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richfed
Sachem
USA
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 Posted - August 20 2002 : 7:31:41 PM
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Thought this might be of some interest. Again, passed along by our Texas "connection," Emily:
"So You Wanna Be An Alamo Extra?"
By Terry S. Todish
Webmaster's Note: The Texas Film Commission hinted that casting calls will probably be a month or so before production starts December 2nd, 2002. If you're really concerned about getting on the film, this should give you some time in growing a beard, hair, etc. If you're interested in an "Alamo-style" head shot to increase your casting chances, contact me for a special deal made available only to visitors of this site. As of right now, photographers are only available in South Texas and Central Texas. If you are a photographer in other areas of the state or out of state, contact me for details on how to be added to the list.
I'm not connected in any way with the casting department for the film, nor is Nick. Please don't forward resumes, head shots, etc., hoping we will cast you. This is simply to offer some insights to the many who are interested in being extras, based on knowledge of the era, general knowledge of the project, and the experiences of myself and others who have worked on other historical projects.
Being an extra in this film is not going to be like participating in a reenactment, rendezvous, encampment, or other history based volunteer function. It is a job. The job will probably involve much running, marching, and standing about (or at attention) in Texas in wool clothing. If this sounds like the kind of job you would want to do, fine. If not, stay away.
There has been no reliable information put forth yet regarding participation by reenactors or anyone else. There have been rumors aplenty, and probably some overtures made to a few people on a "keep it quiet for now" basis. There have also been some attempts by modeling agencies and other talent services to recruit clients by offering information on being extras, but again, so far as I know, no one is specifically working on behalf of Disney.
Remember, it was only in the last couple of weeks the last couple of weeks that this movie got a director. The script is being rewritten right now, and according to some reports, there will be at least one more rewrite before principal photography starts December 2nd, 2002. As far as I know (and if anyone has contrary info that can be made public, it would be interesting to see it posted), there is still no director of photography (note: The director of photography is Salvatore Totino), no art director, no costume designer, and no cast (with the possible exception of Ethan Hawke). I'm sure at this point extras are about the last thing the filmmakers are worried about.
When a decision on extras is made, it will probably involve a few choices by Hancock and/or Disney:
1- They may decide to entirely costume the movie themselves, and rely on locals for extras
2- They may decide to mostly costume the movie themselves, rely mostly on locals as extras, but hire a few experienced reenactors to train and/or coach the extras, and maybe to act as a "core group" (for key scenes, close-ups, etc.)
They may rely heavily on reenactors, offering incentives for having your own clothing and equipment, and networking with existing units and organizations to get the word out and recruit, and to some extent screen, applicants
3- They may do a combination of the two above - maybe use locals in costumes provided for the Texians, and rely on reenactors for the soldados (where their military training and experience with Spanish commands, etc., might come in very handy).
There's one problem with the last scenario, and with using reenactors as soldados (Mexican soldiers) in general. There aren't that many. It could be argued that experienced
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caitlin
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USA
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 10:02:02 AM
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I just heard on the news yesterday that Disney is putting the project on hold because Russel Crowe's 19 million salary coupled with Ron Howard's salary got to be too much.
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Two Kettles
Colonial Settler
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 1:13:36 PM
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There was an apparently reliable report that just hit today at the Alamo film site that production is now scheduled to start on December 26 and wrap in April 2003.
Two Kettles
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richfed
Sachem
USA
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Posted - August 22 2002 : 6:59:06 PM
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| Let me get this straight ... Russell Crowe as David Crockett? If that's the case, this is gonna be very interesting ... and good!!!! |
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Two Kettles
Colonial Settler
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Posted - August 23 2002 : 11:36:33 PM
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Actually, Crowe is now out. The tentative casting, until Ron Howard walked, was Crowe as Houston, Ethan Hawke as Travis, possibly Billy Bob Thornton as Crockett, and supposedly talks were going on to have Viggo Mortensen as Bowie. With Howard gone, the only casting probably still in place is Hawke as Travis. Apparently he's a Texan, and very anxious to play the part.
Two Kettles
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richfed
Sachem
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Posted - February 17 2003 : 10:53:03 AM
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Here's the promo poster for the new Alamo film ... poster just released:
Whaddaya think?
