Original ANH Stormtrooper helmet and Armor - Just the Facts

[jedimaster]

You know I thought it might be Bill Dennis. The film industry is a small world. He was originally a plasterer in England and he was telling me when he came back to work on a film in England some years ago that he had been sculpting in Australia.

yeah I caught up with him when he got back, one of the more recent bond films I think. I think he was working on the miniature buildings for the Venice scenes. I think he mainly sculpts nudes at the moment.

I remember back in the eighties my glamourous introduction into filmmaking mixing up plaster and making coffee, and pouring resin into moulds for military uniform buttons. Then sculpting stone walls and fireplaces for a local production. Then sitting their when it aired on tv not watching the actors or story but pointing out the fireplace and saying I made that.

Since then I look at movies , not for the actors but for the sets they are standing on or the props they are holding. What is an actor without props and sets? A thesbian nothing more. It's the behind the scenes stuff I love, the smell of plaster and resin or wood being turned into a cave or a castle. I quite often watch the bonus disc or the making of before I watch the movie.

It's people like yourself and Bill that make me want to watch movies and I think that can be said for most on this forum.

 

[NAZGÛL]

do you own a sds lid ?

No. Just because Id like a civil tone, doesnt mean I support AA.

Well, here is the hard core fact. He is taking credit for someone else's creation. Now, if you do not like reading other people upset with this overrated pond puller, then perhaps this is not the thread for you. The facts are the things that are pissing people off.

What Ainsworth is doing is irrelevant to his family, and frankly, while I wish them no ill, I could not possible care less. Ainsworth is the one risking his fiscal livelihood on a lie, not us.

Yes, i agree. If this were a thread for the AA lies and Muirs facts about this, I would have found it interesting and important. But if its for many times pointless flaming and personal attacks, then its not for me.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

So, you are saying that people should not respond to his lies? Why did you even bring up his family? That is worse than the venom being spewed Ainsworth's way as it has absolutely ZERO to do with how people feel about what he is doing.

 

[jedimaster]

I think what Nazgul said was right. Not about ainsworth but his family. I have seen threads on other forums that started out as constructive comments between a few members that soon turned into an outright witch hunt as everyone jumped on the bandwagon which led to death threats against the accused which in turn affect the accuseds family. Which actually led to a divorce as the wife got fed up with the constant abbusive phonecalls .

I think all Nazguls saying is settle down a bit and get back on topic that's all.

 

[defstartrooper]

I think what Nazgul said was right. Not about ainsworth but his family. I have seen threads on other forums that started out as constructive comments between a few members that soon turned into an outright witch hunt as everyone jumped on the bandwagon which led to death threats against the accused which in turn affect the accuseds family. Which actually led to a divorce as the wife got fed up with the constant abbusive phonecalls .

I think all Nazguls saying is settle down a bit and get back on topic that's all.

Nobody even mentioned his family before Nazgul did and even after that they were only mentioned in the context of them not being to blame.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

I think what Nazgul said was right. Not about ainsworth but his family. I have seen threads on other forums that started out as constructive comments between a few members that soon turned into an outright witch hunt as everyone jumped on the bandwagon which led to death threats against the accused which in turn affect the accuseds family. Which actually led to a divorce as the wife got fed up with the constant abbusive phonecalls .

I think all Nazguls saying is settle down a bit and get back on topic that's all.

You realize it was Nazgul brining up Ainsworth's family that has truly derailed the topic at hand, right?

Fact is, this guy cannot sculpt a damned thing. We also have rumor that a noted artist, Giger, has said his work is shoddy. Is it any surprise no one in the know believes a single thing this guy has to say? He is taking credit from an artist who cannot defend herself because she is no longer part of this world.

 

[jedimaster]

I know and don't get me wrong I think everyone is spot on when it comes to ainsworth. I think it was just exorays comment about aa's family benefiting from the proceeds of crime and their guilt by association.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

That was a bit over the top, yes.

 

[exoray]

I think it was just exorays comment about aa's family benefiting from the proceeds of crime and their guilt by association.

Read what I said again... And note the time line as it was after NAZGÛL's initial post about families so it sure wasn't my comment he was talking about when he went on the offensive about AA's family... Read the preface sentence to the statement that you now want to dramatize out of context "No one is blaming his family or attacking his family in the least for his actions, that is unless they are co-conspirators in his despicable behavior..." I merely said they were not pure innocents in a sarcastic way as a rub back for the previous "This man has a family Im sure" statement...

But apparently now he has a 10 year old child and people are going to burn his house down with his family in it, if you want to talk about over the top comments, you might want to focus on that...

 

[jedimaster]

Settle down man , don't get so defensive. We have already wasted enough thread space on this.

 

[Brian Muir]

Fact is, this guy cannot sculpt a damned thing. We also have rumor that a noted artist, Giger, has said his work is shoddy. Is it any surprise no one in the know believes a single thing this guy has to say? .

It isn't a rumour Qui - it's a fact. In Giger's book 'Alien' he clearly states his opinion of Ainsworth. Giger says Ainsworth was taken on because of his involvement in Star Wars but says that he damaged the moulds after several different attempts at trying to produce the suit. He produced nothing because he was incapable (a fact stated in the book). Giger said how disappointed he was and that he shouldn't have employed an amateur.
I was on the production and saw the plasterers make the plaster moulds and the latex suit for the Alien.
But true to form Ainsworth is trying to claim the credit for work he did not produce.

