Anovos Stormtrooper.... thoughts?

[Jodo]

When I very first got into costuming at around 14 I emailed several 501st members and inquires about online resources, forums, etc. An astounding number of them were quite rude. I have met some really nice 501st members and I'm a member on the MWG forums, but every time I consider joining I think back to how I was treated overall like 12 years ago (not specifically by MWG members mind you).

I was considering attempting to join with my Anovas kit, but I think I'll do what ever I darn well please with it and forgo the membership.

 

[Got Maul]

Oh, I know, it's just good-natured teasing I've been duly impressed by the communication from Anovos, both here and when talking to customer service, otherwise I never would have plunked my cash down for a kit. That said, communication is wonderful, but I'll definetly feel much more comfortable once people start receving production pieces and we know how they compare to the various pre-order pics.

Really appreciated ! Thanks so much for the support. I have to admit, the one thing we didn't anticipate (which is a good thing mostly) is the level of scrutiny and protection of quality of product that LFL takes to not only ensure a safe product, but also a fairly accurate one. They see things we don't and have made many reasonable requests that have bettered the product for everyone. It's been a real team effort. BUT, as you know, we've encountered many delays because of this, but am happy to report our "system" has become much more linear than ever. We are only getting faster and these updates for delay of product, I anticipate, will get lower and lower.

Totally agree.

Though not 100% accurate the helmet looks great and is a huge improvement over the old MR CE/EFX PCR. If I didn't have so many TK lids already, I would have bought one too - but I did recommend it to my friends.
Great job indeed Anovos!:thumbsup

Thanks again all ! It's a real honor to even be considered in that comparison.

I know these have been tidied up and idealised, slightly, but just interested to know where the inaccuracies are (unfortunately I'm not really up on TK helmets)?

So the one pictured will be the final deal and not a prototype?

Yup, the one you see is the actual piece. The real thing will be more durable and will have inserts to ensure proper costume helmet fit inside !

 

[Sni9er]

@Got Maul where were you guys 5 years ago haha you should have been doing SW years ago !! great work all of you !!

Will Anovos ever consider Jedi and other force user costumes from the OT I'd love to see your take on those costumes

 

[Got Maul]

@Got Maul where were you guys 5 years ago haha you should have been doing SW years ago !! great work all of you !!

Will Anovos ever consider Jedi and other force user costumes from the OT I'd love to see your take on those costumes

LOL- thanks! We were and still are producing some fantastic Star Trek and BSG outfits.

As for Jedi's, absolutely. We wanted to put some distance between us and the previous costume licensee who did Jedi's. My big push for the Jedi line will be character specific. We will also simply re-weave the complex fabrics that were used and use the actual patterns from the archive to make ours. If anyone remembers many years ago, Jedi's were my first passion in Star Wars, mostly for the artistry of the cuts and fabrics chosen. Now that we have the license and unprecedented access, we are going to do this and do it amazingly right.

 

[Sni9er]

LOL- thanks! We were and still are producing some fantastic Star Trek and BSG outfits.

As for Jedi's, absolutely. We wanted to put some distance between us and the previous costume licensee who did Jedi's. My big push for the Jedi line will be character specific. We will also simply re-weave the complex fabrics that were used and use the actual patterns from the archive to make ours. If anyone remembers many years ago, Jedi's were my first passion in Star Wars, mostly for the artistry of the cuts and fabrics chosen. Now that we have the license and unprecedented access, we are going to do this and do it amazingly right.

AWESOME NEWS

i should have asked in my first question but will you be tackling sabers or is this not within the Anovos Remit/license ?

 

[Got Maul]

The armor kits were listed as ABS but the helmet alone now says its PVC. So does that mean the helmet supplied with the armor is PVC or ABS? Color matching issues if you are using 2 different materials for the armor kit?

This is correct. The ultimate piece will be PVC. The reason you saw the variation was because it was still in deliberation what material we were going to use. My guys were in China this past week and put the materials through various professional tested conditions that looked at wear and tear, long term use and aging. The results we found pointed all at PVC for its durability and wear over the long term.

The part that most people don't understand about PVC is that there is a gradient of quality of this product. Arguably, the gradient between poor PVC plastic and amazing PVC plastic is larger than ABS. What we typically have used here in the states (at least from we have observed) is that everyone is usually held to the limitations of poor supply that doesn't necessarily give the best quality. This would explain the mixed responses ranging from people loving PVC to hating it.