I find it fairly haunting ... not sure about the slogan ... |
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Chris
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Posted - February 17 2003 : 2:43:14 PM
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Hi Rich,
Is Clabair still on this site? If not, can someone forward the Alamo info to him? I would assume he's seen it, but if not, I'd hate to have him miss this opportunity.
Chris |
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Theresa
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Posted - February 17 2003 : 4:26:46 PM
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Chris,
Clabair is still around and could be connected to this film. Stay tuned for further developments as they occur. I'm sure he will pass along information to us as he can.
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Theresa |
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Theresa
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Theresa
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Posted - February 18 2003 : 6:04:07 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Theresa
Chris,
Clabair is still around and could be connected to this film. Stay tuned for further developments as they occur. I'm sure he will pass along information to us as he can.
Ok, folks I got the low down! I heard from Clabair today and he wanted me to pass this along to all of you. He leaves Wednesday (I guess tomorrow?) for some ranch on the other side of Austin. He will have three days of training and then they will pick all the extras they need. Filming is set to begin in May. Word is they need 250 extras and there aren't that many trying out so he says this sounds promising. He's meeting with 6-8 of his re-enactor friends from Fort Worth and they will live in their tents on location. Cyndie and Cassidy are planning to drive over on the weekends. They will keep us informed as they can.
Sooooo....sounds like our French Trader Friend could possibly be in a film with Wes! How cool is that?!  |
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Chris
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Posted - February 19 2003 : 01:19:55 AM
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Waaay Cooool!! Tell him I have my fingers crossed for him.
:o) |
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Theresa
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Posted - February 19 2003 : 07:25:27 AM
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Latest word...
He got a call telling him to bring two pair of boots...one for marching and one for...aw, man, I forgot what the other pair was for. Soldier #2, would you have any idea?
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Theresa |
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Cyndie
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Posted - February 19 2003 : 09:38:23 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Theresa
Latest word...
He got a call telling him to bring two pair of boots...one for marching and one for...aw, man, I forgot what the other pair was for. Soldier #2, would you have any idea?
Hi gang! This is Cyndie. The other boots are for horseback training. Since he already rides, shoots, and has done some tactical type marching with his reenacting groups he may have a jump on some of the competition! Keep your fingers crossed. He leaves at noon today. I will post an update as soon as I get one! We are soooooo excited! And it looks like he may only be gone a few days this time. There is a good possibility he will film for 5 weeks if he gets the part. We will miss him like CRAZY!!! |
Cyndie Menard
"wife of the famous French Trader" |
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Theresa
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Posted - February 19 2003 : 5:09:48 PM
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Hey Cyndie!
So glad you've stepped in here and helped me out with the boots info...must have something to do with my "mentalpause" age. PLEASE keep us updated. Good to hear from you!
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Theresa |
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richfed
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Posted - February 20 2003 : 05:13:35 AM
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| Go get 'em, Frenchie!!!! If Clabert makes the cut - as I expect he will - this movie will be perfect! |
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Cyndie
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Posted - February 20 2003 : 10:08:47 AM
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| Well, he called three times yesterday. Once to tell me he finally got through Austin traffic and was on the other side looking for the ranch, again to tell me he had made it to the ranch but they weren't allowing the extra trainees to camp with the reenactors (although he knew several of them and would have been allowed to pitch his tent without problem - the other guys he had met up with couldn't so...) and they had to go another 8 miles or so to set up in an RV park. Then he called me again to tell me he had been to dinner in Dripping Springs and were getting ready to bed down for the night. Some of the reenactors had told them that Billy Bob Thornton was regularly coming over to hang out or eat with them. Said he is a really nice guy and full of stories he loves to tell. I think I may have to head to Austin!!! LOL He said they would be in training starting this morning and that the movie company would be taking care of their meals and snacks through this part so we are assuming he will be training constantly - I probably won't hear from him until late tonight. Keep your collective fingers crossed!!! |
Cyndie Menard
"wife of the famous French Trader" |
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Theresa
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Posted - February 20 2003 : 5:40:47 PM
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Hey Cyndie! Bet he's a pretty tired puppy after all that. Thanks for keeping us updated....and if I were you, I'd make my way to Austin, too. Tell him hello when you talk to him and that we're wishing him some good "Mohican Luck".
