Schmoopy, not sure who you are but sure we've already run into each other on set. As we have everything including our wedding rings removed, I'm assuming schmoopy is one of the assistants and not an extra or actor

Anyway I'm one of the extras, and I am fortunate enough to have been filming 13th & 14th with Leckies' (James Badge Dale) outfit. The actors are a real great bunch of guys, down to earth and a total pack of clowns. When I signed up as an extra I expected to be some background lackie, but by some fortunate twist ended up in their company. We filmed the arrival of 1/7 led by Puller (William Sadler), and then the beginning of a patrol with Stone (Toby Moore). I assume we will continue the patrol which was to be of the Lunga river, sometime this week. A total blast and loads of fun, even doing the same scene 14 times from different angles !! All I do know is I am on film big time and can't wait to see the finished series

In fact the scenes we filmed were based on a timeline of six weeks after the arrival on Guadalcanal, so sequences will be shot all over the place as the weather, actors and such requires.

Alot of the lines were improvised and to hear the actors pulled up for making references to 'doing each other' in jest was quite funny. Capt. Dye is really on the ball in keeping the account as historically accurate as possible.

Hope to have some more info soon....

Thanks for that info, that was great!

That is great! I am obsessed with historical accuracy and when they get to the point where they are concerned about language, then I know we're in for something special.

Great !

Og ikke noe tull uti skogen naa da !

Thats really good you've managed to get involved with this ozextra! By the sounds of everything I've heard so far this will turn out a great piece of work so you certainly are privileged. Is certainly interesting to hear a perspective from the inside of the goings on.

Sorry for the long break between posts... busy times on set.

Episode 1 is a wrap and filming begins on episode 5, based in Peleliu.

I have noted other posts in the forum about wanting pics. Not gonna happen, as the contracts signed by all means that no one with half a brain would give up what we are doing just to release a few pics. Its just not worth it.

Anyways as for filming the marines in charge have given us instructions as to what they expect of the extras, especially considering the fact we are representing men who are worthy of the best possible portrayal of both their heroics and their deaths. Its been hard going for alot as the PT comes thick and fast between takes and the extras are whipped into shape for the coming battle scenes, which will be alot more physical than what we have done so far.

The camaraderie grows between all as we help each other to push past what may be obstacles for some and a chore for others. All I can say is when you see the film you will be seeing not just actors portraying men long dead, but friends working together to honor those same men.

Hopefully when all the filming is finished alot of us will stay in contact as I can honestly say I've made some great friends so far and have done my best to be the same to others.

It really brings home to one the experiences these marines went through in 1942, with incredibly detailed scenes of bodies strewn across the sand and the reports of the artillery echoing through the trees.

A ramble I know but will give a bit more actual set detail once I've caught up on some sleep as 14 hour days can take their toll

I'm glad to hear that you're having a great experience on set. Kind of makes me wish I was there. Well, glad to know the reason we were going so dry is because you guys were so busy on the set. Good luck with the Peliliu episode. I have full confidence that what is put on screen will honor the memory of the Marines.

Thanks Oz
I love reading your behind-the-scenes reports

Thanks Oz. This work means a lot and I don't need any photos. Just your comments about the production are precious. My dad fought on Peleliu so this is personal for me.

Thanks for the update. I just finished reading Sledge's account of the battle at Peleliu. If they get half of the stuff in the book on film, then you guys certainly will have your work cut out for you. Good luck and keep us posted!

I don't think we'll have to wait too much longer for photos from the set to filter thru to be honest. If I know Australians, someone, somewhere will take a photo, perhaps ill advised and post it. Its just the nature of that particular industry, and the current climate of phone cameras.

Confidentiality agreements aside, it wil be pretty hard to supress something like Tom Hanks being in a small township like Mossman or Cairns. There was a report (unconfirmed) on a media website last week that he attended a local restaurant and left a $1200 tip for example.

The Queensland Government is well known for its support of the film industry, and in the last few months there have been photos of the Premier Peter Beattie on the set of the Baz Luhrman production with Nicole Kidman, so for a media opportunity like that, I think you will find that selected images and photos will come out. Peter beattie with Tom Hanks, local sugar cane farmer who's property they were using etc.

Back in April the media were running those type of stories and generating the interest.

To those at work on the series...

So what do you make of the photos emerging via flickr, posted by "Rens Spanjaard"? Like many curious web surfers, I was more than a little interested to see them.

Seamus (the red)
PS--if I missed comment on this in another post, some please direct me.

3 weeks till filming is wrapped here in North Queensland and the filming has intensified.

Whilst filming with the main characters continues on the main camp sets, doubles for the actors sit in the amtracks to fill out previously shot scenes, in particular the disembarking of these from the warships.

Spending the day in the an amtrack is a mighty fun way to be on the water. After a slight hiccup with one of the troop carrier amtracks springing a leak, all continued well. The rumble of these things on the water is amazing, with the 2 troop carriers, fitted with twin 30 cal guns, and each holding the 2 drivers, 2 gunners and 14 riflemen. Also in the shoot were 2 tank amtracks, as well as 2 ducks loaded with troops. All in all a great day with the weather making for a perfect shoot.

