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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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 Posted - October 24 2011 : 3:30:36 PM
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One aspect of working on this as well as other productions has been stirred by Lane Batot's story of filming the "Surrender of the Fort" scene; like him I was in an out-of-the-shot position watching the proceedings. One of the vivid memories that I'd managed to put out of my mind and have never before raised here is the STENCH of the burning tires! ( Where is the EPA when you really need them? ) It seems that bright, direct sunlight and clear, cloudless days are the absolute ENEMY of cinematographers, creating an unwanted harshness to subjects! During the filming of that, as well as MANY other scenes in-and-around the fort, there was a more-or-less constant pall from the literally PILES of burning tires, creating a hazy screen through which they filmed.
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You may have noticed that in either the photos taken on set as well as those from my various vacations I always try very deliberately to NOT show out-of-place persons or elements and carefully frame each shot; indeed, some that I've posted have been "trimmed" to edit things out. For that reason, you won't see anything like piles of burning tires ( ! ), but that doesn't mean they weren't there. In my shot of the fort, taken several weeks after it was built, you can see the slope is "greening" again; originally it was burnt-over stubble. It was usually in ravines like this that the pyres of tires were placed - somewhat "out-of-sight", but definitely not unnoticed! I was also reminded of these when looking at Fitzhugh William's recent photos of the fort site, wondering what had happened to them; I suppose they were cleaned up at the same time the fort set was dismantled.
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An example of my "editing out" can be seen in this photo of Eric Schweig in Massacre Valley - the crew member at left stepped into the frame just as I snapped the picture, so when I posted it previously, he "magically" disappeared. But this time it's to WHAT he's doing that I want to draw your attention; he's committing another "olfactory assault"! I don't know which crew ( lighting?; sets? ) is responsible, but these guys are usually all over a set with the things ( I don't know the name ) he's holding in his right hand: it's a sort of BAG with a nozzle on it that produces a noxious mist ( probably some "known carcinogen"! ) that also serves to diffuse bright and direct light. ( You can SEE some of it hanging in the air! ) A more "dramatic" example can be seen in the picture below - notice the relative clarity of the "dead" soldier and the one with his back to the camera in the near foreground with the rest of the action. The haze is artificial, made in the same way probably to represent "gunsmoke" and/or serve to diffuse the light.
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Also adding to the overall "atmosphere" was the fact that our costumes were usually cleaned on our days off, meaning we frequently had to wear the same thing for up to a week at a time. In addition to normal soiling, those of us soldiery inside the fort were supposed to present a tired and forelorn appearance ( read: FILTHY! ), and so recieved the attentions of the wardrobe crew in order to "distress" their clothes. As an artilleryman, I recieved "special treatment" in this regard because only extremes like this will be "seen" by the camera:
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lane batot
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 15 2011
Status: offline
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Posted - October 24 2011 : 4:34:48 PM
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| Sorry James, I NEVER smelled any burning tires! However, that's because, well, among my many other quirks, I have no sense of smell AT ALL! And as my coworkers often tell others, "It's not that he DOESN'T smell, but that he CAN'T smell!" And don't even ask if I can taste(a stereo-type all us "aromatically challenged" people have to explain)--I taste just fine! At least that's what those cannibals in Africa said about certain parts before I managed to escape! The scars ain't too noticable.....But seriously, if you NEVER had a sense of smell, rather than losing it later in life, apparently your taste buds develop differently and independently from a sense of smell. Anyway, it comes in quite handy at times--like the time I got a direct hit from an irked skunk--didn't bother me at all! It bothered everybody else, however.....So the burning tires(I DID SEE them! Ha!), my VERY crispy coureur de bois costume, Michael Mann's spleen ventings, none of that bothered moi at all! And hey, James, that arm in the brown coat strangling the downed Brit in your 3rd photo here, looks TERRIBLY like my arm! Did YOU, when Monsewer Le Directore could not, capture the most eelooseev coureur de bois awn zee feelm? |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - October 24 2011 : 8:08:12 PM
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I don't know, Lane, but eet ez possibul! That photo was one of three I snapped quickly during one of the takes I wasn't involved in; I don't see any sign of you in either of the other two. If you can remember where YOU were, my small company was near the "tail end" of the column the whole time during the "Massacre". A few years ago one of the civillians involved in this sequence contacted the forum asking if anyone had any photos showing them, explaining she was trying to find a picture of herself since she hadn't taken any at the time. I refered her to my section and its pictures, and viola! - there she was, purely by accident! Unfortunately, she's the one with the long braid ( that's how she quickly recognized herself! ) standing with her back to the camera... Oh, well, you can't have EVERYTHING! I explained to her that I was either photographing "Col. Munro" or the livestock; speaking of which, I thought that once again the Set Dressing department had done a good ( if unappreciated ) job:
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lane batot
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 15 2011
Status: offline
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Posted - October 25 2011 : 07:31:23 AM
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| On that set, ANYTHING was possible! I was mostly at the head of the column during filming, but I ranged around all over the place, so no telling. These animal photos remind me of another story--during the evacuation-of-the-fort scene, when the refugees are just filing out in front of the fort, these very ladies were really struggling with the sheep and goats(which apparently had NOT been trained to lead on a rope!), and the animals were jumping about and balking and nearly strangling themselves! Especially the sheep. Being the critter afficiondo that I am, and having had lots of experience leading balky animals on leash, I went and cut a small switch(I ALWAYS had a sheath knife--my own--with me--I feel FAR more naked without the knife than I do without a breech-clout! Luckily, I always also make my own knife sheaths out of leather, with fringe Injun style--the store-bought sheaths fall apart purty quick and it is easy to lose a knife running through the woods with store-bought ones, so I always discard them and make my own---so not even the very particular costuming people noticed I had my own Buck knife! It came in handy many times, as it always does...) and during cuts between shootings, showed them how to LIGHTLY tap on the rumps of the animals to get them going forward--just a touch is all it takes, if you do it right. You DO NOT want to swat or sting them in any way, this makes them panic MORE of course! The ladies seemed appreciative, and I saw no further trouble with them, but I bet the sheep and goats FREAKED during the massacre scene! I didn't see them then; I was WAY too preoccupied killin' Brits! |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - October 25 2011 : 12:48:00 PM
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| Did those animals make it into the film? I can't recall seeing them. Or did they end up on the cutting room floor... along with Lane? |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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lane batot
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 15 2011
Status: offline
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Posted - October 25 2011 : 2:10:33 PM
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| I have just been exploring and reading all over this site--I JUST saw some photos of the sheep at Massacre Valley(in one of the Tattoo's sections of photos?) and there was a girl walking behind the sheep, tapping it on the butt with a switch! So they DID continue to take my advice on that! Yaas, zee seekreet eenfeeltrashion ahv zee eenveezeebull coureur de bois eez AHVEREEWAIR!! And I have seen several more photos of coureur de bois with Indians--but I am ALWAYS just out of the shot, or MAYBE that might be a bit of one of my arms or a leg! It is so funny how I was all over the place(perhaps my nickname should be "Oliver De Place"! Yaas! Oliver De Place, zee grayteest ahv awl zee eenveezabull feelm coureur de bois! Are you guys getting REALLY sick of me by now? Perhaps understanding why Michael Mann HATED us?). I have also just finished the 2nd soldier account--wow! It brought even MORE memories and ponderings to mind--though on the same film, and witnessing/participating in the same scenes, we had VERY different experiences! I will have MUCH to relate on what it was being a part of the Indian crew, which was a whole 'nuther world! But in a future(likely HUMONGO) thread.....But one thing brought up in his account, was how, especially in the Massacre scene, how a lot of the "One-day-newbies" trampled all over people and competed inanely and annoyingly to be in front of the camera--I observed that as well, was rather disgusted by it, and was determined NOT to be so selfish and annoying(well, at least not in THAT way!!!). So perhaps that is WHY I am so "eenveezabull" throughout! I was there for the adventure and experience of the thing, and I think I milked those aspects for all they were worth! So many more impressions/stories to relate....and so little time.......like what? If I'm fortunate? Another half-century maybe? I'll keep on pecking..... |
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