Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535749
48 • THE ARTISAN SUMMER 2025 character and Johnny cut his hair to the proper length for the period. Because his hair color was very dark, it was stripped, and a lighter shade was added and then blown out to resemble the style of the real Brigham Young. Similarly, legendary adventurer Jim Bridger, portrayed by Shea Whigham, demanded attention. We had Shea start growing his facial hair from day one. Shea, one of my favorite actors to work with, offered Johnny and me a fantastic opportunity to really explore Bridger's character. I paid particular attention to his hands, wanting them to look beaten and worn from a lifetime of labor. I trimmed his nails very short and worked dirt and grime into them until they appeared almost black, achieving a truly authentic look. Johnny realized that his hair was already long enough and that made things easier. All Johnny needed to do was take a razor to his hair and cut it to look more unruly and uneven. Using the same product, he instructed his team to use on everyone else to give the appearance of months-old grime. Jamie Kelman was the mastermind behind Dane DeHaan's prosthetic application. e prosthetics, designed and created by KNB, were sculpted by JD Bowers, and produced in silicone by Derek Krout and Gabi Gonzalez. e process involved two stages: a double-layered prosthetic that allowed for the actual scalping, followed by a sutured top-of-the-head piece. e hairpieces, craed by Khanh Trance, were applied by Johnny and Jamie, with the final touches of blood and gore meticulously administered to maintain scene continuity. Dane's sharp eye caught any inconsistency, and Jamie was equally meticulous, ensuring nothing improper slipped through. Together, they developed several stages showing the wound becoming infected and festering— symbolic of Dane's mental descent into suffering. One memorable incident involved the scalping scene. Originally, due to limited daylight, Peter Berg had suggested filming the scalping dry and adding blood digitally. is idea didn't sit well with any of us, so Jamie proposed rigging a blood bladder to achieve practical effects on camera. I was all for it. We quickly set up on set, ran two takes without blood, and when Peter expressed doubts, I informed him that we had rigged it to bleed on camera immediately. On the count of three, as the actor executed the scalp cut and Dane began to scream, I hit the syringe—the blood exploded out just as planned. When Peter shouted "CUT," he entered the set grinning and declared, "Now that's what I'm talking about." Practical effects, as it turned out, worked best. Craing the Native American characters was a process entirely its own. Derek Hinkey, who portrayed Red Feather—the leader of the Shoshone tribe—provided us with invaluable insights. Johnny and I were determined that every Native look was as authentic as possible and respectful of the actor's heritage. Actors like Derek, Tokala Black Elk, Nanabah Grace, and Jeremy Gauna previously recounted experiences L-R: Betty Gilpin (Sara Rowell), Preston Mota (Devin Rowell), and Shawnee Pourier (Two Moons) Johnny Villanueva and Heidi Baca ready one of the many Native supporting cast Make-up artist Kristen Caldon does finals on Betty Gilpin as Sara, as Johnny Villanueva secures her bonnet Make-up artist Allie Swift puts the final touches on actor Duncan Vezain as the French Cannibal Native ceremonial make-ups