Police Uniform
- Thread starter sfoster
- Start date
You can find forum posts about this if you Google "Rick Grimes sheriff costume," as for a regular non-sheriff costume, you need a black dress shirt and pants to start out. Unless of course you get a leather jacket and jeans and go for the 70s detective look. Of course, even a regular suit could cover the modern day detective look.
Can you cast your cop friend in the role? Might have to cover up any department-specific logos/names but that way you wouldn't have to worry about borrowing stuff.
It shouldn't be difficult. I simply googled 'Cheap Police Uniform' and got half a dozen costume/apparel websites that'll put together a good looking outfit for under $100 or so... In all honesty, it looks like most of the sites sell you the individual components - which comprise pretty simply of navy/black clothing. The 'cop' look is less the clothing, and more the badge, belt, boots, etc.
http://www.uniformswarehouse.com/prostores/servlet/StoreFront
http://www.keeprs.com/osCommerce/police-uniforms-mens-c-244_124_140.html
http://www.chiefsupply.com/apparel/
https://www.atlantictactical.com/category/apparel-uniforms
EDIT: Another random idea - go to an Army Surplus store. They'll have everything you need, and it shouldn't be too expensive. I went in one awhile back with my Marine buddy - I was incredibly surprised at the kind of crap they sell (Pretty much everything - it's like the armed forces (Of everything, even, and especially the Confederacy...) meets your local flea market.
http://www.uniformswarehouse.com/prostores/servlet/StoreFront
http://www.keeprs.com/osCommerce/police-uniforms-mens-c-244_124_140.html
http://www.chiefsupply.com/apparel/
https://www.atlantictactical.com/category/apparel-uniforms
EDIT: Another random idea - go to an Army Surplus store. They'll have everything you need, and it shouldn't be too expensive. I went in one awhile back with my Marine buddy - I was incredibly surprised at the kind of crap they sell (Pretty much everything - it's like the armed forces (Of everything, even, and especially the Confederacy...) meets your local flea market.
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No, this is a very demanding role I have to play myself, but I am going to ask him to be my patrol partner so that I don't have to purchase a second uniform
BeatlesFan - right it's easy to find stuff for clothes. I was hoping someone might have put this together before and would know a cheaper way to do things. I'm on a really tight budget.
The army surplus store is a good idea, I'm going to look into that, thanks!
Sometimes guerrilla filmmaking requires some outside-the-box thinking. You know anyone planning a bachelorette party? You could always book a male stripper to do a cop routine, then as soon as he rips his uniform off grab it and run...
A solid plan. I will work on my jetpack for the getaway, since strippers exercise for a living and can likely outrun me
We just purchased uniforms for a whole police force using Uniforms Ware House and Chief Supply. Uniforms Ware House is by the cheapest!! The rest of the things we purchased from Amazon.
You mean things like the department, etc? I'd say it varies - for close-ups I'd guess they use real, or very close replicas, which will be slightly different for every city. Generally they have the city/county/etc, rank, department/branch, and a badge number, plus there's often the appropriate state seal.
There are a few generic shapes that are common though, so for stuff that's just part of a detail on a costume you probably just need to get the appropriate shape.
Start here for some examples:
https://www.google.com/search?q=police+badge&tbm=isch
Also - most badge places will probably want to see ID if you're ordering anything that appears to be a real badge for a law enforcement agency. You may have to stick with a generic security badge, or else get a prop replica from a character in a movie or something.
There are a few generic shapes that are common though, so for stuff that's just part of a detail on a costume you probably just need to get the appropriate shape.
Start here for some examples:
https://www.google.com/search?q=police+badge&tbm=isch
Also - most badge places will probably want to see ID if you're ordering anything that appears to be a real badge for a law enforcement agency. You may have to stick with a generic security badge, or else get a prop replica from a character in a movie or something.
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Yeah all the custom badge places seem really particular about wording and say you can't use police, etc. But I discovered on amazon you can buy badges that say special police and stuff like that.
I also discovered this on a police forum
plenty of patches that you can order off ebay though for different departments .. hmm
FWIW when this is all finished I will post my itemized list of purchases and a photo of me as a cop.
There are definitely legality issues when using real department insignia. Scorsese famously had to change the Massachusetts State Police logo in The Departed when the commonwealth wouldn't license it.
Well crap.
That makes it a lot more complicated if I need to design a custom police logo, instead of just buying a rochestor police patch to sew into the shoulder. They have real ones for sale on ebay
Damn all this red tape.. I will call the MD film board next week
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I was just looking for an update. What happened with your uniform requirement?
I called the MD film board twice.
Both times I was told the person I needed to talk to was out of the office.
I need to finish the police uniform still.
Been updating the script instead.
One thing I might do is buy an existing patch and then alter it + a fake city name. Easier than scratch and no longer infringement. Once I finish this pass on the script it'll be back to the officer uniform.
Hopefully I can start filming in march or april