Mighty Eighth : Who will make the jackets?

[chamboid]

Of course the CGI will be good, and Lucas Arts did Red tail's with a completely different style an sentiment behind it. Red Tails was sadly a comic book, and was 'too clean' , and totally hollywood-sied but you will have to trust Spielburg and his production company to get it right. They're not going to make Red Tails, it will be Band of Brothers in the Sky. and something which f long overdue.

Having aid that it will be a lot trickier , but he'll pull it of

 

[ausreenactor]

Of course the CGI will be good, and Lucas Arts did Red tail's with a completely different style an sentiment behind it. Red Tails was sadly a comic book, and was 'too clean' , and totally hollywood-sied but you will have to trust Spielburg and his production company to get it right. Having aid that it will be a lot trickier , but he'll pull it of

That is what everybody thought about The Pacific.... Hope they focus on one Squadron or crew.. as opposed to telling three stories, with wide range of directors.. Will be worth it, but after the Red Tails hype I am not getting too excited. I hope the Dambusters gets sorted first.... have to get Peter Jackson back into 'little bombers-ses' and not Hobbit-ses..

Couchy

 

[chamboid]

The Pacific was trying something different, and didn't quite manage it. It's interesting that out of a entire company you can feel like you know them beter than the individual stories in the pacific. They were trying to tell to much, and hit too many points as opposed to sticking to the same regiment.

The Pacific has it's own merits though, it captures what a strange fight it was, and how relatively fast it moved.

I'm sure they would have learnt their lesson, there is so much to draw from, and basing it around say two crews, 20 men, plus replacements, you could have a nice core cast to tell a story that essentially hasn't been told.

Graphics is that last thing to worry about though, I couldn't care if some hasn't got the correct period zipper etc. as long as the story is engaging and I'm in volved with the characters.

 

[TankBuster]

The Pacific was trying something different, and didn't quite manage it. It's interesting that out of a entire company you can feel like you know them beter than the individual stories in the pacific. They were trying to tell to much, and hit too many points as opposed to sticking to the same regiment.

The Pacific has it's own merits though, it captures what a strange fight it was, and how relatively fast it moved.

I'm sure they would have learnt their lesson, there is so much to draw from, and basing it around say two crews, 20 men, plus replacements, you could have a nice core cast to tell a story that essentially hasn't been told.

Graphics is that last thing to worry about though, I couldn't care if some hasn't got the correct period zipper etc. as long as the story is engaging and I'm in volved with the characters.

According to a different forum, both Hanks and Spielburg are collectors of painted and patched A-2 jacket groups. If that's really the case, we hopefully will not have to worry about jacket authenticity.

 

[Anonymous]

My contacts tell me the costume designing might, and I stress might be done by Joe Hobbs, having done the Pacific, and Band of Brothers. He resides in England, so maybe ELC, and a local talent for art work?

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Got a some good leads and direction concerning this movie. I'll put together a small grouping of ETO type patches and some period style nose art on a nice piece of JC's horsehide and see what happens after I send it out. Not gonna knock myself out, but it'll be a good shot at it. It'll be worth the days work anyway.

 

[Marv]

I would say possibly GW for the A2's and ELC for the shearlings, B10s, A10 gloves etc....but who knows, with Hanks and Spielburg's contacts then may gain access to the thousands of original mint A2s locked away in Western Costumes hidden vault

 

[John Lever]

I would say possibly GW for the A2's and ELC for the shearlings, B10s, A10 gloves etc....but who knows, with Hanks and Spielburg's contacts then may gain access to the thousands of original mint A2s locked away in Western Costumes hidden vault

The jackets would need to look quite new as I think the 8th was deployed in 1941. Vintage jackets would look too old.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess those jackets locked in the vault must be well preserved.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

If this movie is based on a book, does it focus on a certain squadron , squadrons, or group?

 

[kiltie]

If this movie is based on a book, does it focus on a certain squadron , squadrons, or group?

It's pretty well all encompassing, from inception to the end of the war, including back story on heavy bomber theory from the Billy Mitchell days. If I had to pin point a major theme, I'd say it was the presentation of those theories and how they were applied; largely a failure in terms of the cost of lives and material in the beginning, but finally gaining traction after much trial and error.

One of the coolest recurring elements, I think, is that they present bits of transcriptions from post war interviews and interrogation sessions with Albert Speer, regarding the successes and failures as observed by the German administration. A lot of: "If you'd just bombed ( THIS THING ) one mere time, we would have been finished..." or, conversely - "Bombing ( THAT THING ) was a total waste..."

I can't impress enough what a good read it is. A perfect primer for the 8th, because of it's reach. As a result, I do have some trepidation about a dramatic series, because it doesn't focus much on individuals ( at least the "boots in the air" ). Might be cool to see somebody cast a Jimmy Stewart, though, as he gets a few pages...

 

[TOMG1401]

models: stukas, me 109's, hurricanes, spits, HE 111's with smoke streamers. A few hurricanes , spits, 2 He 111's, a couple of Bouchon BF 109's. Not gonna make it for the number of aircraft needed to tell the 8th's story over 3 years in combat and yeah in 1966 that wasn't bad

 

[NW Carver]

As covered before, the majority of the dogfights and flying sequences were actually using real aircraft (see link below).
http://www.aeroreg.co.uk/html/BoB_1968.htm

The models used in the film were the Stukas (my mate has one of the flying models used in the film in his museum, and its huge), and the odd ME109, Spitfire,Hurricane and Heinkel used as models to 'crash' into the sea or beach (in one scene a Spitfire gets shot down and crashes into the beach on fire).

