Sometimes you just have to go along to get paid, or all in a days work

[White Horse]

Last month some of us went to Conner Prairie Living History Museum near Indy to film a documentary about Morgan's raiders.
We all put on our best kit and tried to be as authentic as we could, no pretensions of being great, but we try...

The first morning I ride out with some really decent "Authentic Campaigner approved" kit and we proceed to film several scenes.
About mid morning a pretty young lady who works for the production company approaches me and says, and I am not making this up, "Sir, we have determined Morgan's raiders did not wear Kepis, would you please wear this?'
She hands me a ten dollar black felt hat blank...

"So you want me to take a hundred dollar, hand sewn, period correct Kepi and put it in my saddle bag and wear this?' I asked, still stunned. "Where did someone get the idea there were no Kepi's in Morgan's cavalry?"

"They have a picture and they are all wearing big black hats" she replied. I think we are all familiar with the picture, it was Morgan's officers in Columbus after their capture.

well, she was pretty, and they were paying me 200.00 a day....

So I wore the **** hat blank until I could exchange it for a better chapeau.

[tenfed1861]

Sounds like what happened to someone I met who was on G&G.He was doing VA militia and had the kit down perfect.Had the proper trousers and everything.Wardrobe walks up to him and tell him to put on a pair of bluejeans instead because they felt it was more "accurate".It takes all kinds to make movies.

[Julius]

I recently did a movie shoot. When I asked the director or what ever he was why half of the rebels were wearing wife beaters he told me because he saw it in cold mountain.
I guess that realy dosnt matter much though seeing as how the other extras were carrying toy muskets. You know the type they sell in frontier land at Disneyland

[billwatson2]

How do ignorant people get those jobs? I mean, someone is wasting good money paying them to do the wrong thing.

[Coatsy]

Holly-Weird....

Some pards and I got paid to show up as Johnny Rebs last year for an episode of the ohh so glorious Vampire Diaries... Something about flashback scene. But we got our money, it wasn't a far drive to Madison, Ga, and I got see the wardrobe department out a small afro wig on Marvin Greer because he wasn't "slave" enough for the shoot... Holly-Weird, that's all I can say.

[sbl]

Well yeah. It's an industry like any other (except it's a meritocracy and here in the US it actually exports product) and when you go into their workshop expect to wear their brand of goggles and safety shoes. I'm guessing the show had to make the image clear up front w/o extra 'splaining.


I hate to be "that guy" but I can spot "reenactors" in TV and films right off and it's not always pretty.

[OVI]

Hollywood and the film industry is in the entertainment business. A very select few like Spielburg/Hanks get the importance of historical accuracy,but for most of the others, visual context trumps realism. Sometimes its misguided research, most times its the set decoraters or costumers bias. In any case, raising ones expectations about moviemaking authenticity is a fools errand. Just give thanks that Ron Maxwell likely wont be making any more CW epics.

Kent Dorr - Indian Summer in Ohio
"Devils Own Mess"

[White Horse]

I supposr there are worse things that getting paid to wear a stupid hat... But it was really laughable when they came to camp and asked for "three authentic cavalrymen to harrass some females in town"