Today was my first day of shooting for my first film. Nervous, exciting, all that. We're filming a portion set in the Civil War (like the research I posted) and we're using reenactors as extras. These guys seriously know their stuff. In the costume world, lack of time always forces one to fake it, and it usually goes unnoticed. Reenactors notice, reenactors know.
Often in the industry, we have a historical costume that is put on a modern actor (not used to wearing it) to present to a modern audience (not used to seeing it) and they have to safely do cartwheels through the aisle. Clearly, we have to sacrifice the authentic for the functional and aesthetic. Reenactment folks bring a whole new level of authenticity to the table. They special order historically accurate fabrics. One gentleman hand stitches all of this own garments. They know every date, battle, button and they have guns. I was terrified.
I was met with appraising eyes, I got lots of criticism, and a few compliments (whew). It was a long day with plenty of waiting around, so I asked questions and got lectures and lessons about... everything. Even if my costumes (ahem... period dress) didn't quite win them over, I think I did. It was kind of wonderful having authorities on site to help make choices and give input. At the end of the day, I had a deeper respect for the reenactment community. And on my way out, one kind soul said, "Ya know, I could never deal with actors and run around all day with a smile, I think you're pretty good at faking it." Victory!
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