Francois Duhamel / Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures
A battle scene in "1917."
- Movie battle scenes aren't all special effects and camera work - the performers acting them out need to be able to play the part.
- To teach them how its done, movie studios bring in advisers with military experience, like former British paratrooper Paul Biddiss.
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Creating a realistic battle scene - whether it's from World War II or the Napoleonic Wars - demands technical know-how and precise attention to detail.
Paul Biddiss, the military technical adviser on the upcoming World War I movie "1917," taught the actors everything they needed to know, from proper foot care to how to hold a weapon, "which allows the actor to concentrate on his primary task. Acting!" Biddis told Insider.
Biddiss has worked on projects from a variety of time periods - "large Napoleonic battles through to World War I, World War II, right up to modern-day battles with Special Forces," Biddiss said.
Read on to learn about how Biddiss prepared "1917" performers for the gruesome, grueling warfare of World War I.