 

[Art Andrews]

So you are saying, if say he has a 10 year old kid and he buys things for them from money got from selling helmets, you gonna show hate for them too...that is a little strange, why not just go burn his house down why they all sleep.

You are dangerously out of line here. No one... absolutely NO ONE is making ANY sort of threat, expressed or implied against either Andrew or his family and for you to make such remarks is simply unacceptable. This thread is about trying to decipher the true lineage and history of the stormtrooper helmets and armor, nothing more. Even if Andrew is 100% wrong, and the members of this board can prove he is wrong, there is no repercussions implied, so if you are incapable of posting without fabricating such wild and ludicrous drama, you need to find other threads to post in besides this one.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

It isn't a rumour Qui - it's a fact. In Giger's book 'Alien' he clearly states his opinion of Ainsworth. Giger says Ainsworth was taken on because of his involvement in Star Wars but says that he damaged the moulds after several different attempts at trying to produce the suit. He produced nothing because he was incapable (a fact stated in the book). Giger said how disappointed he was and that he shouldn't have employed an amateur.
I was on the production and saw the plasterers make the plaster moulds and the latex suit for the Alien.
But true to form Ainsworth is trying to claim the credit for work he did not produce.

Ah, I did not read the book so, I did not know it was true. Thanks for the info, Brian.

 

[exoray]

His delusional mind probably considers all the Stormtroopers as individual characters, and every costume separate, thereby inflating his numbers. :rolleyes

Yeah I had considered that, but I find two flaws...

1. The Stormtrooper is one character, it's not like each one was unique beyond sloppy production and assembly, same with the Tie pilots etc...

2. Even if you can someone fathom the idea of counting each one as an individual character I still believe coming to a total of 200+ would be unlikely...

From AA's previous interviews, he went on to make 56 Trooper suits, 12 X-Wind helmets, 12 Tie Fighter helmets 12 Imperial Gunner helmets, 12 Squad Commanders helmets, and a some Rebel Fleet trooper helmets... Note with the exception of the Stormtroopers the helmet alone doesn't create these characters... Anyway lets flatter ourselves and count up the totals giving him the false credit he proclaims for this example, we will assume 12 Rebel Fleet helmets as well... Total 116 costume accessories, but realistically only one character and 5 varieties of just helmets...

It's claims like this that he repeats and drives home with each and every chance that just leaves me shaking my head wondering why everyone can't clearly see the guy to be polite "exaggerates" his involvement well beyond what he actually did...

If he was even half the production and prop genius he claims to be he would have certainly went on to become legendary in the movie industry... And one has to wonder with the huge success of Star Wars why he never until 30 years later took any credit... I mean listening to him now he was Star Wars and it was his vision, certainly if that was true he would have stepped up to the podium sooner, because it's obvious he loves the attention...

 

[89batman]

I have read through this with great interest, having met and spoken to Brian on numerous occasions and know first hand of his integrity and dedication to getting the truth out there.
I am at a loss as to how anyone could come to any conclusion that gives Mr Ainsworth any credit other than that of the guy who pulled various helmets and TK parts for Star Wars. His contribution was nothing more than being the nearest convenient place that could Vac-form. The ironic part of all this is had he been more honest and stuck to the whole truth he would still be revered in the Prop/Star Wars community instead of being mis-trusted and disliked.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

You've hit the nail right on the head, 89.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

If he was even half the production and prop genius he claims to be he would have certainly went on to become legendary in the movie industry... And one has to wonder with the huge success of Star Wars why he never until 30 years later took any credit... I mean listening to him now he was Star Wars and it was his vision, certainly if that was true he would have stepped up to the podium sooner, because it's obvious he loves the attention...

We can thank those who introduced him to the community and the prospect of making big bucks on selling these things for all that and that he'd sell more with grand stories and claims irregardless of truth, even when proof was shown it was lies.

And lo and behold - he still sells even though his lies are being shot down with truth.

 

[exoray]

We can thank those who introduced him to the community and the prospect of making big bucks on selling these things for all that and that he'd sell more with grand stories and claims irregardless of truth, even when proof was shown it was lies.

Sorry but I'm not going to pass the blame on to any one else he and he alone is responsible for his actions as a full grown adult... The claimed peer pressure, prospect of making money and passing the blame to another is simply a week excuse for people who don't and won't owe up to their own ill actions... For me it holds little to no water, especially for a guy that is a full fledged adult, not some 8 year old child... AA is a big boy, he is well aware of his actions and what he is doing and no body is responsible for pulling his strings except himself...

 

[firebladejedi]

I have read through this with great interest, having met and spoken to Brian on numerous occasions and know first hand of his integrity and dedication to getting the truth out there.
I am at a loss as to how anyone could come to any conclusion that gives Mr Ainsworth any credit other than that of the guy who pulled various helmets and TK parts for Star Wars. His contribution was nothing more than being the nearest convenient place that could Vac-form. The ironic part of all this is had he been more honest and stuck to the whole truth he would still be revered in the Prop/Star Wars community instead of being mis-trusted and disliked.

thumbsup:thumbsup

 

[NAZGÛL]

I think what Nazgul said was right. Not about ainsworth but his family. I have seen threads on other forums that started out as constructive comments between a few members that soon turned into an outright witch hunt as everyone jumped on the bandwagon which led to death threats against the accused which in turn affect the accuseds family. Which actually led to a divorce as the wife got fed up with the constant abbusive phonecalls .

I think all Nazguls saying is settle down a bit and get back on topic that's all.

Good post and yeah thats exactly what I ment. :thumbsup