Props, Sets & Costumes
P-38 Lightning Fuselage & Cockpit Mockup
For several of the aerial shots in the film, a 1:1 scale, life-size airplane fuselage was built, complete with a detailed cockpit featuring all of the main controls of the P-38 Lightning. Construction on the fuselage was completed using common items found at a local hardware store. Most of the shooting was done in a studio setting with a blue screen, but one important sequence was shot in a heavily wooded area where the fuselage was dressed on location and set up to appear to be crashed in the tropical foliage.
Enfield No. I  Mk III - Replica Prop

This rifle was carried by some Australian units in New Guinea during WWII. While these rifles are available from military surplus providers, it was cost effective to create a replica prop of the gun for our purposes. Our replica Enfields were developed by enlarging a photograph of an actual Enfield rifle to life size measurements. The outline of the printed photo was then traced onto a wooden plank, cut out, sculpted and sanded, and then outfitted with various components purchased from a local hardware store. Special thanks to our friends Mark Keefe and Mike Humphries from American Rifleman Magazine for providing background info on the rifle and to Byron Lee for allowing us use of his actual Enfield rifle to compare to our finished product. More photos of the prop rifles are available in the Photo Gallery.

The Makings of a Gende Village
In April 2006, a generous land owner, Eric Rhodes, allowed us to raid his large stand of bamboo in southern Arkansas. We collected enough bamboo to create several grass huts for our set, as well as spears, bows and arrows, and other weapons and utensils used by the Gende people in the Injury Slight story. The bamboo was cut to specified lengths and will be wired together to form the walls of our set pieces. The sets will be shipped to our shooting location in La Ceiba, Honduras (pictured above) where construction will be completed as we near our shooting dates. More photos will follow as the bamboo is processed and developed into various props and set pieces.
Bamboo Hut Village Set
The bamboo set pieces were developed to create the appearance of several grass huts for our shooting location in Honduras. These pieces are actually false fronts built onto portable frames. In reality, everything about the grass huts is an illusion. The individual bamboo poles are cut in half, lengthwise, to reduce their weight but appear to be whole when viewed from a certain angle. The poles are wired together to form a wall, which is then fastened to a frame. The standing structure is a semi-circle that is designed to create a "forced-perspective", meaning that it gives the illusion of size and depth. Pictures of the finished village are posted in the Photo Gallery.
WWII Period Costumes
Developing the uniforms and costumes for the characters in Injury Slight took several hours of research. Many of the pieces were made from scratch based on photographs from World War II. Every resource available was utilized, from our sewing machines and power tools in the workshop to discovering original items on eBay. In comparison to the real thing, the Injury Slight costumes certainly fit the bill!
 
"Sully" - WWII USAAF Fighter Pilot
Handmade items from Sully's costume include his Mae West life preserver, parachute and harness, and goggles. The khaki uniform itself and cloth flying helmet are reproductions of original G.I. gear. Other items include a Colt .45 replica pistol, original WWII vintage belt and pouches, and a replica jungle knife.
Australian Infantry - Jungle Attire, New Guinea Interior
The only items not developed or altered in some way for the Aussie's costumes are their boots! The guns, canteens, belts, spats, and bedrolls were all made in our workshop. The backpacks, suspenders, and pouches are modified equipment from a modern day military surplus store. The olive green uniforms are altered Dickies work clothes and the khaki hat bands were added to a modern bush hat to re-create the Aussie look.
Native people of Papua New Guinea
Based on the photographs of the WWII era, our contacts in the Garifuna community in Honduras created the native costumes. While details may vary in style throughout New Guinea, certain items are found among several tribes: for men, the lap-lap, worn around the waist in varying lengths and for women, the traditional grass skirt.
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