1612: Khroniki smutnogo vremeni

1612: CHRONIKI SMUTNOGO VREMENI, directed by Vladimir Khotinenko , is a major Russian language patriotic action movie featuring large-scale battle scenes, sword-fighting in period costume, stunt horse-riding and a castle siege. My role was sound effects editor with particular responsibility for the centrally important battle scenes. This involved the recording and editing of the sounds for the cavalry and the weapons of opposing sides so that they could be distinguished aurally while maintaining an overall sense of historical accuracy. The film was released on November 1, 2007 to coincide with the Russian Federation's celebration of new National Unity Day on November 4. This celebration was introduced in 2006 to mark the expulsion of Polish and other foreign supported troops from Moscow in 1612 ending the 'Time of Troubles'. The celebration is held to mark the start of the reunification of Russia which commenced under the Romanov dynasty in 1613. The production involved an international collaborative effort with the director and film crew in Russia and the sound team in London and Australia. Working remotely was a particularly significant aspect of this film as it was possibly the first time this has been done in Australia. The film had a budget of $12,000,000 (US) and was supported by state funding.