<P> Verbinski did not want an entirely romanticized feel to the film: he wanted a sense of historical fantasy . Most of the actors wore prosthetics and contact lenses . Depp had contacts that acted as sunglasses, while Rush and Lee Arenberg wore dulled contacts that gave a sinister feel to the characters . Mackenzie Crook wore two contacts to represent his character's wooden eye: a soft version, and a harder version for when it protrudes . In addition, their rotten teeth and scurvy skin were dyed on, although Depp did have gold teeth added, which he forgot to remove after filming . Depp also used a genuine pistol which was made in 1760 in London, which the crew bought from a dealer in Connecticut . A number of swords were built for the production by blacksmith Tony Swatton . The crew spent five months creating the cavern in which Barbossa and the Black Pearl crew attempt to reverse their curse, filling it with five feet of water, 882 Aztec coins, and some gold paint on the styrofoam rocks for more impressions of treasure . The crew also built the fortress at Port Royal in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and Governor Swann's palace was built at Manhattan Beach . A fire broke out in September 2002, causing $525,000 worth of damage, though no one was injured . </P> <P> The filmmakers chose St. Vincent as their primary shooting location, as it contained the quietest beach they could find, and built three piers and a backlot for Port Royal and Tortuga . Of most importance to the film were the three ships: Black Pearl, Dauntless, and Interceptor . For budget reasons, the ships were built on docks, with only six days spent in the open sea for the battle between Black Pearl and Interceptor . Dauntless and Black Pearl were built on barges, with computer - generated imagery finishing the structures . Black Pearl was also built on the Spruce Goose stage, in order to control fog and lighting . Interceptor was a re-dressed Lady Washington, a full - scale replica sailing ship from Aberdeen, Washington, fully repainted before going on a 40 - day voyage beginning December 2, 2002, arriving on location on January 12, 2003 . A miniature was also built for the storm sequence . </P> <P> Principal photography began on October 9, 2002 and wrapped by March 7, 2003 . The quick shoot was only marred by two accidents: as Jack Sparrow steals Interceptor, three of the ropes attaching it to Dauntless did not break at first, and when they did snap, debris hit Depp's knee, though he was not injured, and the way the incident played out on film made it look like Sparrow merely ducks . A more humorous accident was when the boat Sparrow was supposed to arrive in at Port Royal sank . In October, the crew was shooting scenes at Rancho Palos Verdes, by December they were shooting at Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and in January they were at the cavern set at Los Angeles . The script often changed with Elliott and Rossio on set, with additions such as Gibbs (Kevin McNally) telling Will how Sparrow allegedly escaped from an island--strapping two turtles together with rope made of his back hair--and Pryce was written into the climactic battle to keep some empathy for the audience . </P> <P> Because of the quick schedule of the shoot, Industrial Light & Magic immediately began visual effects work . While the skeletal forms of the pirates revealed by moonlight take up relatively little screentime, the crew knew their computer - generated forms had to convince in terms of replicating performances and characteristics of the actors, or else the transition would not work . Each scene featuring them was shot twice: a reference plate with the actors, and then without them to add in the skeletons, an aesthetic complicated by Verbinski's decision to shoot the battles with handheld cameras . The actors also had to perform their scenes again on the motion capture stage . With the shoot only wrapping up four months before release, Verbinski spent 18 - hour days on the edit, while at the same time spending time on 600 effects shots, 250 of which were merely removing modern sailboats from shots . </P>

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