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Theresa |
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Cyndie
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Posted - February 24 2003 : 3:16:40 PM
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Well......I guess you can see the updates didn`t come in? That`s because I couldn`t stand it and sneaked up on him about 10:45 Thursday night!!! LOL He was really surprised when he opened the door of the travel trailor and saw me standing there. I had been talking to him on the cell phone only a few minutes before telling him that I might try to come over the next day after work! The weather was so bad that they gave them Friday off so we went shopping and sight seeing all day.
Here (in the words of the Frenchie himself) is a run down of the weekend!
We had around 250 people show up and were told we would be training to be in Sam Houston`s army fighting at the Battle of San Jacinto!! We marched all day Thursday in the mud and rain. Got Friday off. Saturday was clear and cool and we got basic stunt training, more marching and drilling with both plastic then REAL muskets!! Those that volunteered for artillery trained on that. Those that wanted to try out for cavalry rode horses. Sunday we did it all over again. Those picked for cavalry went off to ride and those training for artillery did the same. The rest of us drilled and marched with muskets all day. I was even pulled from my platoon to help prepare the muskets for my platoon by giving them a quick clean and changing half the flints. We were graded in all departments and scores were turned in Sunday afternoon. Then each platoon was marched to the front of the main office. Three out of our group were asked inside and I`m sure they were let go. Six of us were asked to step out in front, me being the last one called. Then we were all told I had scored highest of all and the other 5 were close behind. We were then told that we were all going to be called back to work in the movie. I was also pulled aside by several of the trainers (of which some of whom I`ve known for over 20 years!!) and told that they were recommending that I be put in charge of a group of extras to help keep them in line and going during the filming. Like being a junior officer. I was also told that the stunt department liked me and singled me out for possible stunt work. All this may even mean more screen time!! They said that Wardrobe would be calling us in 4-6 weeks to be fitted with our clothes and pictures taken, then we wait for filming to start some time in mid April.
That's it in a nutshell! I took a few pictures from the road of the movie set (Clabert said they absolutely forbid pictures on the set) but we were told that no pictures should be published anywhere for fear of Disney's Internet Nazis finding us and torturing us in many horrible ways (not to mention immediately firing Clabert from the movie)... They also said to be careful not to give out too much info on the movie - so Mum is the word!!! LOL |
Cyndie Menard
"wife of the famous French Trader" |
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Theresa
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Posted - February 24 2003 : 5:41:39 PM
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| HOW EXCITING IS THIS, FOLKS!!?? Thanks, Cyndie. Good luck Clabair! See ya at the movies! |
Theresa |
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richfed
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Posted - February 24 2003 : 6:51:03 PM
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| It's, why ... it's ... VERY exciting! Yee-haw! |
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Two Kettles
Colonial Settler
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Posted - March 14 2003 : 12:19:15 AM
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I just got back from an extended trip to Texas, and was fortunate enough to have been along on the Alamo Battlefield Association's trip to the Alamo set in Dripping Springs. It is truly amazing. There have been definite liberties taken with some aspects of the Alamo itself and with the town of San Antonio de Bexar, but overall the effect is remarkable. And the passion Production Designer Michael Corenblith has brought to the project is inspiring. If everyone else involved is as passionate as he is (and word is that that's the case), this movie will be very memorable. Between ALAMO and RETURN OF THE KING, December can't come too soon.
And in case you haven't seen it yet, USA Today ran a photo of Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett. You can see it at www.thealamofilm.com.
Two Kettles |
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richfed
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Posted - March 14 2003 : 05:50:39 AM
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Tell us more about the set, Two Kettles, please!
By the way, I was browsing the archives of the old board the other day and came upon old posts by ... Two Kettles!!! Were you with us way back then? Are ye one & the same?!?
One other note - it turns out, apparently, that the "movie poster" [above] is bogus! |
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Two Kettles
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Posted - March 17 2003 : 5:57:22 PM
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Yeah, Rich, I am the once and future Two Kettles.
The set, which is on a ranch outside of Dripping Springs, Texas, reproduces a goodsized portion of the 1836 town of San Antonio and the Alamo. The set design is based on the work of artists George Nelson ("The Alamo: An Illustrated History"), Gary Zaboly ("Blood of Noble Men", "Texian Iliad", and the endpaper maps for "Gates of the Alamo"), and Craig Covner, an Alamo Society member who is generally recognized for knowing the 1836 compound almost stone by stone. For those unfamiliar with Nelson, Zaboly and Covner, using them as the basis for the "look" of THE ALAMO is sort of like Peter Jackson using John Howe and Alan Lee as designers on the Tolkein trilogy.
