor to today's MMA fighting.) I'll include a few pre-production images I created to begin collecting believers in this book, but I also compiled a video that needs to "knock them off their feet" (on Kickstarter) bringing the authentic past to now.
Can you guys watch the following video and, just as blind observers, tell me what you think? Do you GET the idea of what I am trying to create? Is it engaging? Is it too long/short, etc? Does it suggest all of the possible sections of the original Olympic games that will be covered in a 180 page glossy coffee-table book? I want it to be "rich" but with dicks... LOL. I am trying to appease both crowds - academics and "admirers of the naked male form"...
And we all know how nit-picky both groups can be.
The link for the unreleased video is: https://www.menofolympus.com
And attached are a few pre-pre-production shots, as a bribe. LOL. These were taken in studio - the re-creation will of course be outdoors for the most part... but it's January.
And there may be some glitches still in the website... Everything is in the air right now and has not yet settled or been fine-tuned. (I have five models in the next seven days doing test shoots, if that tells you anything. I am no where near creation... We have only just begun...) I promise to share glimpses as we go along! (I'm tempted to tell you what others said of my other Kickstarter videos, but I do not want to put pre-conceived "look-out-for's" in your heads.)
Thank you in advance.
- Blake
View attachment 159798451View attachment 159798491View attachment 159798721View attachment 159799061View attachment 159799111
And great job on the work you've done so far. It's obvious that putting this all together would take time, and it's clear that your heart's in this project. I'm also super impressed that you put what you have so far out there and are soliciting feedback. That's not easy to do, and it shows real confidence and wisdom. So bravo on all that, seriously.
I don't have anything to contribute concerning the historical accuracy that some have been speaking to. And based on other examples of your photography, you clearly have that covered! GREAT work man. Hot! The only thing that is sticking out to me is the video. While I appreciate that you were able to source some more or less on-topic footage, I don't think that using it in this way will be helpful in completing a Kickstarter.
I think that the video should give the viewer a sense of what the end product will look like, visually, so that they can tell if they're going to want pay to have it in their home, and I don't think your video does that. Right now, and I mean this in the kindest most supportive way possible, it FEELs really long and uninteresting, despite the hot naked-ish guys all over the place. The footage, while checking the subject matter box, doesn't look particularly high-quality or artistic, which is what I imagine you're going for with the book, correct? I completely understand the chicken-and-egg problem that you're going through in that you're using the Kickstarter to raise funds for production, so can't really do any shoots to make the Kickstarter video. The good news is that it's a solvable problem!
I think you should refocus the video by including a VoiceOver narration for the body of the video, and if possible putting yourself on camera talking to the viewer, even if only at the top of the video. If we're plunking down money, we want to get a sense of who you are. If you don't feel comfortable using your own voice, or being on camera, it's not the end of the world. There's pretty great sounding AI voices these days that are pretty cheap. (Elevenlabs . io is a great one.) I think you need to tell the viewer who you are, and what you've done in the past. You should describe this project, what your inspiration was, which other artists/books you admire, what you want to accomplish with this one, why it's a good idea, why people will want to be a part of it, and what they'll get once you finish, if they support you. You should talk to them about what an amazing journey it will be, and that they can be a part of it with you. You should absolutely offer incentives to people who join the Kickstarter. Here's some quick ideas off the top of my head, but I'm sure you can come up with a ton more: BTS photos of the shoot days emailed to them as they're happening (this could be super sexy and also interesting), a quick FaceTime with you and the models, the supporters names printed in the book, a set of matching postcards from the shoots, etc. etc. etc.
The nice thing about doing it that way, you can use a ton of stuff OTHER than that footage as your visuals. When you're talking about your other work, SHOW your other work! That would give the viewer a way better sense of what the quality of the book will be. Maybe show shots of your studio, the gear you'll be using, the locations, all the crazy stuff that goes into making this happen. When you're talking about what the book will look like, you can totally reference and show other books that you admire. When you're talking about the historical accuracy, you can show the footage you're using now (WAY less of it) but you should also feel free to show sculptures, art... whatever gets the point across. The main thing is that you bring the viewer on a journey and get them pumped about being a part of it. I really think less-is-more with that dated footage. You want to project classy, modern (modern production, not subject matter, obviously, lol), professional, artistic, and sexy.
