From: chevron@access.digex.com (chevron)
Subject: B7 - Re: Gunshot Info Request  *REPOST*  *SPOILERS*
Keywords: Blake's 7, B7, Blake, Avon, THE END
Organization: Express Access Public Access UNIX, Greenbelt, Maryland USA
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 12:54:22 GMT

In article <15783@umd5.umd.edu> jblum@hamlet.umd.edu (Hi ho -- Kermit the Frog here...) writes:
>
>Well, someone posted quite a few months back that they had seen the
>director's notes/script for the episode, and it included a list of how
>the shots over the end credits should be arranged.  It was scribbled and
>cryptic, and I can't quite remember details, but
>
>Whoever posted those notes, a repost would be great.

Well, Kermit, I'm not sure this is what you're looking for . . .
but I posted this a while back, and maybe you will find it of
interest . . .

********REPOST*******

The closest thing to an 'orthodox' or official explanation that I
know of on the gunshots at the close of "Blake" comes from the
director of that episode, Mary Ridge, as quoted in the Blake's 7
Monthl y, No. 10, July, 1981, by Marvel Comics.  Mary is quoted, 
"The camera froze the action of Avon raising his gun as the 
Federation guards closed round him, the obvious inference being
that if he fired then they would as well.  The viewers saw Avon
give his special smile, then the captions started to roll.  The 
clue to what happened is on the soundtrack.  The first shot fired
was from Avon's gun.  The next three shots were from Federation
guns - then the next two were Avon's again."

Mary goes on to say, "It was always my intention to suggest to
the viewers that Avon could well have survived with, perhaps,
Servalan having issued an order for him to be taken alive.
Certainly, the character of Avon was such a strong one he should
never by written out of a possible return just like that.  As
far as I am concerned, Avon is alive and well and possibly in
custody of Servalan's guards somewhere in the universe.  I would
love to see him come back in some kind of spin-off of the
series to wage war on the Federation and, if he did, I would
want to be there directing it."

So that is the story from the director of the episode, shortly 
after it was shown for the first time.  (As an aside, Mary Ridge
also directed "Terminal," the other big Avon-Blake crisis/trap 
gut-and-heart-wrenching episode.  A couple biggies there, to
Mary's credit.  You may recall that "Terminal" was originaly
intended to be the end of the series as well.  The Beeb decided
to write another season right after the airing of "Terminal."
And of course, it took close to a year to make the new series
before running it.)


Now, in response to the original posted question, Dark writes:

>An interesting question.... if you listen to the effects.. the screen goes
>black, a single shot is heard (Avon's gun.. same sound as before at least) 
>and then a WHOLE HECK of a lot of shots... two DISTINCT sounds... one of the
>Fed's armaments, and one of Avons.... BOTH continue to fire as the scene 
>fades... 
>

I basically agree with Dark's view, but I would like to add a
little more detail.  This question bothered me enough to
tape the soundtrack to my cassette tape deck and put the sounds
in different orders to hear which ones were similar and which were
not (why? you ask?  Because I'm a crazy dedicated B7 fan! :-)  ).

There are several different sounds, and I found it very 
difficult to analyse what was going on just by listening
over and over again in the original order.  So, as I listened,
I set up a table and tried to place the sounds.  As I hear it,
the sounds occur in seven distinct groupings - phrases or
movements, if you will.  The 'seven' number is interesting, 
although I'm fairly sure it was coincidental.  The table I generated
is as follows:

         Phrase          A (Avon)             F (Fed Troopers)

           1                l (echoing)
           2                                    l  ll (far)
           3                                    l (close)
           4                l (sweeping)
           5                l (echoing)
           6                                    l
           7                l (weak)            l (close)     
   

What does the above table represent?  Each "l" stands for a single
gunshot.  Note that Phrase 2 includes three shots - a single, a
pause, then two rapidly.  Thus the single "l" followed
by two "l"'s close together (rapid).  Note also that there are
subtle differences in the sounds of the guns which are thought
to be being fired by the same side - as indicated by the
descriptive words in parentheses.  The only sound I really
have a problem with is A4 (the sound I attribute to Avon in
Phrase 4).  It is very different than any other gun sound 
we hear.  But I classify it as his because it has a higer pitch
than the Fed guns, as did his rifle.  Several other relationships
exist:

         A1 = A5 =/ A4
         A1 = A5 = approximate sound of the rifle as
                     Avon shot Blake
         F3 = F7
         A7 and F7 occur simultaneously, with F7 being significantly
                   louder than A7 


The above table matches Mary Ridge's statements assuming she considered
the two rapid Fed shots in F2 to be one shot.  Then we have her
scheme of Avon firing first (A1), followed by three Fed shots
(F2 & F3), followed by two shots from Avon (A4 & A5).  Mary does
not describe any more shots, although there certainly were more.

