Lecture Notes: Jonna Mendez - Spies in Disguise

Introduction

• Speaker: Jonna Mendez, former Chief of Disguise at the CIA
• Purpose: Analyzing movie and TV clips about spies in disguise

Key Concepts in Disguise

Identity Documents

• Bourne Identity
  • Unrealistic portrayal (e.g., no box of passports or bundles of money)
  • Reality: Creating alternate identities is meticulous and done on a needs basis

Disguise Effectiveness

• Homeland
  • Critique of simple disguises (e.g., dyeing hair)
  • More effective techniques involve complete restyling
• Alias
  • Effective use of disguise with hair dye and behavior change

Long-term Disguises

• The Americans
  • Disguises should be convincing and the user should be comfortable
  • Aim to be forgettable (the "little gray man")

Quick Change Techniques

• Mission Impossible 3
  • Layering disguises for quick changes
  • Avoid compromising elements (e.g., religious figures, media figures)

Crowd Techniques

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Using crowds effectively to conceal changes

Blending In

• Casino Royale
  • Avoiding giveaways (e.g., touching earpieces)

Real-life Exfiltration

• Argo (Ben Affleck)
  • Example of using a believable cover story, not just disguises

Masks and Gadgetry

• Mission Impossible
  • Use of masks and gadgetry, limitations of masks (size, animation)

Cultural Awareness

• Inglourious Basterds
  • Importance of understanding cultural customs to avoid detection

Spy Equipment and Stories

• Kingsman
  • Real-world parallels to gadgets like poison pens

Miscellaneous

• Furniture Camouflage
  • Concealing equipment in furniture
• Alias Names
  • Strictly managed and assigned

Entertainment vs. Reality

• Writers try to get things right but often prioritize entertainment

Conclusion

• Mendez enjoys analyzing what movies get wrong about espionage
• Emphasizes the importance of meticulous planning and execution in real spy work