Cop Killa's Costume

So what does a forty-something, gun-toting, kumquat munching, raincoat shuffler actually wear? During Pre-production many design ideas were bounced around for Cop Killa's costume, but the one image which always remained was the long bullet riddled trench coat.

Rough costume sketch by Ben

A good trenchcoat is hard to find, especially when budget is tight and it was several weeks before the perfect example was found hanging in a charity shop window.

Very quickly Tom and Ben took the new purchase home and got to work distressing it. Most of the inner lining was removed and every clean edge was tortured and scuffed with rasps, sandpaper and graters.

 

Moderately damaged with a few bullet holes

 

Lots of personal injury occured whilst using the rasps

The whole coat was then covered with carefully placed bullet holes which were individually dry-brushed before the whole coat was put through numerous paint washes to add depth and achieve the lived-in look of vagrancy. Paints were thinned down and literally soaked into the jacket to simulate filth and mould.

A wash of scum drying in the sun

This part would be sweaty

Key areas were then dusted with black paint to break up the beige outline and create patches of sweat.  Burnt patches were sprayed around bullet holes and tears and were then highlighted with dry-brushing.

Disgusting

 

With the signature coat ready, it was a pair of dark brown pinstripe trousers and solid boots that would make the base of Cop Killa's costume.

After several unsuccessful choices, a beige safari shirt and a black shooting vest were supplied by Jonty (the actor playing Cop Killa) to provide the upper half of his outfit.
The shirt was given a similar paint treatment to the coat, and soon all the pockets were filled with dried plasters, used condoms and Cop Killa's seedy wallet.

Other accessories added to the character were a set of gold teeth (that Jonty used when portraying Jack Sparrow) and an anachronistic medallion, emblazoned with the crest of Exeter -  Tom and Ben's home city where the majority of shooting took place.

Cop Killa's costume nearly complete

It was only during rehearsals, a week before principle photography when everyone decided that Cop Killa definitely needed a hat.
A hat had never been considered before but now it seemed obvious, Cop Killa would simply not be complete without one. Luckily Jonty was able to provide a beige trilby which matched the coat perfectly, Tom promptly took it home and  went to work on it. 

He gave it a similar treatment as the coat, beating the shape out of it, roughening the edges, tearing off chunks and adding bullet holes and grazes. With just days to spare the hat was stained and painted and dried out just in time for the first day of shooting.

The finished hat

Once the hat was complete, the final piece of Cop Killa's costume to construct was a necklace made of shattered bronze cop badges, scratched and split by the bullets from his mighty weapon.  
These were quickly constructed from some toy police badges; chopped and painted to look old and weathered.

The badges with medallion

That being done, CK was finally complete, ready to wage war against the good and righteous of Patriot City.

The complete Cop Killa, in all his fury

And then, when the crying had ceased and the wind had settled, we knew that Cop Killa was ready for shooting, and so began the legend.