The aircraft actually doing the dog-fighting, the formations of bombers breaking away, etc are ALL real aircraft - in the taxing scenes as the bombers assemble to hit England (filmed in Spain, as the the weather was too bad to film it in the UK for that scene), you can actually just make out the Spanish Air Force roundels next to the German Cross on the main wings under the film Luftwaffe paint that has been hastily applied...You can also see, in the same shot, up in the sky on the edge of the frame the B25 Camera aircraft circling as they wait for the aircraft to take off...

As an aside, they filmed this in 1968 - and there is a sequence where the Heinkels are seen heading over the Thames Estuary towards London, flying over Tilbury Docks on the way - you get a clear shot of the docks and Tilbury through the bombadiers position of the aircraft. At the time this was filmed, I was just over 1 years and 4 months old and below the aircraft living in Tilbury with my parents at my nans house, as they flew over...apparently the noise made me look up and point at the sky...as well as bringing back lots of memories for my grandparents who were in the town when it was actually being bombed heavily by Luftwaffe Heinkels...

My friend is an official historian for the BoB film (believe it or not) who travels the country lecturing on this topic, with various props etc from the film...

I will have to get him to pop in and say hello

 

[havocpaul]

As covered before, the majority of the dogfights and flying sequences were actually using real aircraft (see link below).
http://www.aeroreg.co.uk/html/BoB_1968.htm

The models used in the film were the Stukas (my mate has one of the flying models used in the film in his museum, and its huge), and the odd ME109, Spitfire,Hurricane and Heinkel used as models to 'crash' into the sea or beach (in one scene a Spitfire gets shot down and crashes into the beach on fire).

The aircraft actually doing the dog-fighting, the formations of bombers breaking away, etc are ALL real aircraft - in the taxing scenes as the bombers assemble to hit England (filmed in Spain, as the the weather was too bad to film it in the UK for that scene), you can actually just make out the Spanish Air Force roundels next to the German Cross on the main wings under the film Luftwaffe paint that has been hastily applied...You can also see, in the same shot, up in the sky on the edge of the frame the B25 Camera aircraft circling as they wait for the aircraft to take off...

As an aside, they filmed this in 1968 - and there is a sequence where the Heinkels are seen heading over the Thames Estuary towards London, flying over Tilbury Docks on the way - you get a clear shot of the docks and Tilbury through the bombadiers position of the aircraft. At the time this was filmed, I was just over 1 years and 4 months old and below the aircraft living in Tilbury with my parents at my nans house, as they flew over...apparently the noise made me look up and point at the sky...as well as bringing back lots of memories for my grandparents who were in the town when it was actually being bombed heavily by Luftwaffe Heinkels...

My friend is an official historian for the BoB film (believe it or not) who travels the country lecturing on this topic, with various props etc from the film...

I will have to get him to pop in and say hello

Would love to see the lectures. I have re-read many times the book that was published at the time explaining the background stories to how the film was made and the excellent behind-the-scenes work done by Hamish Mahaddie to obtain and bring to the UK all the Spanish '109's' and 'Heinkels', alot more than just a couple or even a few! I, as an 11 year old, bought all the tie-in toys, (remember the Dinky Stuka that dropped a capbomb!), bubble gum cards postcard sets, cut-out aircraft gliders etc etc. So for me it still stands as the best aviation film for its flying sequences and special effects especially the raid on Duxford and the blowing-up of the hangar (not meant to be!). And back to jackets...I still would like to get Lewis Leathers to make me an exact copy of the jacket (cross between a Dominator and Corsair according to Derek at LL) they made for the Luftwaffe fighter pilots

 

[NW Carver]

Yes, I have that book too - an original 1969 edition - amazing read! And I had the Stuka but also the Spitfire!

I will have a word and see when/where he is giving his exhibition and lecture...he has some fantastic props from the filming, including some of the flying kit props that were used (mostly wrong)..

 

[havocpaul]

Thanks, would be good. Yes, the Spit that had battery-operated prop, hours of fun with that too! I have both hardback and paperback from 1969, might read it again soon.

 

[Dr H]

And I had the Stuka but also the Spitfire!

In addition to those two, I had the ME109 (sand coloured with mottled green camouflage) and the Hurricane with the wing cannons - and the thumbwheel operated cannon noise...

 

[NW Carver]

I think we may be able to recreate some scenes from the film if we get together

 

[Peter Graham]

And I had the Stuka but also the Spitfire!

In addition to those two, I had the ME109 (sand coloured with mottled green camouflage) and the Hurricane with the wing cannons - and the thumbwheel operated cannon noise...

I had all those bar the Hurricane. I don't even remember it. Are you sure you're not fibbing ?

 

[MikeyB-17]

Now you mention it, I had all 4-Spit, ME109, Stuka and Hurricane. No cannon or thumbwheel on my Hurri though. Forgot about the cap bomb on the Stuka, I bet a lot of those went AWOL fairly quickly. In fact I probably still have all of them, but in a very battered state.