I'm looking for the ANH C3PO expert here. Not just someone knowledgeable about C3PO but the expert on C3PO from ANH. Not ESB, not ROTJ, not the prequels, but ANH. Maybe someone who has examined Bob Burn's C3PO feet, or who has photos of an ANH C3PO with good resolution, or who just can answer any question about C3PO from ANH as if you wore the costume. Thanks...
ANH C3PO expert?
- Thread starter SithLord
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Darth Niob
Sr Member
There is a member here, TK450 (??), who sells 3po and Boba Stuff. He has a great site and seems to be very well informed. Just a thought.
lonepigeon
Master Member
Darth Niob
Sr Member
Boomer Fett
New Member
Someone is selling his parts on TDH as well.
BAlinger15
Community Founder
The C-3PO feet that Bob Burns has were created by Rick Baker for the ceremony at Mann's Chinese Theater where 3PO's feet were put into concrete.
During Star Wars, the feet of the suit were simple vac-formed covers placed over a converse all-star style shoe, with no sole. Obviously this wouldn't do for a footprint ceremony!
Brandon
During Star Wars, the feet of the suit were simple vac-formed covers placed over a converse all-star style shoe, with no sole. Obviously this wouldn't do for a footprint ceremony!
Brandon
Thanks, Brandon, about the feet....interesting...
Since I pmed Chris and there has been no reply I'll continue my line of thought here.
I'd like to confirm what materials were used for making the C3PO head and torso in ANH (I've been told polyester resin) and whether the same materials were used for making the RA-7 droid. I also wanted to know if there are any images available of the inside of C3PO's head or torso area? The only thing I've found was this:
It would also be nice if someone could describe everything going on here as if this was their workshop and they were showing a work in progress photo of their C3PO project.
Also, were the hands made of the same resin as the head/torso? For example I'm thinking of that hand piece Tim Kezter has.
Is this supposed to be plated? It looks painted to me. Are we seeing gold paint and beige underlying resin? Why are some parts gold, some orange-yellow, and other parts dark? Because if you look at the RA-7 droid, it looks different than this.
Plus, by the time of the Tantive IV shoot at the end of the shooting schedule, you can see prominent cracking in the plating in the upper chest area compared to earlier scenes on Tatooine with Luke and Uncle Owen. But where the plating flakes off, it is dark, not beige as on the Ketzer C3PO hand, implying either a different material or a different finishing process for the hands versus the head/torso?
Since I pmed Chris and there has been no reply I'll continue my line of thought here.
I'd like to confirm what materials were used for making the C3PO head and torso in ANH (I've been told polyester resin) and whether the same materials were used for making the RA-7 droid. I also wanted to know if there are any images available of the inside of C3PO's head or torso area? The only thing I've found was this:
It would also be nice if someone could describe everything going on here as if this was their workshop and they were showing a work in progress photo of their C3PO project.
Also, were the hands made of the same resin as the head/torso? For example I'm thinking of that hand piece Tim Kezter has.
Is this supposed to be plated? It looks painted to me. Are we seeing gold paint and beige underlying resin? Why are some parts gold, some orange-yellow, and other parts dark? Because if you look at the RA-7 droid, it looks different than this.
Plus, by the time of the Tantive IV shoot at the end of the shooting schedule, you can see prominent cracking in the plating in the upper chest area compared to earlier scenes on Tatooine with Luke and Uncle Owen. But where the plating flakes off, it is dark, not beige as on the Ketzer C3PO hand, implying either a different material or a different finishing process for the hands versus the head/torso?
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gonk27
Sr Member
As far as I'm aware, 3PO's head is fibreglass (both front and back), chest, back, shoulders and legs also fibreglass with vac-formed plastic hips. Arms were aluminium and the feet, neck and the backs of the hands were plastic, some of the hands had machined brass fingertips - and the entire suits were vac metalised.
I've heard that as the 3PO hands were such a tight fit on Anthony they had to be warmed up to give them enough flexiblity to put on, and on one occasion he burnt his hand when they got a little too hot!
Of course I defer to Mr Bies' superior knowledge and experience with all this
.. and sorry I nothing specific about RA-7 but I assume he was built in much the same way.
I've heard that as the 3PO hands were such a tight fit on Anthony they had to be warmed up to give them enough flexiblity to put on, and on one occasion he burnt his hand when they got a little too hot!
Of course I defer to Mr Bies' superior knowledge and experience with all this
.. and sorry I nothing specific about RA-7 but I assume he was built in much the same way.
We also know there were stunt pieces made of vac formed plastic (torso), and fromed my limited research, the plastic appears to white. I have also spoke with Ghost Host who has seen supposedly production made ANH 'shorts' that were a vac formed black plastic.
As far as the plating flaking and revealing black, it could be that they used black primer for finishing before the vacuum metalizing process. Just a thought....
Just remembered too that they might have used black gel coat for the fiberglass pieces.
As far as the plating flaking and revealing black, it could be that they used black primer for finishing before the vacuum metalizing process. Just a thought....
Just remembered too that they might have used black gel coat for the fiberglass pieces.
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You could try TK-118, Tom Schaefer. His ANH 3PO is awesome.
http://www.tk118.com/
http://www.tk118.com/c3po.htm
Augie
http://www.tk118.com/
http://www.tk118.com/c3po.htm
Augie
I'm pretty sure this is a TK409 suit (Chris').
DivineHeresy
Sr Member
It's hard to tell from the pics but it does look to be one of Chris's.
I have one his 3PO head's and love it.
If Chris doesn't get back to you, you could always try the 3PO builders forum.
Thanks, Jeremy, that would explain the look of the Ketzer hand in relation to the rest of the suit. It also echos what Rob states below about there being some white plastic being used (or off-white). So I've seen footage of C3PO being made and the torso looked white, but then in the b&w photos of Anthony Daniels being fitted, the torso looks metallic but not metalized (shiny). So that was a bit confusing. Can someone explain that difference?
So if you look at the b&w shop photo I posted above, the inside of the back (?) of C3PO's head is dark inside, and there's that bucket of dark goo on the table...is that paint? I'm trying to understand the sequence of prepping for the fiberglass pieces...
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lonepigeon
Master Member
They also used dulling spray back then to cut down on reflections. That's why he sometimes doesn't look so polished.
So getting back to this I found a good image I could color correct reasonably well of the dark colored C3PO mask being fitted to Anthony Daniels by George Lucas.
The question to the C3PO experts is, is this mask black, dark green, or what, and why would that be, in other words what is it made of? I have an idea why but I'd like to see what C3PO experts think...you can also see it is much darker than the rear half.
And I always wondered about this dark mask when later on when Anthony Daniels is in front of the mirror being fitted with the entire costume that the mask is white or an off-white. Why the difference?
The question to the C3PO experts is, is this mask black, dark green, or what, and why would that be, in other words what is it made of? I have an idea why but I'd like to see what C3PO experts think...you can also see it is much darker than the rear half.
And I always wondered about this dark mask when later on when Anthony Daniels is in front of the mirror being fitted with the entire costume that the mask is white or an off-white. Why the difference?
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