The Veritas - an ancient text with a rather deadly translation.

These first images are courtesy of the official BBC website (source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p052zv07/p052zsp2)





And now some screengrabs from the episode itself. Just for fun, I've included a screenshot of one of the pages.






I've done a bit of research into common book sizes (which was genuinely really quite interesting), and at a guess I'd say the Veritas is a quarto (or 4to), measuring roughly 12"x9.5", which would seem to work with the screengrabs of the creature carrying the book in its arms.

Kind regards, The14thDr

I also took some screengrabs of the tattered remains of the Veritas that the Pope brings to the Doctor in the university.
Compared to the book, this seems much easier, just a sheet of A4 (or letter size) paper, tea stained and torn, with the writing added - although for some this final part may be just as difficult as making the book cover, myself included.

I haven't seen it here in Australia yet, but they look like the Pyroviles (but Fleshy instead of Stone) from the episode "Pompeii" with David Tennant & Catherine Tate.

Chris.

Quote from: The14thDr on May 20, 2017, 10:45 pm
The Veritas - an ancient text with a rather deadly translation.

The wife and I believe they've discovered the funniest joke in the world, and no one can read it and live! They laugh themselves to death! (How many remember that reference?)

Dino.

Quote from: galacticprobe on May 21, 2017, 06:12 am
The wife and I believe they've discovered the funniest joke in the world, and no one can read it and live! They laugh themselves to death! (How many remember that reference?)

Ooh! I know this one! Is it Who Framed Roger Rabbit?


Also, does anyone have any ideas on what the writing may be on the scrap of paper? I know in the episode it was meant to be a lost language type thing, but I was wondering whether the props people had just used a real language (such as Latin) or if the words were all made up.

I believe it was a Monty Python reference (the deadly joke, not the Veritas)

Quote from: The14thDr on May 20, 2017, 10:45 pm

I've done a bit of research into common book sizes (which was genuinely really quite interesting), and at a guess I'd say the Veritas is a quarto (or 4to), measuring roughly 12"x9.5", which would seem to work with the screengrabs of the creature carrying the book in its arms.

Kind regards, The14thDr

Which is odd because wouldn't the interior text of a 4to be printed in 4 blocks on each side? Like octavo is printed as 8 blocks per side?

Quote from: Angelus Lupus on May 21, 2017, 11:21 am
...a Monty Python reference (the deadly joke, not the Veritas)

Bingo, Angelus! (But how do we know that Veritas isn't that lost language for "deadly joke"? ) Either way, the way they described the manner of deaths from the Veritas, even from some people reading only part of it, well... it was just too good to pass up!

Quote from: The14thDr on May 21, 2017, 06:31 am
Also, does anyone have any ideas on what the writing may be on the scrap of paper? ...whether the props people had just used a real language (such as Latin) or if the words were all made up.

Excellent question, 14th! This one should be linked with your thread, http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=7716.0. (Oh... well, it is now. At least both are "Spoilered" for the time being.) I would have commented in that thread, but could have ended up repeating comments here. Your replica is amazing, and well done. Did you find a reference for the "text" you used? Or just screen grabs and what you were able to make out from them? (And if you just made things up as you went, are you planning another version if we can find out what the text on the actual prop is?)

Dino.

Quote from: Cardinal Hordriss on May 21, 2017, 10:39 pm
Which is odd because wouldn't the interior text of a 4to be printed in 4 blocks on each side? Like octavo is printed as 8 blocks per side?

Honestly, I just googled "book sizes", found one that sounded about right, and posted the measurements here, so I really have no idea. (Books and how they're made isn't really my strong-point)

Quote from: galacticprobe on May 22, 2017, 04:27 am
.... I would have commented in that thread, but could have ended up repeating comments here. Your replica is amazing, and well done. Did you find a reference for the "text" you used? Or just screen grabs and what you were able to make out from them? (And if you just made things up as you went, are you planning another version if we can find out what the text on the actual prop is?)

Thank you Dino! For the text I just used a screengrab from the episode, cropped, brightened and enlarged ever so slightly to bring out more of the details. There were some areas where I couldn't quite make out what was written, so I filled in any gaps with random letters. If we do manage to find out what the actual text is, I would most likely make a second version, yes.

Kind regards, The14thDr

EDIT: the screengrab I used to help me with the lettering:

Here's a closer look at one of the pages inside the book from the BBC behind-the-scenes gallery:


(source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p053f3kd/p053f2wj)

Quote from: The14thDr on May 22, 2017, 05:41 am
For the text I just used a screengrab from the episode, cropped, brightened and enlarged ever so slightly to bring out more of the details. There were some areas where I couldn't quite make out what was written, so I filled in any gaps with random letters.

A combo - some lettering from the screen grab, and some improv where needed. Very clever! (I was wondering why the Veritas would have "Rhiannon"'s name on it! )

Quote from: The14thDr on May 22, 2017, 05:41 am
If we do manage to find out what the actual text is, I would most likely make a second version, yes.

I think I already knew that deep down inside. Your replicas are very good, and I know you'll always improve on one if new info about it turns up.

Quote from: The14thDr on May 22, 2017, 03:14 pm
Here's a closer look at one of the pages inside the book from the BBC behind-the-scenes gallery:

This one almost looks like the writing is Asian of some sort. (I'll show it to my son. He's able to read Chinese and Japanese. He would know if it's one of those two, or something else.)

Dino.

Quote from: galacticprobe on May 23, 2017, 06:18 am
A combo - some lettering from the screen grab, and some improv where needed. Very clever! (I was wondering why the Veritas would have "Rhiannon"'s name on it! )

Well.... funny story about that. looking at the screengrabs, I could swear there was what appeared to be a capital "R" there, then a few letters I couldn't quite make out, then a couple of lowercase "n"'s, then another couple of letters, then another "n". So I just filled in the blanks to make one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs.

Quote from: galacticprobe on May 23, 2017, 06:18 am
I think I already knew that deep down inside. Your replicas are very good, and I know you'll always improve on one if new info about it turns up.

Why thank you! I always try to make my replicas as close to the originals as possible, and if any new material surfaces, make any slight adjustments that are needed to make mine even more accurate.

Quote from: galacticprobe on May 23, 2017, 06:18 am
This one almost looks like the writing is Asian of some sort. (I'll show it to my son. He's able to read Chinese and Japanese. He would know if it's one of those two, or something else.)

That would be great! If we can identify the language, maybe we could then get a step closer to identifying what's actually written in the book, which would make things a lot easier for anyone wanting to make a replica with actual pages (and I could even install a font for that language and create a printable graphic if there's any interest?)

Kind regards, The14thDr