I also follow Mary's concept that Servalan would have given orders
that Avon be taken alive at all costs.  Even though she was in
"bring me his corpse" mode in "Warlord," I think this is a function
of what she described to Zukan as her lack of faith in her guards'
abilities to deal with Avon.  Having a live Avon transported to her
from Betafarl would have been too risky - too many chances for escape.
Thus, the "bring me his corpse" bit.  On GP, however, this was not
the case.  Deva reveals that a high-ranking Fed person is due to
show up at any time - this _has_ to be Servalan.  Why?  As Cally
might have said, it just _feels_ right.  If Servy expected to arrive
shortly, she might have risked telling her guards to hold Avon for
a short time until she got there.  The chance to gloat over him
or perhaps even to kill him herself personally would have been
too good for her to miss.  And if she did give such orders - the
Fed troopers would most certainly have obeyed them - you don't
cross Commissioner Sleer.

So, where does all this lead us in our analysis of the gun sounds??

There are a couple possibilities, given the above table of who
shot when and Servy's orders.  My favorite is as follows:

       A1 - Avon, mourning Blake, and thinking he has nothing left
            to loose, decides to die fighting, preserving his dignity.
            He fires the first shot, probably killing whichever
            trooper was in his sights.

       F2 - A trooper near the one Avon shot, thinking he'll be
            next, forgets Servy's orders and fires at Avon,
            possibly wounding him, but not fatally (the first
            Fed shot).  Other troopers, realizing that one of
            their fellows has broken Servy's orders and attacked
            Avon, are afraid of Servy's revenge on the lot of 
            them if she arrives and finds her prize dead.  They
            fire on their own man to protect Avon - their own
            lives probably depend on their delivering Avon alive
            to their Commissioner (the two rapid Fed shots).

       F3 - The trooper who shot at Avon is dying on the floor
            and reflexively fires his own gun again, possibly
            wounding one of his fellows (F3).

       A4 - Avon, realising his good fortune, and possibly intuiting
            that the guards are under orders not to kill him, decides,
            what the hell, he'll make a break for it.  He fires
            again (A4) to put them on the defensive, but he rushes
            his aim and misses the guards and hits the metal wall
            instead - thus the higher-pitched, sweeping sound of
            his gunshot.

       A5 - Avon takes better care of his aim and fires again (A5),
            hitting a trooper this time.  Sound is identical to his
            first shot when he almost certainly did not miss his
            target.  He runs like hell for the door.

       F6 - A Fed trooper fires over Avon's head, hoping to scare
            him into surrendering.  But Avon was never one to be
            easily scared (heh, heh, heh, :-)  looking better for
            our hero isn't it!!)

       A7 & F7 - At the door, Avon takes a final shot (A7) at his
            tormentors from the partial cover of the doorframe.
            The shot sounds far away because of this.  A trooper
            fires a simultaneous a parting shot (F7) at Avon.  The 
            computer expert cum rebel leader makes his escape down 
            the corridor.

       Afterwards - Avon hightails it to wherever he hid Orac,
            has the little supercomputer scramble the sensors
            of any patrols looking for him.  Makes contact with
            someone on the planet who has a ship and hitches a
            ride off-planet.  He then proceeds to do what he
            he's best at - he causes the downfall of the
            Federation by a few clever manipulations of the Fed
            banking system.  When its all over, he has a glass of
            adrenaline and soma for Blake and the others.  Maybe
            he goes to Kaarn and joins up with the Aurons.  Or
            whatever . . .

And _yes_, the above _is_ the view of a hopeless romantic who
can't bear the though of poor little Avon blasted to pieces
all over the floor of Blake's base.  _BUT_ - you know what they
say - if the the sounds fit - wear 'em! :-)  

And - even better yet - I'd rather find a way for them _all_ to
still be alive - but Betsy Ramsey is the master of this
particular line of reasoning, so I'll leave that discussion up
to her.  As Betsy says, it's _much_ more fun to think they're
all still alive (and, I'll add,  presumably working for truth, 
justice and the Blakeian way!!  :-) 

Comments anyone?  Anybody with sharper ears or audio signal
analysers and oscilloscopes want to take a crack at the
final sounds of Blake'7??

***********END OF REPOST*************

Well, no one ever took me up on the audio signal analyser
challenge, but the above is the best my ears and home
stereo equipment could come up with - hope it was
helpful and/or amusing . . .

Have a good one!!

                                        --chevron--

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