PART THREE - BRINGING IT TOGETHER
After nearly seven months, production resumed on April 1st, 2006 with a return visit to the Historical Village Museum in Sharonville, Ohio. Now equipped with the proper lighting, filming moved inside the Clem house for more scenes of Johnny's life before the war. Cody Piper was now joined with other cast members Jack Dolezal, playing Johnny's father Roman, and Terri Fisher, as his mother Magdalene. Rounding out the remaining family members were Maisie Waters (the niece of Director R. David Burns) playing young Elizabeth Clem, and Wesley Whited (the nephew of Producer Wayne W. Whited) playing Louis Clem. Production went smoothly on this day, finishing ahead of schedule and to the great satisfaction of the cast and crew. Recorded were early scenes involving Johnny and his mother, Magdalene's deathbed, the family around the table where Johnny first announced his desire to leave for war, and a short scene where Elizabeth and Louis return home to tell their father that Johnny ha run away.
Being their first big weekend of shooting, and their first weekend of actual full scene recording, things couldn't have went better. "We were very pleased with the way things turned out that weekend. Our cast did incredible, " says Wayne. "This was Cody's first weekend with other cast members, and the first time he really had to act. Everything shot before were montage and reaction shots. This was the real deal. And he exceeded himself wonderfully."
Now with their first full scenes in the can, the production went on a second (but shorter) break as they prepared to handle the remaining bulk of the film. While Cody was sent out to be fitted for his military uniform, an outfit he would remain in throughout the remainder of production, the crew shot one more scene the weekend after - a short cutaway of a lonely picket soldier on duty during the freezing winter.
Cody's first Publicity Photo - June 7th, 2006
Production began once again on June 7th, 2006 with the first of Johnny's military scenes. Now with our star in full uniform, filming of the journal scenes were top priority. Returning to where they began filming in New Richmond, Ohio, an area that would be utilized for many different locations throughout the film, recording of Johnny documenting his first journal entry as well as the first time the boy donned the blue uniform were shot. It was a monumental and important day for the company. With the beginning of the military scenes, it moved the film into the largest and most strenuous period of production.
Filming next moved upstate, where the production crew attended their first filming session at a Civil War Reenactment - Fort Meigs Historical Fort in Perryburg, Ohio. Taking place over the weekend of June 16th and 17th, 2006, the first camp scenes were recorded with Cody alongside the 74th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Reenactors. Unfortunately, due to the location and the large crowds that the reenactment attracts, they were unable to film the scenes originally planned for the weekend, with only one - a short scene of Johnny playing checkers with the Captain, usable in the finished product.
Filming at Ft. Meigs - June 16th, 2006
The following weekend of June 24th and 25, 2006 would bring Cody and the crew to central Ohio and near Johnny Clem's original birthplace in Newark for the Infirmary Mound Reenactment in nearby Granville, Ohio. The first of the battle footage needed for the film war shot there, and the production company utilized the great isolated location to record a number of scenes with Cody in camp. Included in these were more journal scenes, Johnny with the troops, and leisure time in the camp. "Newark 2006 was a great weekend. Both David and I are former reenactors with a long history here in Ohio and it was great going back to an event where we had both participated in the past. Many of our old friends were still there, and they were more than happy to help us out with the filming of the movie," says Wayne.
It was during the month of June that the company first ventured out of state for the first time to Pineville Mountain in Southern Kentucky, a location that was substituting for Lookout Mountain. "I nearly died there!" states David. "We were filming way up at the top of the mountain and I slipped and nearly fell off the side. It was that close. The only thing going through my mind at the time was 'Save the Camera'!" Fortunately, both director and camera came out safe and sound.
Pineville Mountain, Pineville, Kentucky - June 2006
With the month of June done and a vast amount of footage in the can, the production team would move into their largest and busiest filming months yet as they return to the Historical Village Museum one last time. But this time they wouldn't be alone, as large scenes mean large scale and an even larger cast...