I know a lot of you guys would give anything to ride in these things and I can say it was an incredible if at times uncomfortable experience . Disembarking from the carrier down the ramp is somewhat like a rollercoaster without the waves and screams.

Filming is scheduled to wrap here on October 30, with the filming of Henderson Air Field, and the Japanese Island invasions to be done south in Victoria.

As to the photos released by the tourist with the camera he smuggled on set, as far as I know he's no longer filming. Worth it? I don't think so. I would love to have photos of us in our gear just for ourselves but I don't think I would give up even 1 day of this for a few photos. Perhaps as we end the filming we might be able to take a few personal shots, and if so I will be happy to post them. But till then I'm gonna make sure I enjoy every moment on set and not do anything to jeopardise it.

So Oz, no flamethrowers yet? Report to me when they will be used Are you playing a rifleman? And damn, you are lucky beeing an extra. I would pay like 2000$ for just show in like 2 seconds.

Yes sorry, there have been flamethrowers used. For the Peleliu episodes the beach battle scenes did have flamethrowers. I wasnt there for the filming of those but some mates who were said it was incredible being there.

And yes to being a rifleman. Some of the guys have the BAR's, some are corpsmen, and the majority of us plebs had the springfield 303's for the first 2 episodes and then the M1 and M1 carbines for the Peleliu scenes.

Springfields are 30/06 ozextra...Capt Dale Dye USMC will have you doing 20 pushups if you say that !!!

M17's were 303 calibre.

How many are "real" rifles etc. and how many are rubber weapons? I'm always curious as to how many of the extras get to use real WWII weapons.

Actually a large percentage are the real thing. For instance in one scene we had to each click our safety off as we walked past a mic sitting near the trail to give the authenticity to the patrol. For other scenes such as the beach landings where sand and water could get in them we had rubber weapons. They are very well done, and weigh about half as much as the real deal.
So it really depends on what we are filming as to what type of weapon we are carrying. But it makes it seem that bit more special to be holding the real thing

And for the record westfront whilst the caliber of the springfields used at guadalcanal were indeed using .30-06 cartridges they were still referred to as 303's due to the fact that the first variant adopted as a service rifle was the M1903 produced in 1903. The model used at guadalcanal was in fact the M1903A3, a modified version that used the cartridges to which you refer. In fact the .30-03 cartridge was also referred to as the .30-45 due to the 45 grains of powder used in the cartridge, but it was still called the .30-03 in reference to its year of production. These cartridges were replaced in 1905/1906 and all the rifles had their chambers modified to used the .30-06 cartridges. Hence 303 is the term still used to refer to these weapons even though it may not be technically correct. Feel free to google it and alot of the references are still Springfield .303. Check the URL below as an example.

http://www.pacificghosts.com/guadalcana ... field.html

BTW M17 is actually the designation of the bayonet not the rifle...

http://www.rememuseum.org.uk/arms/blade/armbay.htm

Are you allowed to post photos, Oz ?

As previously posted our contract prevents us taking any photos, let alone posting them. And I would prefer to keep my part as an extra over trying to get photos.

I found only one page with Springfield .303, and that was your link.

I think you're getting your 0s and 3s mixed up. The .30-03 cartridge was replaced by the .30-06 like you said. Even in WW1 the Springfield M1903s were using .30-06. The .303 was a Commonwealth cartridge and was never used in any M1903s.

However, most people refer to the M1903 as the '03 (oh three), or, depending on which model, the 03A3 (oh three ay three) and the 03A4 (oh three ay four). I have never ever ever heard anyone say Springfield .303, as it's both incorrect and doesn't make sense.

Ok Btw, long untill you guys are shooting Iwo (if you are going to be a part of it and if you know) ?

Thanks for the confirmation Rambler. I think that it would be safe to say that the Springfields were 30/06 and most probably WW1 issue.

I've been collecting US service rifles and USMC militaria for well over 30 years, I spent 18 years with the state Police Service, the last 7 with the weapons licensing area. I assisted the armourers in meeting legislation requirments and importation of weapons for the filming of " Thin Red Line " in 1997 and "The Great Raid" in 2001 /2002 when it was filmed in Queensland.

I'm therefore pretty comfortable with the fact that US service rifles for the period they are filming were 30/06 not .303.

Perhaps the 303 aspect if the coast watchers and natives being armed with AIF issue Mark III SMLE 303 rifles as a well known photo of an Australian coast watcher and his mates at Henderson Field shows.

Thats ozextra, I'm well aware of the designations P-17, M-17 and what they refer to, but thanks for the offer of research.

Thanks for another great behind-the-scenes report, Oz

Are you still attached to Leckie's group, are have you been moving around to where-ever needed?

Thanks again, I look forward to reading more...

nooo, get photos - now !

Oz, how many extras are there on set? And are there any tanks in use? AND, if you ever talk to Spielberg or Hanks, tell em to check out this website

agree ! Get Spielberg and Hanks to give us a "hi" and post the photo here - that would make our day

Ozextra. Did you come down to Melbourne to continue the shoot?