I know that was a lot! But I think the project can be really great, and I really hope you're able to have a successful Kickstarter. Don't let it fizzle with a bad video that doesn't sell your idea. Good luck!
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2023
- Posts
- 58
- Media
- 176
- Likes
- 621
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Athens, Greece
- Sexuality
- No Response
- Gender
- Male
Thank you very much! We - me and my little group of advisors - keep going round-and-round... the similar photographers in my league are all dick-shot photographers so they 100% simply use text and slow pans across previous pages of their work ending with the dick shot or a blurred version of the dick shot. Each of them is almost entirely 100% successful within hours. These photographers you all know. Their photos are all over these pages and the through-topic is vague at best, if it even exists.
Similarly - well not even similarly - the "straight" market on Kickstarter (featuring women photographed by men) barely try, offering up maybe one or two shots of each nameless woman, and not much more. Literally just a montage of six or eight naked women over a few minutes. Done. The are almost always fully funded.
I am not trying to be offensive but I do not know the correct word, but let's say "lesbian or female photographers" that are producing books of "emotive?" nudes which are not really nudes but more romance cover-esque books which tell a short story or short stories / series do similar. They are funded about 33-50% of the time.
Historical interest books, and other re-enactment books , take the narrative documentary (?) approach with a narrator or creator breaking in to the videos, making use of some pans of historical photographs or paintings - and are nearly always never funded.
My project is intended to be a mix of all of these. I have no aversion to being on camera (I was Caesar, the mascot for Caesar's Palace International for eight years doing all of their events, conventions, parades, even the World Poker Tours annually, regular events on Good Morning America to the annual lighting of fireworks on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve.) As a photographer, I have instead chosen to promote my models - I am one of the few male model photographers who actually associates a name with my models, and always have. That is what made the Men Of Utah series a success. My followers "knew" these guys each year - and them being "rancher cowboys in the vast lands of Utah" continued that fantasy.
I agree with you assessment, and thank you for it. As you can see from what I have written, I am struggling with creating a workable hybrid. It's not intended to be a "dick" book, it's not intended to be on educational shelves, it is merely my through line... much like the slice of life book of the rugby players "“Locker Room Nudes Dievx Dv State The Rugby Players Stade” which was popular 15 years ago... before the match, during the match, after the match. Yes, there will be dick but the dick is attached to an athlete who is actively participating in SOME action. One of the biggest complaints from my female followers (Which surprisingly is about 40%) is that ALL male models are just STANDING there - and the females and select fantasy-minded males want to see them DOING, not just being male specimens attached to a photoshopped and enhanced unrealistic dick - which are all over these pages.
I do thank you for your insight and suggested guidance. The video was produced in the winter with limited footage available and no possibility to create new footage. A portion of what is currently up would be replaced with my models behind the scenes trying to re-create their athleticism in the same competitions. I'm not certain (still) that I would need to be a part of the video except for my possible interaction with the guys while shooting from a b-roll video shooter...
I will reconsider much of what you said though! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks for your reply, and for the info on the relevant Kickstarter completion rates of comparable projects. That's super interesting, and sounds completely right to me. I imagine it's always hard to resist adjusting your original vision when you see fully funded projects that are going in a different direction, but I commend you for sticking with your concept. It's what sets it apart, and can make it really interesting. I think you're right to avoid the historical interest / narrative doc angle, especially for marketing assets. You should definitely lean into your relationship with models and how you've always spotlighted them in your career. Getting a deeper insight into the gorgeous guys and who they are is sexy, and BTS content is always super popular and engaging.
Cheers! I'll add my name to the Wait List page.
Similar threads
