Good re-enactors are musts, when filming
Civil War for television, motion pictures

Actor Sam Elliott may have said it best.

“These guys come with their wardrobe, they come with their weaponry. They come with all the accouterments. They also come with the (Civil War) stuff in their heads and in their hearts.”

Elliott worked with hundreds of Civil War re-enactors in the film Gettysburg and, in a documentary about the film, had nothing but praise for those who plied their hobby in living history and battle scenes.

The veteran action star, however, is not alone in his appreciation.

“Re-enactors in the movies is a dream come true,” one filmmaker said. “They come with their uniforms, equipment, a weapon and even their horses. Also, they have knowledge of the period and even may know things like drill that you won’t have to teach them. All that adds up to a great cost saving.”

Other producers point out that re-enactors bring realism in battles, language, wardrobe, weapons and other accessories.

“By being use to a para-military environment, re-enactors work together well and are used to taking direction (orders),”another added. “With their experience and attitudes, scenes can be shot with less setup and in less takes. Time is also saved because they don’t have to go to wardrobe, props, weapons and wranglers each day to receive and return their image. For the film crew, time is money, often many thousands of dollars per hour. The need for less support personnel in these departments also saves the production financially.”

Wages, benefits, wardrobe, props, livestock, agents and unions – all are areas that should concern the re-enactor interested in the industry.

“It really doesn’t matter whether you want to do it for fun or for a living,” a re-enactor agent explained. “If you don’t know the facts, you won’t get the most return for your effort and you could lose more than you gain.”

Wages depend on area of the country and whether it’s a union shoot. Generally, an extra (the re-enactor) would receive $100 per shoot day. That’s for eight hours with a time-and-a-half rate after that. For uniform and gear, pay averages from $65-80 per shoot day with weapon rental ranging from $20-$40.

Re-enactors are warned to check on such things as workman’s compensation disability and quality of other benefits, including food, water, etc. Such information often can be obtained from the staff who have worked previous shoots.

Elliott points out that television and motion picture executives are very fortunate to have re-enactors involved. In fact, a Civil War epic couldn’t be made without them.

“There’s no question about that,” he concludes.