PART SIX - REMOUNTING 2006

 

"As September approached, we knew that we were going to have to make some drastic changes to our schedule. Our original filming schedule had the bulk of all filming done during the Summer of 2006 which would leave us with only reshoots and some small scenes left to record in the fall. But we had quite a few setbacks in planning during the summer months. Our original intention was to film all the camp scenes at reenactments. But with the problems we had at the First Bull Run event and then even more at Hale Farm, we didn't get any of them shot. So we had to improvise. And as it turns out, it worked to our advantage."

By the end of August, many important scenes still remained to be filmed. All camp scenes with the 22nd Michigan, including Johnny's first approach to the captain, his appearance at the hospital after Chickamauga, and all camp life and chores scenes had yet to be recorded. Also unfilmed was the scene where Johnny, delivering a dispatch to General Logan, is wounded by an exploding nearby shell. "This one worried me the most. I was very keen to do it, but David wasn't as sure," states Wayne. "After all, we didn't have a pyrotechnic ian for the film and we weren't sure how we were going to do it."

"It was decided upon our return from Chickamauga that we would simply have to remount the shots in a suitable location, on a set that we could have complete control without the hassle of public spectators, passing vehicles, or unwanted background noise," adds David. The idea was introduced to the re enactors attending the Snodgrass Hill filming on August 18th-20th and was received positively. With the help of their core group, the 4th Ohio, plans were set forth to erect a camp set and calls were made for all re enactors to attend a filming date over the weekend of September 16th and 17th, 2006. "We had once again just enough people to make it work. It was small, about 15 tents, but with some clever angles and some shifting here and there it was made to look like part of a larger campsite. And interlaced with the large-scale footage we did get shot in Virginia, it worked quite well." Returning to New Richmond, Ohio, a location used many times throughout the film, they began to set up with the help of the returning members of the 4th Ohio. "We'd actually used this exact location twice before for other shots in the film. The first was back during our very first weekend of filming in 2005 where Johnny is playing in the tall grass, and the second was the first shot of Cody in military uniform that we recorded in June with Johnny writing in his diary. In fact, the area is actually owned by the Burns family. It's David's parents' back yard!"

Saturday, September 16th started out early in the morning with a on-set call of 8am to begin the hectic filming of the camp scenes. They had a long list of shots to be filmed, and only two days to complete them all. Working a breakneck pace, the day began with shots of Johnny doing camp chores such as washing dishes and chopping wood. Then, they moved onto other shots such as Johnny trying hardtack for the first time, soldiers eating, the men of the 22nd Michigan giving their pay up to Johnny, and then moving on to one of the more important scenes of the day, Johnny's first approach to the regiment to join. Stepping out from behind the camera again to play the part of Captain Atkinson was director David Burns. Producer Wayne Whited then stepped into the director's shoes for this special occasion. "I actually enjoyed it. I've always been a producer at heart with no desire to direct or act. But it was a lot of fun being able to take control for these few scenes when David was performing."

With the sun rapidly disappearing, one final shot was needed to complete the day's schedule. "It was the shot of Johnny getting wounded. We still wasn't sure how we were going to do it. But we decided to go ahead and film it." The scene was recorded under the direction of producer Wayne Whited. "There really was only one way we could do it properly and that was to have the explosion placed into the shot digitally in post-production," comments Wayne. "Johnny was turning out to be a monster of a film to put together in post-production, requiring a lot of CGI and digital tricks to get the shots like we want them. By the time we got around to this shot, I was already considering the idea of putting together our own visual effects company, headed by me, to handle any more FX that was needed on this and any future films." The shot needed was recorded just before sundown that evening. "It looked so funny," says David. "We had our five extras and Cody out on an empty field and then Wayne would shout 'BOOM!' and everyone would throw themselves to the ground. They had to do it at least five times to get it right. But the shot looked incredible and the sun was just right."

The following day would see the camp rearranged and shifted around to create the hospital set needed for the shoot. "I originally envisioned the hospital to take place in a barn but that just wasn't possible," says David. "I had considered dropping the scene but we ended up remounting it using the camp that we had. It worked and I'm glad we kept it." The shot ended up taking the entire morning of September 17th before the crew broke for lunch. This day was a chance for producer Wayne Whited to step in front of the camera, just as his partner Burns had done the day before. "I really didn't want to be seen on camera, and the Doctor's part was originally set for another person but he couldn't make it that day so I took the part," says Wayne.