ANH/ESB Stormtrooper - Discussion Thread

GINO said:
One potential theory as to why some of the screws have paint removed on them is that during their assembly/detailing, they were removed and put back multiple times when things like the lens or chin straps were installed. Just a guess.


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Click to expand...

I dont believe removing the screws would take the paint off to the extent seen in the pictures, i have removed the screws on my helmet many many times and there are very small chips nothing else (and they are only painted with 1 coat of household gloss paint, it was a temp idea at first but looked right so i left it)
 
Ears are made with ABS, so maybe the ears were made later and were not painted yet. I mean, HDPE helmets were made (face and back), then painted, then ears were made, then attached, whites were not the same so AA painted the ears when they were attached. So the pics would be pre-ear-painting.
 
I'm not saying 50 weren't made (maybe there were, maybe not), but there's no way that many were used in the actual film.

Each of the 6 heros can be spotted in the film and all are accounted for.
But when it comes to the costumes, there are never more than 20 something on set at any given point.
The only scenes that call for large numbers of troopers are the ones where they are all lined up on the death star. The rest only include small clusters of them coming through the tantive or running through the hallways.


.
 
Interesting to see that on the invoice he calls the Hero lids 'good' helmets - like the other ones weren't good :lol

He also charges for tooling so I presume that means the reworking of the moulds to make then nicer for the hero helmets.

Cheers Chris
 
voice in the crowd said:
Interesting to see that on the invoice he calls the Hero lids 'good' helmets - like the other ones weren't good :lol

He also charges for tooling so I presume that means the reworking of the moulds to make then nicer for the hero helmets.

Cheers Chris
Click to expand...

It amazes me that he got away with charging so much! :eek £100 back in 1976 was well above an average week's wage.

Just as further confirmation of the number of Stormtroopers made for the film, John Mollo has a list of characters required in his diary and he noted 50 Stormtroopers plus Han and Luke were required.
 
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Hi Brian,

Just out of interest on the sculpt you done for the armour was the belt and knee plates part of your sculpt?

Ainsworth seems to claim kind of credit for adding these reading his web site - well he actually seems to claim credit for everything :rolleyes. Seems to me than John Mollo requested them and he just vac formed over some bits of wood.

The belt boxes are in the Ralph McQuarrie pre production artwork so clearly they are not his idea.

So just wondering if they were an after thought. They also appear to be separately listed on the invoices.

Cheers Chris
 
{He also charges for tooling so I presume that means the reworking of the moulds to make then nicer for the hero helmets.}

I think that to charge for tooling would mean a new mold/molds were made

Also the total cost seems quite high , considering in the interview , were he is with the cute brit chick reporter, he claims he did them for no/little money on a piece buy piece basis
 
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voice in the crowd said:
Hi Brian,

Just out of interest on the sculpt you done for the armour was the belt and knee plates part of your sculpt?

Ainsworth seems to claim kind of credit for adding these reading his web site - well he actually seems to claim credit for everything :rolleyes. Seems to me than John Mollo requested them and he just vac formed over some bits of wood.

The belt boxes are in the Ralph McQuarrie pre production artwork so clearly they are not his idea.

So just wondering if they were an after thought. They also appear to be separately listed on the invoices.

Cheers Chris
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

No the belt, knee plate and knee boxes weren't sculpted by me. They were wooden moulds made in the carpenter's shop at Elstree as tools for Ainsworth to pull on.
The test shots on 15th March 76 show the addition of a knee box which was larger than the one eventually used in the production and a canvas belt. So the additions were something that were always going to be featured.
John Mollo and George Lucas had various discussions on the additional pieces and decided on the final version.

Regards

Brian
 
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Ive been trying to find any info on the ROTJ Version 2 mic tips (ie the ones that arnt the hovi mix 2pa tips) Ive seen it said they are machined metal but is this proven , as from what Ive gathered any in privet hands are actually cast resin much like the cast hovi's ,?
 
BGHUNTER said:
Ive been trying to find any info on the ROTJ Version 2 mic tips (ie the ones that arnt the hovi mix 2pa tips) Ive seen it said they are machined metal but is this proven , as from what Ive gathered any in privet hands are actually cast resin much like the cast hovi's ,?
Click to expand...

I have resin cast from original ROTJ mic tips available.
 
