Spider-Man Movie-style lens question

C

CardboardPaper

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This has probably been touched on before but I couldn't seem to find it with the terms I was using in the search field. How would I create lenses that are white/reflective on one side and see-through on the other? My Bird Man mask is near completion and I think the white eyes are a must. (Probably would look great on a Batman cowl as well.) Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks!
 
From what I understand, a lot of people use AMACO copper wire mesh with the outside surface painted white and the inner surface black. You can get the mesh from most craft stores but be forewarned; it'll run you around $14-$20. You can heat form some plexi for the outer lens. Good Luck,

~Kevin
 
Would aluminum mesh work as well or is copper a must?
I happen to have aluminum mesh laying around...

What type of paint should be used?

Since a Bird Man would not require exterior frames like a movie Spider-Man mask would, would it be possible to use ready-made lenses like trimmed-down cheap 'mirror lens' sunglasses or is this a terrible idea?

I apologize to everyone on here for all the n00b questions!
 
No worries. My post count is roughly the same as yours :thumbsup The copper mesh has the finest mesh which is what makes it so ideal for lenses. You could use the aluminum mesh but your eyes would most likely be visible. In my experience, any good spray paint should work but do thin layers to make sure you don't fill in the mesh. The sunglasses thing is a great idea since the eye holes on the Birdman mask are smaller than Spidey's. Are you planning on doing the full suit?
 
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On the Spiderman lenses, they where just tinted oakly sunglasses frames (custom shaped) with a white mesh, like a fabric mesh, not a metal mesh, over the top.
 
Oh ok...visible eyes would defeat the purpose so I'll avoid aluminum.
Nah I'm just sticking with the mask and boots for now since I wanted to do Harvey Birdman for Halloween. Halloween plans fell through last minute so I didn't have a reason to finish in time and can now tinker with it till 2011 (Sadly I likely will need a whole year just for the mask and boots :p). I was going to buy wings from this costume store but now I dunno..I DO have a whole year after all.

My main issue with the sunglasses idea is that I don't want my eyes to show through the lenses, so maybe the painted copper mesh behind that would be good. I'll have to mess around with it.



dorcphish said:
No worries. My post count is roughly the same as yours :thumbsup The copper mesh has the finest mesh which is what makes it so ideal for lenses. You could use the aluminum mesh but your eyes would most likely be visible. In my experience, any good spray paint should work but do thin layers to make sure you don't fill in the mesh. The sunglasses thing is a great idea since the eye holes on the Birdman mask are smaller than Spidey's. Are you planning on doing the full suit?
Click to expand...
 
Fabric mesh on top of the sunglasses? Wouldn't that affect the reflective quality or am I not understanding this? Thanks!

b89 said:
On the Spiderman lenses, they where just tinted oakly sunglasses frames (custom shaped) with a white mesh, like a fabric mesh, not a metal mesh, over the top.
Click to expand...
 
On the film, we used an oakly sunglasses MATERIAL, it was cut from larger "blanks" of the tinted plastic. These where then covered in the white mesh. It wasn't metal or copper or anything else... I think we may have some of the material left... I know I found some of the spandex from the undershells the other day...
 
Hello b89

What color tint was the oakley lens material? It would be awesome if you could tell us which material was used, was it custom made or store bought? was the mesh material sandwiched between two lenses or just one glued behind it?

I have a Spidey4fun suit and he used a superfine metal mesh with no lens, so no fogging up and visibility is pretty good and no one can see your eyes.

Do you have more info on face shells?

GFollano
 
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b89 said:
On the film, we used an oakly sunglasses MATERIAL, it was cut from larger "blanks" of the tinted plastic. These where then covered in the white mesh. It wasn't metal or copper or anything else... I think we may have some of the material left... I know I found some of the spandex from the undershells the other day...
Click to expand...


I went to a big fabric store today, would the material be Lurex?, they offer metallic and pearl finish, comes in various metallic colors, you can perfectly see threw it but looks solid metallic, it's very very thin, it would be perfect for spidey lenses, the lady at the fabric store called it "liquid metal" but I checked at the brand name on the roll and it was called "Lurex"

GFollano
 
Lurex is the name of the metallic threads in the material. I believe it's a brand name. IIRC, in the making of books, the first movies lenses were the special Oakley in white. The other two were mirrored lenses with a white scrim over top.
 
dorcphish said:
From what I understand, a lot of people use AMACO copper wire mesh with the outside surface painted white and the inner surface black. You can get the mesh from most craft stores but be forewarned; it'll run you around $14-$20. You can heat form some plexi for the outer lens. Good Luck,

~Kevin
Click to expand...

My local store didn't have Amaco copper wire mesh. They had sculpting armature copper mesh that wasn't any finer than my aluminum wire mesh, so I just got the spray paint and tried it. I still have to figure out what to do for the outer lens, but thanks for the tips! I'm so pleased with the painted aluminum! Pics are in my Birdman mask thread.
 
batdemon's correct. the lenses where chrome with a white mesh/skrim over them. There is no sandwiching of materials. The mesh is on the outside, cut slightly larger than the frame, folded over the edge and glued around the outside edge of the back. These then slip into the plastic eye frames for a seamless appearance. I know the lenses where oakley but I don't have a brand name or anything on the mesh...

The undershells where two piece vac formed shells that had a piece of spandex glued over the mouth to allow for a movement underneath the mask when the actor spoke.
 
cheap eye mesh alternatives: pan frying spaltter cover from the kitchen section of wallmart or window sunscreen material that you can get by the roll at a home improvement store. My comic black suit lenses are the window sunscreen painted with design masters flat white and my dead pool mask has the splatter screen painted gloss white. both work very well.
 
b89 said:
batdemon's correct. the lenses where chrome with a white mesh/skrim over them. There is no sandwiching of materials. The mesh is on the outside, cut slightly larger than the frame, folded over the edge and glued around the outside edge of the back. These then slip into the plastic eye frames for a seamless appearance. I know the lenses where oakley but I don't have a brand name or anything on the mesh...

The undershells where two piece vac formed shells that had a piece of spandex glued over the mouth to allow for a movement underneath the mask when the actor spoke.
Click to expand...



Great info!

I was convinced the mesh was under the lens not on top, I assume the mesh was very thin, like a woman leggings and the shine of the chromed lens would come threw which gives that pearl color effect?

GFollano
 
B89 Very interesting info! Always nice to hear/learn how the pros do it. Now if only I had the skills/budget/resources...

Knowone251 I added those to this weekend's Wal-Mart shopping list. Thanks for the heads up!
 
It's funny, in a case like this it isn't a matter of how "pros" do it, we just tried a bunch of things to make it work. It's kind of backwards trying to replicate something after it's been done like this, just like it's much more difficult to replicate a "simple" sculpture. When somethings created for a film it's as simple as making it work and making it only last as long as we need it. When replicating something for a collection it's gotta last forever AND your trying to track down certain things that we could have just found in a dumpster somewhere...
 
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