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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:16 pm 
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VEGAS VADER wrote:
hello Brian. would you happen to know about the way the helmets and masks where painted? where the clearcoated or buffed out too a fine shine?


I will answer this one. As I doubt many know. ANH is obviously Gloss black and dulling spray was used.

Any helmet in the OT is not clearcoated in the term we know it today. The paint IMO is from a UK manufacturer and Lacquer exsisted. If you look very closely you can see orange peel and many other imperfections on ESB in particular. 2 domes have been clarified as having this lacquer for sure, one of them is the PA stunt, the other one is a Hero Dome.

Gino mentioned clearcoat/lacquer was never used at any time throughout the OT..Not true. Most of The ESB faces were Lacqured for starters, let alone the domes.

Do not confuse the very nice wet sanded method of a clearcoated SPFX or JB as a comparison as it is not exactly the same, although nowadays it is a close look in some respects. Additionally the paint I believe that was used not only is it discontinued it is harsh to work with.

Vadermonkey has personally exaimed the ESB stunt, took many reference pictures etc..and I have seen them, there is a coat on it hands down.

Lights play tricks, so does the camera but ANH is simply not the same finish as ESB, in some respects that goes for ROTJ additionally.

If you wanted to achieve a very close look, you CAN do a nice gloss black dependant on the brand and polish or wet sand a Gloss black finish, use compound etc..or you can go the clearcoat route, wetsanding again is a good option. The 2 finishes if done correctly will actually be quite similar like the 2 fanmade finishes I mention above.

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 Post subject: Re: The complete ANH Vader Mask
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:39 pm 
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vaderman wrote:
Vadermania,

The plaster cast was taken from the mould that was produced from the clay mask. I then sharpened the features on the plaster head with wood carving chisels. It was then moulded and cast in fibreglass to create the final piece.

Brian


Brian,

Do you remember if you did any other "changes" to the plaster cast other than just sharpening the features? As you might be aware of already, Thomas' (SithLords) "TD" faceplate has shorter and "thicker" tusk tube ends than the "VP" or "TM" faceplate (the tusk tube ends on the TM were broken off and restored by JRX).

What is interesting is that it seems that both Thomas' TD faceplate and my TM faceplate share many features such as the cast tabs on top and a filled lower chin vent, which leads to the assumption that both faceplates were cast from an already painted (or "ready-for-shooting") faceplate.

Can you tell us how long the tusk tube tips were on that plaster cast you worked on?

Tom


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:15 pm 
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Adam_Adamant wrote:
the original and best Darth Vader IMHO

:cheers


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:21 pm 
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HAL9000 wrote:
Brian,

there has in the past been some debate about Vader's chest box possibly being sculpted from clay. I was curious if, as you had done the mask and armour, if you were responsible for the square
chest box shape as well?

Also, did the armour come after the mask or at the same time (to ensure a fit?)

I'm also not sure, but I think I remember you sculpted the shin guards too. Is that true?


The chest box was applied afterwards and not sculpted.
I sculpted the mask in the sculpting shop I had in the Art Dept and then I went into the Plaster shop to sculpt the armour afterwards.
Yes, I did sculpt the shin guards. They were cast in fibreglass along with the armour.

Brian


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:22 pm 
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bigbaddaddyvader wrote:
It was a real blast and to get to thank you again for taking as much time as both yourself and John Mollo did to talk with me about your work was fantastic.I have your autograph displayed next to my Vader tusks!


:toothy


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:37 pm 
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JRX wrote:
vaderman wrote:
I assumed you were asking if any concept heads were sculpted at
Elstree while I was on Star Wars - my knowledge is limited to that
time and I do not know what happened after the production or at ILM.

Brian


Ok - sorry, Brian - a slight misunderstanding then - :wink:
I thought you might also have known what the other sculptors
involved in the project were doing, and if different designs or
sculpts were made for the same character.

I remember a scene in a making-of of Episode 2 where George
Lucas is "picking" the character sculpt for "Dexter Jettster" out
of a whole table filled with maquettes.

So I assumed that it could have been that a (small) number of
different Helmets were sculpted from wich George would have
chosen his favourites then.
I know the budget was pretty tight, but at least 2 or 3 different
Helmet sculpts for each "Helmeted Character" would've been
my guess.


I was the only sculptor at Elstree once Liz Moore had left - we worked together for 4 weeks. She had sculpted several prototypes for C3P0 heads before I started on the film. I sculpted Darth Vader (helmet and armour), Stormtrooper armour, 2 droids heads (CZ and RA-7) and changes on C3P0. The plaster casts all had to be sharpened up. I was only on the film for four and a half months so there was no time to do protypes of each helmet. Or maybe they were just happy with my work :lol
The make-up dept were responsible for producing the strange characters in the Cantina - Stuart Freeborn being head of dept.

Brian


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 Post subject: Re: The complete ANH Vader Mask
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:41 pm 
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vadermania wrote:
vaderman wrote:
Vadermania,

The plaster cast was taken from the mould that was produced from the clay mask. I then sharpened the features on the plaster head with wood carving chisels. It was then moulded and cast in fibreglass to create the final piece.

Brian


Brian,

Do you remember if you did any other "changes" to the plaster cast other than just sharpening the features? As you might be aware of already, Thomas' (SithLords) "TD" faceplate has shorter and "thicker" tusk tube ends than the "VP" or "TM" faceplate (the tusk tube ends on the TM were broken off and restored by JRX).

What is interesting is that it seems that both Thomas' TD faceplate and my TM faceplate share many features such as the cast tabs on top and a filled lower chin vent, which leads to the assumption that both faceplates were cast from an already painted (or "ready-for-shooting") faceplate.

Can you tell us how long the tusk tube tips were on that plaster cast you worked on?

Tom


All changes are made in the clay sculpt. The plaster cast is only for sharpening the features.


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:59 pm 
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Brian, so what was the chest box made of? As a lot of people believed that it was sculpted.
Now that you say it was not . Was it a found piece and what was it made of?
If you know..

thank you for answering all of our questions you are truly gracious to deal with all of us "geeks"

thanks
chris

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:27 pm 
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chris1748 wrote:
Brian, so what was the chest box made of? As a lot of people believed that it was sculpted.
Now that you say it was not . Was it a found piece and what was it made of?
If you know..

thank you for answering all of our questions you are truly gracious to deal with all of us "geeks"

thanks
chris


I can only assume it was plastic as it wasn't cast in resin.

They had piles of boxes of plastic pieces in the Props room that they used for the interior of the Millenium Falcon etc.

It's a pleasure being able share my knowledge with such enthusiasts :cool:

Brian


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:47 am 
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Hey, darthvaderv - you asked me a question up there and I didn't see it. Sorry. I was basically saying what you were saying. I just think that we may be seeing the ANH hero helmet in ESB.

I have always wondered about the front edge on the ESB dome - it is not flush and flat to the world but kind of angles back into the helmet interior. The only way to do this by sanding it down is to have that huge returning lip that was on the ANH helmets. Otherwise the ESB lip would have disappeared before allowing anyone to angle it back in like that with "refining."

Just a thought - no evidence other than extrapolation n' stuff.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:19 am 
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This is a great thread - thanks for all the info Brian.

I'll disseminate and add to my "Brian Muir" page (you have a page!)

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/bingo275/muirinterviews.htm

Cheers

Jez

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:22 am 
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Hi Brian, can you tell me if the chest armour of Vader was the first thing that existed, or the mask and Helmet? The other question: have you ever been a SF fan before you made your SW jobs? I want to admit is that i thank you for the joy you brought me, (i´m was not thinking about to make PR for you) Just kidding: On the other hand I should be angry with you, because of the time your Vader stole me when i was sculpting him from 1987 till 1998 nearly every day as a 9 inch Stop Motion figure nearly every day, later at least one time a week. Later i were several, and then all the all the lifesize Vaderstuff... :-) You see: big joy... :-) Best reagrds, Jörg


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:27 am 
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Wow this is an amazing piece of history. Wouldnt it be really cool if one of the
vader makers here presented a helmet to brian to display in his house.

Brian Its really good to see you join us fans on this forum.

Its the creative people like your good self, that made star wars what it is.

You are a LEGEND.



cheers Brian

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:32 pm 
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Brian, was the asymmetry of vader's face something that was deliberate or a direct result of the molding and casting process? Were you present during the molding and casting of vader? What was your initial reaction once you saw the first cast and was there anymore modifications made once vader was cast? From what you've been saying, once you sculpted vader and the plaster cast was made, all modifications were made on that plaster cast, correct?

When you were sculpting vader, did you at that time think he was going to become something special or was it just another "job" for you?

Also, I know this is a bit OT for this thread, but how about a trooper thread discussing how you went about sculpting the trooper armor? I'm sure the trooper guys here would enjoy that.

Thanks.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:37 pm 
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BingoBongo275 wrote:
This is a great thread - thanks for all the info Brian.

I'll disseminate and add to my "Brian Muir" page (you have a page!)

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/bingo275/muirinterviews.htm

Cheers

Jez


Thanks Jez - it's good to have it documented :wink:

Brian


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