But what Im asking is, is there any proof that metal ones were used on the ROTJ helmets
because the few ive looked in to, only seem to have resin ones,,
and Ive seen it said over and over machine metal tips were used,
Was this ever prtooven or just speculated because in some pics they looked metal , as weve seen on the ANH tips that were said to be metal they were infact not metal

(how ever Sskunky Im currently saving to get a full lid from CFO)
 
All the screen used ROTJ helmet had machined metal mic tips that were custom made to emulate the look of the hovis.
The other ROTJ looking helmets that have ANH/ESB style ears and plastic hovis are actually promotional helmets and not used in the films.
 
GINO said:
The other ROTJ looking helmets that have ANH/ESB style ears and plastic hovis are actually promotional helmets and not used in the films.
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Gee, thanks for clearing that up for us, Matt.... oh wait, it's Gino! :confused
You just reminded me of someone who would regularly state his own opinion as uncontested fact.
Well if you can do it, then so can I...

I'm the proud owner of a ROTJ Background Studio (or ESB V2) Stormtrooper costume with helmet. Before I bought it I spoke at length with David Oliver (propmasters) and Pete Briggs who both owned identical ROTJ Background Studio helmets.
Their stories were identical - both of their helmets came off the Death Star II docking bay set at Elstree, when Return of the Jedi was being filmed there.
I later found out that my costume and helmet also came from the studio.

So in the manner of Matt and now it would seem Gino, let's make a factual comment based on this info:

[Begin Factual Statement]
The ROTJ background studio Stormtrooper helmets and costumes were screenused. Perhaps in the background just to 'make up numbers' to bolster the number of live-action troops for Vader and The Emperor's arrivals on the Death Star II, but nevertheless they were screenused.[/End Factual Statement]

I'm not saying these costumes WEREN'T used for promotional purposes - it's entirely possible, since screenused Stormtrooper costumes have long been used for promotional appearances before the Tour Costumes were specifically fabricated in the 1990's. It just seems kinda odd that 2 helmets and a full costume should originate from the studio where they filmed ROTJ, and in the same timeframe as the filming of ROTJ, and yet they were only used for promotional appearances? Hhhhmmmm, I think I'll file that idea under 'BS' :lol

John
john@manicminer.plus.com
 
No need to be so defensive.
I know it is in your interest for them to be screen used since you own one, but in all fairness your own personal situation is not allowing you to look at this objectively.

Show me one single pic of that style of helmet on the ROTJ set and then we'll talk.
You can't because they were not made for or used in the film.
Also there is no such thing as an ESB V2.




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GINO said:
Show me one single pic of that style of helmet on the ROTJ set and then we'll talk.
You can't because they were not made for or used in the film.
Also there is no such thing as an ESB V2.
Click to expand...

Well you're right in so far as 'I can't' but not necessarily because this style of helmet/costume wasn't there...
I have looked at the opening scenes of ROTJ in HD, in the sequence where Vader and Moff Jerjerrod walk in front of the assembled stormtroopers. Because the camera pans with Vader and Jerjerrod the troopers behind them are subject to motion blur as well as being out of focus. Their helmets could have rounded or square-edged frowns - it is impossible to either prove or dis-prove.... end-of :unsure

And please don't accuse me of being subjective concerning this matter. I would be perfectly happy knowing that I owned an original Lucasfilm set of Stormtrooper armour, regardless of whether or not it had been screenused.
But the FACT remains that 2 other Stormtrooper helmets which share the same pedigree as mine, originated from the Death Star II docking bay set in Elstree circa 1982.
If I were being truly subjective and biased, I might claim that my Stormtrooper costume was used in TESB, as it is impossible to verify the helmet characteristics of the troopers running through the halls of Cloud City during the firefight with Leia, Lando and Chewie.

My reference to ESB V2 was relating to the fact that the ROTJ Background Studio helmets, such as mine, were indeed created whilst TESB was being filmed. It has never been verified whether they were screenused during TESB but I'm certain they were re-used as background costumes during studio filming for ROTJ.

These are all facts which I have stated.... NOT subjective opinions

John
john@manicminer.plus.com
 
Nice one Gino.
You come in here spouting "fact" yet again without a shred of evidence or having never owned a real screen used prop and confidently tell people that have they are categorically wrong.
I'm all up for education but I don't believe you can say all ROTJ helmets had metal mic tips just because you can't see that some may be resin on screen shots? Have you handled all of the screen used foreground helmets? If you have then I'm entitled to believe you if you haven't then it's circumstantial at best and not fact.
 
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