My Tron Legacy Costume Attempt

Soulinertia

This will be the most complicated costume undertaking I've ever attempted.

I've been drooling over the costume design of TL ever since I saw the first promo piece at SDCC'08.

I'll be using a variety of techniques to create this costume. Many of which I've never tried before, so there will be plenty of experimentation.

I'll be posting weekly updates of my progress. Wish me luck!

Here is the electroluminescent tape I'll be using to light the costume:

aelynn000

Soul! Me and Travis were thinking of doing Sam and Quorra... where did you buy the tape? The site that supplied it for the light cycle is way too expensive for us...how much did you get for what you paid??

I can't wait to watch your progress on this!

Soulinertia

Yes, this EL tape is quite pricey! I was lucky enough to get some second hand at a discounted price, but the guy I bought it from claims he originally paid over $1,200 for this system. I still dropped a good chunk of change on enough to light a small night club.

aelynn000

BOoOoOoOOoOOo!! LUCKY!!! If you have that much, and find you have a lot of excess when you're finished...please think of me! I'd love to buy it 3rd hand from you. XD

Annisse

Soulinertia have you made any progress on your TL suit???

Soulinertia

I have!

I'm currently working on the undersuit with the hex pattern.



Hopefully I'll have some progress pics up this weekend. If all goes well I may be offering this as a base material.



Welcome to the RPF Annisse

Dakarn

Great progress on the suit!

The overlays look good as well. Are you going to run the power for the EL strips from a back pack like in the movie suits? Or is the power source too big?

Keep us posted on the progress, cool to see it coming together.

SithsPadawan

i hear that as bendy one way as the tape is it wont bend the otherway, like long ways if you know what i mean

the stuff used in the movie is called EL shapes , they're specially made shapes that are supposedly flatter then the EL Tape and can all run on one small battery pack and can hold a continue charge for 5 hours
they also are impossible to get without a license (cause the shapes are copyrighted and cost over 5,000 for one set)

ive never had a chance to work with EL till now and Panda and i are thinking of any way to do this and maintain good flexibility as well as have it all run off at least 2 battery packs

how do you expect to do the circles?

SithsPadawan

and i like the Hex stuff

how are you gonna get that on spandex?

Soulinertia

I'll be using EL sheets for the circles. The tape can be cut to a variety of shapes as well. You can even punch a hole in it and it still lights up, no problem! The tape requires considerably more power than EL wire. I do plan on mounting the box on the lower back to power the suit, just like in the movie. I'm currently sourcing batteries. I'll need multiple 2 amp hour 12v batteries to make this puppy work.

PAULFIERCE

Dude I am building one as well. I have pictures from comic con of the actual screen used suit from EOLC inside flynn's arcade. Let me know how I can help.

Soulinertia

Going to try a couple different techniques. I'll let y'all know what works!

SithsPadawan

awesome, cause so far we have the rubber figured out, and we want to test s few different techniques with the EL till we find what we like best

but the spandex is the tricky part. we know how to make the suit, (thats easy) but its finding the right spandex

if all else fails we can fall back on regular black

Soulinertia

I was at Flynn's as well, but I didn't get too many close shots. I'd be interested to see what you got.

MrSinistar

I'd love to get some of that hexagonal fabric, if you do sell it.

Here's some reference pics of the "civilian" programs:

HooDooMan1

Hey SithsPadawan, from what I understand, they used LightTape (Light Tape® - Bring your imagination to light!) in the movie and the battery packs only held a 12 minute charge. So they could only film in 12 minute intervals before the batteries died. The cost sounds about right though, because I checked into LightTape and it's ridiculously expensive. I remember reading somewhere that one of the custom suits for one of the lightcycle racers costs $60,000 alone. The wardrobe budget was $13 million for this movie.

But as far as the lit parts of the costume, I think if you use cuttable EL sheets to create the angles on the lighted sections and the lit circle for the identity disc, it wouldn't be too terribly expensive. And you could probably run it off of a couple of inverters mounted on your lower back, as long as the total area of the strips/sheets doesn't exceed the inverters recommmended specs. The less area you have, the brighter it's going to be, at least that's my understanding. (But I think it sacrifices lamp life)

pharon66

I agree, if you make that under suit material, I will buy 5 yards. My Rinzler costume will be about 60% that stuff.

Annisse

OK, I am getting extremely excited now that I have found this forum and meeting all of you that know what you are doing and serious about making these TL suits happen!

I really want to make my Quorra suit. I don't think I can go down the rubber route for her top light up armour parts. The funds to get the rubber material I would need to make these parts are just not avaliable so, I am going down a much cheaper route to make the top armour parts.

Now, Soulinertia, are those photos you attached her the suit you have made already with the HEX print underbody suit??? and can I ask... how did you do that?!??! it looks exactly like the movie promo shots material. BRILLIANT! and be proud!

I too will buy the fabric with the hex print if you are selling it, I don't need much because Quorra only has the hex print fabric on her upper torso and only short sleeves maybe to her elbows. Maybe 2 yards at the most I would need.

Also, how did you make the rubber portions in those photos you attached? What type of rubber did you use? Your suit is looking amazing so far. I am so bummed I don't have the funds to produce her rubber parts.

I have used the company SMOOTH-ON in the past. So expensive!

Thank you for your help!
~Annissë

Annisse

Is there any way you can share your Comic Con photos with me? It would be nice to have as many reference photos as I can get to go by to make this costume.

Thank you!
~A

SithsPadawan

interesting
i really want to experiment with this EL sheeting now that i know it can be cut and stuff

but knowing that the lights only last 12 minutes kind of sucks

we had an idea to use reflective tape and pipe EL wire next to it
which may work thought im not sure. i really want to try it cause then if the batteries die you can still have the same effect from the reflective tape with a flash

and when you think about it really the lights would probably only be used in cool dark photo shoots
as nice as it would be to go around a con glowing it wouldn't really show off cause your in a lighted area

so in reality the lights are just a gimmick that everyone must have

the other problem is money, cause this stuff is expensive
i want to be sure i can make this work before i drop a wad of cash on some EL stuff just for it to not work, or better yet break
cause if the Idea doesn't work at least i still have a bunch of fin EL wire to use on something else you know

and Paulfierce
id like some picks tooo
if its not to much trouble of course

Soulinertia

I haven't constructed anything yet. Still in the very early stages. The reference shots I posted are just from the stills and billboard ads of the real suit used in the movie.

The EL set-up I have in the works should last about 2hrs. I'm trying to stay below 100sq inches of EL per 12v battery. There is a trade off between how bright to make them and how long they will last.

Annisse

Ahhhh I see cuz I was like WOW! how did you get your hexagon pattern onto the fabric like that

~A

Annisse

Yes that is exactly what I want to do on my Quorra suit. Back my El sheet, wire or Tape, not sure what I am using yet, with reflective tape because that with the ligths in photos could look very dramatic!

~A

SithsPadawan

oooo backing the sheet with reflective tape
that might work

theres another experiment i want to try now

and about the power too

what other batteries can you run them off of Soul
arnt 12vs kind of big, or is it just like a group of AAs

maeson

from the civilian pics the guys on the left and right are wearing back support belts backwards