When was the last time you thought about the Boxer Rebellion?

I recently had to make a video essay for a broadcast journalism class. I sat down with Newsday writer Mitchell Freedman, who spent an afternoon telling me all about one of his hobbies– painting these teensy, tiny little soldiers, no taller than a matchstick. He pays meticulous attention to detail, adding gunpowder to their guns or splotches of mud onto their gear. When he’s done painting the little guys, he plays wargames with friends who also paint soldier figurines. Together, they reenact some of the biggest battles in history, right there on a tabletop.

What I found fascinating is the level of research that goes into the hobby. It seemed like Mr. Freedman could easily be a Western Civ or American history professor: he knew tiny details about tons of wars and battles all through history. He applies this knowledge to his hobby- the more information you have, the more accurate your soldiers will be, and the less likely you are to get made fun of by your wargame pals. Here’s the finished project: