I was one of the thousands who worked on this film for free. I spent ten days on the set as a Union soldier in several scenes. When I watch this film, I see many of my old buddies and I was wondering if other reenactors do the same. It's been over twenty years but the names still come to mind when I see them.
shareTell us about your experiences and what scenes were you in?
shareYinduffy:
Am a current reenactor but too new to have been in the movie. Would love to hear your experiences "on the set". Am working on a compendium of filming locations also. Can you advise what scenes you were in, and what was it like with the cast?
Cheers,
Frank Beachem
In the film, I first appear as a Union Trooper firing from behind a stone and wood fence with Buford's men. Then I am an officer in the 14th Brooklyn, red legged unit and appear on the right hand of the screen leaning over to view dead General Reynolds.
At the Pickett's Charge scene, I was a Union Private on the wall far out of camera range. Later I was asked to wear my Union Lieutenant's gear and I commanded a unit far from the camera. They needed an authentic looking officer for the scene of Hancock getting shot so Brian Pohanka selected me to be in that scene. I am a Lieutenant in the Vermont Brigade and Hancock addresses the Colonel next to me, When he is hit, I help him off the horse and hold his right shoulder.
I should add that the filming was so boring for the average reenactor that they would skip out and tour the battlefield. For the Pickett's charge scene we spent from sun-up to early evening on the stone wall lounging around covered in dirt makeup (Fuller's earth powder and baby oil in our hair to simulate sweat.)and most of us knew that we would be just blue dots in the background.
I consider myself fortunate to have participated in this film which is one of the few that allows the audience to understand what goes on in a battle.
That's really impressive. How lucky you are. Even though a lot of time on a set is boring for extra's, the end result is you have a memory for life.
I have to watch the film again and catch your scenes!
Regarding the filming, the Pickett's Charge scenes were planned for a whole week of filming - Monday to Saturday. Most reenactors, myself included arrived at the site on Friday through Sunday. We were allowed to live on site in tents and almost everyone used their white Civil War type tents. The field we camped in was at the far left end of the stone wall in the field. Two or three rental event tents were set up for dining and food serving. Cars were parked at the edge of the field.
All troops were awakened before Sunrise and we dressed in the dark or by lantern light. Hot breakfast was ready and served cafeteria style (good food as I had heard that earlier in the filming, reenactors had revolted at the poor food.) Hurry up and eat then all form up in the grassy field wet with dew, soaking our pants legs, to greet the sunrise. In military formation, stack arms and wait for the makeup people to dirty us up with brown fuller's earth in stockings, then apply baby oil to our hair to look sweat-soaked.
Stand around or lounge until the camera crews and production people set up. Several crews working at once and everyone must be quiet when one crew is filming. Soldiers wait and wait while the crew does their job setting lights, reflectors, camera dolly tracks or prepares to make smoke. Most troops are by now bored but told to stay in place. Volunteers bring trays of cups of water and snacks to the men so they don't wander off.
Off in the distance, we see the Rebel troops and every hour or so there is a sudden fury of smoke and bursting charges as a scene of Rebels advancing is filmed. Then quiet as they reset the scene. Men ask "when do we shoot?"
"Not today, maybe tomorrow."
It goes like this for two or three days before they film the actual hand-to hand stuff. It's action for a minute or two, then halt and go "back to one" or where you were.
Some guys couldn't stand waiting around all day and took off. After all they were there on their own dime. No reimbursement even for gas.
I found it immensely interesting and chatted with reenactors from across America and even some from England.
Outstanding Yinduffy; thanks! Sounds like you had a lot of fun.
I know some of the charge scenes were done in the field opposite the big red barn on pumping station road. Do you know what charge scenes were done on the actual battlefield, and where?
Also, do you know what barn was used for Lee's morning of July 2nd (Bow down thy heaven o Lord, .... good morning Traveler!.... etc.)? I have been unable to locate it no matter how many barns I've searched on the battlefield or in Adams Co. Please advise further when you have a moment.
Cheers,
Frank
You can tell the scenes that were made on the real battlefield because the grassy areas on the field appear striped - the march goes across a green area, then a brown one, etc. They are the big, broad scenes of the marchers. The scenes made out on Pumping Station Rd are close-ups and have a lot of wildflowers in them - thistle, maybe Queen Anne's lace as I recall.
shareI think it was Monday morning, but everyone who had a Rebel uniform was bussed to the actual Natl Park and under careful supervision of the Park Rangers the aerial scenes were filmed. My buddies told me that all present were warned not to look at the helicopter when it flies by. Simple enough.
However the "helicopter" turned out to be a remote control drone smaller than an office desk. Of course when it appeared and flew over the men they all looked up and wondered "What the heck is that thing?"
"Cut. Reset."
The scenes where the men climb over the rail fences and get blasted by canister were filmed at the Pumping House road site. The asphalt road was covered in reddish mud-clay for the filming. It didn't look right after the dump trucks spread it out, so they had us march in formation back and forth, up and down the road to make it look better. Of course we troops wondered why we were asked to march in slimy mud with flags flying and Shouldered arms.
I don't know about the filming Of the interior scenes with Lee but the interior tents scenes with Longstreet were filmed in a wall tent set up in a tractor shed.
Early in the week, the grass was tall and bothersome around the "wall". By the end of the week, it was all walked on and flattened out as you see at the beginning of the charge of the movie when Chamberlain hits the dirt.
I must comment and say that Martin Sheen was the most accommodating of the name actors I met (I never met Chamberlain) and most polite to one and all.
At pumping House road (the wall) lunch was brought out in brown bags. Men lined up and waited one at a time. Dinner was served at nightfall as filming took place right up to the end of available light. Then we ate by artificial light at picnic tables under the big circus-type tent. Good, plentiful food from steam tables.
Thank you for sharing all this. Being a fan of the film for many years, I visited Gettysburg for the first time only just last year. It fascinated me for the obvious historical purposes (I'm what you might call an 'amateur historian'), but it also fascinated me because this film was shot there on location. I had always wondered about what filming was like, how the star actors and reenactors got on, and how all those men so perfectly recaptured the essence of the battle. I consider this to be the best film on the Battle of Gettysburg, at least among Hollywood films. Thank you for sharing, sir.
shareI know the man who owns Farnsworth's. The actors who portrayed the Confederates were frequently there on the day off. Not too many notable things happened, except that the guy who played Lee's aid Taylor and his wife (woman who was the kid on Little House on the Prairie - can't remember her name) had a knock-down drag-out in the alley one night and were divorced shortly thereafter (she wrote about it in a book, so there is no big secret here). Stephen Lang jumped up on the bar one night and claimed he had taken the high ground - I asked a waitress if he did the same thing when he came by a couple years ago and she said, "No, he was sober."
shareMy dad was an extra in the film, he was an extra in the barn/field hospital scene where Longstreet visits Hood. You can see his boot in the bottom left corner of the screen in the shot where Longstreets first enters the barn/field hospital lol.
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