Here is a little bit shortened version of the original blog post. Nothing of importance is removed and the original blog post is still there if you want to read it.
Mistakes:
1. Katniss is supposed to be extremely skilled with a bow, but still in this photo she doesn’t really know what she’s doing. The first mistake which causes other errors, is that she has nocked the arrow too high on the string. The arrow should be as close to the center point of the bow string as possible. It cannot be in the exact center, since the hand holding the bow forces the arrow travel above it, so it’s half a fist away from the center. But that’s not much. In this picture the arrow is way too high, which makes the whole bow tilt backwards, as you can clearly see. The red arrow number 1 shows where would be the correct nocking point on the string for arrows.
2. The red arrow number 2 shows where the shaft of the arrow should lie while the bow is being drawn. Something has just happened here, and it’s bad. The arrow has fallen from atop the bow hand and now the archer has no control over where the arrow will fly. She has even tried to guide the arrow with her index finger, which is a beginners technique, but it failed apparently. Maybe it’s because the bow is so backwards tilted that she has difficulties trying to keep it straight with her bow hand.
3. The arrows are made for men with longer arms, and not particularly measured for the actress in question. The red arrow number 3 shows where the arrow could end for her. The longer arrow allows bigger draw, but that requires more length to the arms of the archer.
4. What is this fletching? It’s quite damaged. Maybe these arrows have been used many times for shooting in thick bushes or something similar which would damage the feathers.
5. Back quiver is especially bad for hunting in thick woods, since if you try to be quiet and unobtrusive, drawing the arrows from a back quiver has a high probability to bump with tree branches and other forestly matter, thus creating sound which would alert animals, and humans too, if you’re hunting with your own species like in this example perhaps. A hip quiver would be more practical, as always.
In the second picture I’ve drawn the proper alignment of the longbow and it’s arrow nocked in the correct point on the string.
This was the comment I got:
Pixa Pirata: "You are incorrect, and should stop talking out your backside. If she were to shoot your way, the arrow would immediately go up at a 20-30 degree angle give or take a few degrees upon release. With the tips of the bow straight up and down, the arrow needs to nock level with the rest, which typically puts the arrow well above the center point. Long arrows are fine, and the fletching is feathers, which is typical for someone who made their own bow and arrows as her character did in the movie. Back quivers are for people that move around, not like people who stand still and shoot a target indoors, like you pretend to do. You are just utterly wrong on every point here."
Now I do appreciate all feedback, but when it is misguided and hostile, I don't appreciate it as much as when it is benign and constructive criticism. Let's deconstruct this comment in order to get the points from there.
"If she were to shoot your way, the arrow would immediately go up at a 20-30 degree angle give or take a few degrees upon release."
I disagree and I'll show you why in a moment.
"With the tips of the bow straight up and down, the arrow needs to nock level with the rest, which typically puts the arrow well above the center point."
I know this and I acknowledged it in the blog post. I said: "It [the arrow] cannot be in the exact center [of the string], since the hand holding the bow forces the arrow travel above it, so it’s half a fist away from the center." Maybe this was badly worded, since English is not my native language, but I think I made it clear that the arrow will be nocked above the center of the string. Not by much though. Katniss have nocked it way too much above the center here. Now I will demonstrate.
There's one red line marking the centre of the rectangle (and bow inside it). I never claimed the arrow should be at the exact center of the bow and string, since that is not the case. Archer's hand will hold the bow from the center, so the arrow has to go above the bow hand. That's why it's also nocked above the center point of the bowstring. I estimated the proper point for nocking to be 46% of the length of the string from the upper nock of the bow. That leaves 54% of the string under the arrow. This is about the point I showed in the original blog post too.
Now Jennifer Lawrence has nocked her arrow at approximately 38% of the length of the string from the upper nock of the bow, leaving 62% of the string under the bow. This is way too much, and by looking at the picture I would estimate the arrow should be about ten centimeters lower on the string. Nocking the arrow too high causes serious problems with shooting. If Katniss is supposed to be an expert archer, this is a very poor image to illustrate that. She looks like a total newbie. I wonder why on Earth did they choose that failed picture as a promotional still for the film?
Let's continue to other pieces of criticism.
"Long arrows are fine"
Long arrows are used in some native cultures for hunting fish for example. There is no added benefit for this long arrows in a scenario Katniss is put in. While she obviously can use these very long arrows, shorter ones would be easier to use for her, and this just makes it look these arrows were made for somebody with much longer arms. Those long arrows would be extremely difficult tu pull out of a back quiver too. In order for that to succeed the arrows cannot be much longer than the outstreched arm of the archer.
"and the fletching is feathers, which is typical for someone who made their own bow and arrows as her character did in the movie."
I didn't say that feather fletching wouldn't be fine. I said that these feathers look very worn out. Maybe she uses arrows that have been shot many times already? Maybe there's an explanation for this in the movie, but probably they've just been used for practise of the actress.
Look at that fletching, it is in terrible shape compared to a new one.
"Back quivers are for people that move around, not like people who stand still and shoot a target indoors, like you pretend to do."
Historically there's very little evidence for the use of back quivers at all. There is no grounds for a statement that a back quiver would be for people who move around. I think hip quivers are exceptionally better for moving around than back quivers, for several reasons. Most peoples in history have used hip quivers, both on foot and on horseback, and most archery used in actual warfare was pretty mobile. Not at all like the stationary sports archery of today (where they do use back quivers). And I didn't pretend to do anything. I mostly shoot outdoors anyway.
"You are incorrect, and should stop talking out your backside. [...] You are just utterly wrong on every point here."
As I just demonstrated, I was actually right on every point I made. You also didn't comment on mistake no. 2, since you knew I were right on that one too. It was about the arrow falling off from the top of her hand. Here:
Pretty terrible. Beginners mistakes.
I think that's all for this time. Thank you all for commenting. I do this for you. ;)
Yo how tf English isn't your native language, you're really fluent in it
ReplyDeleteYo-MAN, ThnAx aloO0t! my naïtve lnagavge iz Fininsh!!!1!
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