Wigs...

[Evan Kubota]

This is probably completely different from anything ever posted here... I'm working on a film this summer about a Japanese soldier who remains in the Philippines after the war ends. It spans several years. Originally I planned to have the actor let his hair naturally grow for a month or two (it's currently medium length) to simulate the natural growth from a long period of living in the forest. Obviously that's not going to be enough time, and production/practical issues enter into the equation - my actor can't wait for a year's worth of shaggy hair growth.

Thus, wigs. Is it even possible to get a realistic result on a limited budget? I'm thinking about buying a cheap $20 wig and modifying it with a pair of scissors and some mud and oil to get that greasy, crusted look. I realize that 'professional' films frequently use wigs and hair appliances, but even those can be suspect at times. It's important that this is totally believable. The film is meant to be very realistic. Any suggestions?

[mattias]

What you need is extensions. There are professional ones that you can have put in, but those are more like $100, but there's also diy solutions that clip on. The advantage is that they blend in with the real hair, making the illusion more natural. The downside might be that he'll look like a female fashion model.
/matt

[Evan Kubota]

A female fashion model with a few years' of grease and dirt in his hair...

Any idea where to find this sort of thing for fairly cheap? I see some that are intended for long-term use (a year??) This would only need to be put in for a few days.

[mattias]

anywhere where you'd normally get "hair stuff".

/matt