What Was My Job At The Production Of A Nordic Series In Las Palmas?

One of my favorite jobs is to work in series or cinema productions. I love the job of creating costumes. In 2019 I had the opportunity to work for a production of a Nordic series called „The Ambassador“, which was produced in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish versions with a cast from each respective country and it will premiere this year in 2020 across the Nordic region.

The story is about a Nordic ambassador in Mexico City and that’s why most of the outside scenes were shot in Gran Canaria, because of its Latin American exterior. 

My job as a local costumer was to create the corresponding costumes for various extras, such as Mexican military and police mens of the federal police of Mexico city.

The costumes of the main actors were already created, because all the interior scenes inside the embassy have been already shot in the studio in Budapest. Continuity-wise they had to bring the costumes of the main actors from Budapest. 

Besides  the high-ranking Mexican military and police mens I created costumes for politicians, reporters, gala guests, bodyguards, chauffeurs, nurses, patients and zoo workers. But the military uniforms and the police uniforms I was really looking forward to create. Because it was a special creative process, which I would like to tell you a little bit more about. Although it was hard work I had a lot of fun. 

First I had to research for the right uniformes of Mexican military and the federal police. When I found the right uniforms in the web they must be approved by the show runner and production designer of the series. After I got the ok from the production designer I started to find out where or how we could get these uniforms. First I tried here in Gran Canaria. I checked out all costume rentals and costume tailors, which we have quite a lot here on Gran Canaria because of the famous Canarian Carnival they celebrate every year around march.

Unfortunately it was exactly at the time of the carnival, so I had no success due to the peak carnival season. That’s why I asked the costume rentals and manufacturers on the Spanish mainland. They also didn’t have this kind of uniform in stock but they offer me to tailor them. I ordered some estimaites but unfortunately it was definitely too expensive for us.

Parallel I tried it again in Gran Canaria and I went to a shop for men's suits that sells suits specially for ceremonies like weddings and communions. The shop called “Gabor” and is located in Vecindario. There I found some suits that matched in color and style. I had the idea of using these suits as a base and modifying them from a tailor into a military gala uniform. I asked the woman, who fortunately was also the owner of the shop, if they would work with a tailor. Yes…!!! They even have their own tailor workshop, so the lady called the workshop and asked if they could make some changes on the suits. It would be no problem, they said. So next day I had a meeting with the tailor.

The tailor had already picked out 5 suits that I had previously chosen in the shop and we discussed the changes together, such as adding breast pocket flaps, epaulettes, gold buttons and golden stripes at the jacket. So on that evening we created  these authentic uniforms, as you can see on the pics. I really enjoyed that pre-planning when we were sitting in the atelier and chose the adequate fabrics, buttons and the matching decorations. It was such a pleasure to be able to participate in the creative process.

At the end they needed I think, due to the carnival season, one or two weeks to modify 5 suits. When I finally picked them up the suits were perfect but not finished yet. Because afterwards it came to add the badges and pins, which was the most exciting mission to find them or how to create them.

At that time I was a frequent customer in the military and police shop in Las Palmas. Because I also had to create the police uniforms.

In the Shop, Roque Nublo Bazar Military Effects, I got not only the hats, combats boots, belts and holster for the police uniform, but also the pins, which are attached to the jackets of the military gala uniforms. These pins, made by the owner of the shop, show which operations were participated.

Of course some badges were not available at the shops, because they were special Mexican badges. So I searched and found the graphics of the needed badges in the internet. I gave these graphics to the printing company Mochita, which printed them separately on a fabric. It was the same fabric of the suits, which I got from the tailor. So after I ironed the fabric with Vliseline to keep it from raveling, I could cut out the printed badges and attached them with textile glue on the uniforms. The good thing is that we can use these uniforms again but for other countries, due to the badges we can easily remove.

For the police uniform I could already buy the shirts with epaulettes in a shop for hotel and restaurant business and the same printing company printed the badges and the lettering “Policía Federal” directly on the shirts. I Just added ties, pants, hats, sunglasses, combat boots, belts, weapons, handcuffs, truncheons and radios. 

For the costumes of politicians, reporters, gala guests, nurses, patients, chauffeur and zoo workers I rented a lot of clothes from the Gran Canaria Wardrobe Rental, where I also got the accessories for the police uniform like belts, weapons, handcuffs, truncheons. I like to use the service of wardrobe rentals for film productions, because you don't have to buy the clothes newly, you just can rent them for a much lower fee for a sufficient period of time.

They already captured some scenes in Budapest with the embassy chauffeurs, so they had to look the same like in the already filmed scenes. Due to lack of space in the suitcases they brought only the hats from Budapest. But they let me know, that they only used white shirts, black trousers and black ties, what I also got from the wardrobe rental.

The chauffeur of foreign minister had to look different, so I bought a black basic suite from H&M, which I also use for a body guard.

So everything works out well and I was so happy about it.

But all this I really couldn't have done it without my wonderful assistant Valentina. We were a great team!

Thank you Valentina!!!

I hope it was a little and interesting perspective into one part of job and you can understand why I love it so much. In my opinion this job needs a certain passion, because without passion and love for this job, the costumes will not come to alive. Due to the costumes the actor gain that certain extra to make the character look authentic.

In this sense I really looking forward to my next job for an HBO series here on Gran Canaria.

Love,

Katy

Pics by Daniell Bohnhof

Text by Look2 Ocean