WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Filming of The Conspirator brings Ft. Pulaski back to life
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WTOC's Mike Cihla is an extra in the movie The Conspirator.By Justin Burrows - email
FORT PULASKI, GA (WTOC) - It would have been a typical day at Fort Pulaski, the sight of men in uniforms and top hats, wagon wheels and pop-up tents. A typical day, if it was 1865.
But we didn't go back in time or fall in a black hole, this is the latest location shoot of the film The Conspirator.
The civil war-era film has been shooting since Monday at Fort Pulaski, and at times has had more than 165 extras and leading actors roaming the fort in period appropriate costume.
"It really almost took you back in time and to be in this location, which is a civil war fort, it was really kind of erie at times," said the superintendent of Fort Pulaski Randy Wester.
Wester says the fort is normally pretty quiet and that this breath of life has been a shock to many of the national monument's visitors.
"Most people have been very surprised and very excited to some extent that they're getting sort of a double dose of history," said Wester.
"We wanted to see Tybee Island and so this is our first stop to see the fort and surprise," laughed Jan Zimmerman, who was visiting the monument with her husband from Indiana.
Even WTOC's own Mike Cihla got a bit of surprise when it came to the costume. He's been participating in the filming as an extra, and we asked him which suit he would rather wear, that of an anchor or soldier?
"Well, this one is a little hot. It's actually wool, so here in the summer like months of Savannah. Not too good. Little bit of sweat underneath, so, I think we'll keep the tie on for now," said Mike Cihla in his civil war uniform.
And for now it remains 1865, until the director yells cut.
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