The Issue of Historically Accurate Costumes

Whenever I tell someone that I have a new screenplay that I want to produce, they always ask me the same question. It's not "What is it about?" It's not "What genre is it?" The first question I always get from friends and family is "WHEN does it take place?" They just assume that it isn't present day! And, I guess that's a fair question since all but one of my recent short films that I wrote and directed over the past 3 or 4 years have been historical fiction! (When the Lights Go On Again is WW2, 'Til I Come Home ( a commissioned piece) is WW1, Cotton Clouds is 1911, Dandelion is present day.)

I love history! And, I really love making it come alive on screen! But, a huge challenge of historical films is accurate costumes. It would be so much easier to costume a cast from Goodwill or Old Navy!

For all of my other films, I've been fortunate enough to borrow costumes from local theatres. Two of our theatres in town have extensive costume collections and they allow other theatres and filmmakers to come pick from their stock! This was perfect when we had a large cast of background to costume for Cotton Clouds! However, Wayward presents even more challenges.

Mercy and Bennett will be the only two actors on screen for much of the film. Therefore, they and their costumes have to be ready for their closeups! Costumes have to be accurate! In theatre, costumes can be a bit more forgiving since the audience is generally seated far away from the stage. Not so on screen. Another challenge is that the siblings will face some physical challenges throughout the course of the film. So, their clothes will get torn and dirty. Because of the way films are shot out of sequence, we will need to have one set of pristine clothes and one set that can be literally dragged through the mud! Because of this, we can't just borrow these costumes!

Enter our wonderful friend, Kathy! Kathy is a professional costume designer for stage and screen! And, she decided she would like to lend her expertise to this project! She knows we are a poor, start-up production company, but she still is willing to take time out of her VERY busy life to pour into Wayward! She has been sketching, measuring and searching for fabrics! And, we are just so excited to have her design these one of a kind, special, historically accurate costumes for Mercy and Bennett!

(Top) Kathy and Chloe met up at Blue Cow for a delicious costume meeting! (Bottom Left) We were fortunate enough to find beautiful fabric at a great price at a local shop. (Bottom Right) Chloe and Kathy picked gorgeous fabric...one of which is a one of a kind silk blend from the only bolt of this fabric in existence!

Searching for Bennett

Bennett Yates is the central figure in Wayward. It's very important that we find just the right boy to play this very emotionally demanding role! A casting call was put out and we received a GREAT response! Our timing is tricky since, in Virginia, many schools and Fall sports will have begun at the time we begin shooting. Despite this challenge we still received about twice the number of auditions that we expected! And, all of them are AMAZING! If someone asked me what is one of the most difficult parts of filmmaking, I would have to say "CASTING!"

Research Trip to Williamsburg

Wayward takes place in Charlottesville, VA, near the end of the Revolutionary War. I wanted to take a trip to Charlottesville to walk in the places Bennett and Mercy would have walked. I wanted to place myself there, near Monticello and on the cobblestone streets, to more fully immerse myself in my story! So, a few weeks ago, I took off and enjoyed an afternoon in Charlottesville!

Charlottesville is 2 hours from my home. Williamsburg is just 2 more hours away and in a direct path of Revolutionary history! So, once in Charlottesville, we decided to go on to Williamsburg to pick up some props that we'll need for the film. It can't get much more authentic than directly from Colonial Williamsburg!

I want everything to be historically accurate so the props needed to be just right! I got to talk in depth with some Colonial Williamsburg reenactors who work in the Dressmaker's Shop! They shared a lot with me about the clothing that Bennett and Mercy would wear...down to their sock garters and the particular way that tri-corn hats were folded for different people of the 1700s!

The Governor's Palace, some of Bennett's belongings and some replica coins from this era

I also got to talk to some local shop owners and collectors who told me about some archaeological digs that happened in the recent years, where some Revolutionary War waistcoat buttons were unearthed. Apparently a LOT of buttons are unearthed in digs! I am now the proud owner of a real 1700s button! In the film a button becomes a symbol of hope and love. So, it's pretty special to have my very own relic from this bygone era!