Unklike the set for the John Wayne film, the town of San Antonio looks like Bexar in 1836 (Wayne's town was much more of a generic cowboy town, so that it could be reused in later movies). I can't go into a lot of detail, since that was part of the agreement for the Association to be allowed on set, but if you look at the artwork by the above mentioned artists, you'll have a sense of what to expect. In any case, it will be drastically different from anything ever seen in an Alamo movie before.
And the Alamo compound is almost indescribable. The Wayne set was and is spectacular for capturing the size and general characteristics of the historic Alamo, and at the time was commendable for its accuracy. But so much more has been learned through archeology and serious research into the various drawings and paintings done of the Alamo over the years that this new set will be a real revelation to most moviegoers.
Sorry I can't offer much more, but keep watching the Alamo film site (www.thealamofilm.com) and other media. I think you're going to see the Disney pr machine really kick this into high gear, and I think there will be an interesting balance of showing enough to keep people interested while holding enough back to give some real surprises when the movie comes out.
Finally, the poster isn't bogus, but it's also probably not a theatrical poster. It was created for, and appeared in, an annual report to Disney shareholders as part of a section dealing with upcoming Disney movies. A contributor at the Alamo film website gave the exact page, etc. where the poster appeared in the report. I think there was just a misunderstanding of the purpose of it.
Two Kettles |
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Cyndie
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Posted - April 26 2003 : 11:50:38 AM
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| Disney/Dreamworks finally called Clabert! We have to be at wardrobe for all of his costuming this evening and he is set to start filming May 9th. We don't know exactly what part he will have right now but we do know he will be in the San Jacinto Battle and possibly the events that led to that battle also. Cool huh? He should get to work fairly close to Dennis Quaid. That will be neat. I was kind of hoping he would meet Billy Bob Thornton - we have heard from others on the set that he is just the nicest guy -- but his character (Davy Crockett) is already dead at this point! Too Bad! I will take pictures today if I can. We heard that they got tired of fighting and are letting people bring cameras on the set now. I hope so!!! We are making the round trip (4 1/2 hours each way) today so I may not be able to post an update until tomorrow... |
Cyndie Menard
"wife of the famous French Trader" |
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Theresa
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Posted - April 26 2003 : 12:24:58 PM
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| Woohoo, Cyndie!! This is exciting news for you guys. Please do take pictures if you can and keep us all informed on this front. Good luck and be safe! |
Theresa |
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Cyndie
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Posted - April 28 2003 : 10:01:41 AM
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| Well, we went to Austin this weekend. They did actually let me in to both wardrobe and hair/makeup. They even let me snap a picture in wardrobe! It was great. I don't know if this costume designer (who we met by the way - Daniel something) did the costumes for the new Matrix movie also or not but the posters for it were hanging EVERYWHERE in wardrobe. It was a huge building - like a warehouse sort of with racks and racks and racks and shelves and shelves of jackets, shirts, pants, hats, shoes, ties, you name it. They had a lady sitting at a sewing maching right there and another lady who came in and took costumes pieces after they were assigned to someone and "aged" them if need be. Clabert's jacket was going out to be aged when we left... When we were finished in wardrobe, they sent us over to Hair and Makeup. It was at the big set. It was totally cool to pull up to those big gates and tell security "Clabert and Cyndie Menard for hair and makeup..." and for them to say "Yes sir! Go right on in." When we got in there, they had huge semi trucks full of wigs they were working on for a big scene they are filming today. They were cutting, coloring, curling like maniacs. They took more pictures of Clabert over there, then sent him over to have the head of the hair department look at him. She told him how she would be cutting his hair (didn't have time Sat. since they were in the middle of shooting and she had to do hair for the people on the set) but told us we could cut the ponytail ourselves and she would cut the rest the day before he is set to shoot. Now - he is outfitted as a man in Gonzales who will join up and go to San Jacinto but his agent has info. that this may not be the case - or maybe not his only part. She was taking a meeting with some of the honchos yesterday morning so we should know more on that subject today!!! I will attempt to post the picture in our picture album on here. Since it is a scanned picture maybe it will work. The pictures I take with my digital are always too big to upload... |
Cyndie Menard
"wife of the famous French Trader" |
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A New Alamo Film!