With that being said, thanks to you on the RPF and thousands of people, our great experiment to leverage volume to command our own quality has paid off. I am so pleased to you all that behind the scenes, we are now buying plastic by the TONS. This has allowed to not only be free from the restrictions of supply, but actually custom make our very own plastic and what it will consisted of, down to the molecular level. The PVC we have chosen to make from scratch, will be highest quality PVC. It will also be dyed to match the bright white ABS (which is something that American PVC suppliers rarely see ) and an added element, unique to Anovos, will also have custom anti-UV protection mixed into the plastic. Not only will your armor be durable, it will also be protected much longer from yellowing caused by light and time.

All, I am so excited about this. We've knitted our own fabric before, but actually creating plastic is whole new level for us and it was all because of you and thousands other. Because of you guys, we are not only making more product, but actually expanding our hobby and taking costuming to whole new levels.

 

[Got Maul]

AWESOME NEWS

i should have asked in my first question but will you be tackling sabers or is this not within the Anovos Remit/license ?

Working on a solution for that.

 

[E Williams]

I'm very pleased to hear about the steps you're taking with the custom material -- especially the UV protection. That was a big question in my mind and I'm glad you've addressed it

 

[widescreen]

Are you seriously looking at have the kits made in China?
If so - this really worries me. I've had a lot of bad experiences with Chinese manufacturers & their quality control.

No disrespect intended.

 

[jtothegriff]

You'd be surprised, I know a couple of "well respected" workshops that do film work and the likes of which have Chinese manufacturers.

 

[JD]

Wow. I was on the fence about buying this... for a lot of reasons. The level of detail and enthusiasm Got Maul shows just makes me so happy I did get in on this. I don't know where I'm going to put it, but... I'm glad I'm getting it!!

 

[Sv3onSA]

Hi GotMaul!

Any idea if you guys will be showing a preview of the actual armor in person to the community?

It would be nice if you were showing it in cons or at a special event so that people could attest to the quality of it.

Or maybe I'm just asking too much [emoji14]

Edited for typo.

 

[Saberbay]

I ordered two kits!
Anyone know a good place to go to get a kit similar to the HyperDyne Trooper amp amp or Plecter Labs Voice Core? Both are out of stock/production

 

[geordietrooper]

I ordered two kits!
Anyone know a good place to go to get a kit similar to the HyperDyne Trooper amp amp or Plecter Labs Voice Core? Both are out of stock/production

you could try John at romfx in the UK
http://www.romfx.com/

 

[Got Maul]

Hi GotMaul!

Any idea if you guys will be showing a preview of the actual armor in person to the community?

It would be nice if you were showing it in cons or at a special event so that people could attest to the quality of it.

Or maybe I'm just asking too much [emoji14]

Edited for typo.

For those of you attending SDCC, we plan on having the Trooper there. Also, note the trooper on the website is the actual prototype.

 

[Sv3onSA]

For those of you attending SDCC, we plan on having the Trooper there. Also, note the trooper on the website is the actual prototype.

Would that be a prototype or one that's closer to the actual final product?

It would be cool if people could look at your PVC and comment on it. Can you tell I can't wait till this ships???

 

[masterjedifocus]

Thank you Got Maul for constantly keeping us in the loop with the progress. I am really looking forward to having this ship.
hope you guys attending SDCC will get to take a bunch of pics for us guys that can't go.

 

[Art Andrews]

Are you seriously looking at have the kits made in China?
If so - this really worries me. I've had a lot of bad experiences with Chinese manufacturers & their quality control.

No disrespect intended.

You realize almost anything that is mass produced is done so in China, right?

EFX production? China.
Sideshow production? China.
ANOVOS production? China.
LEGOS production? China.
Hasbro production? China.
Hot Toys production? China.

There are certainly challenges when working with an overseas manufacturer, but it is pretty much the only way to cost-effectively create mass quantities of product at a price-point that is acceptable to the market.

Can you imagine what the price would have been if the trooper armor was pulled here in the US? Instead of $350 it would have been $3,500....

 

[redinight]

You realize almost anything that is mass produced is done so in China, right?

EFX production? China.
Sideshow production? China.
ANOVOS production? China.
LEGOS production? China.
Hasbro production? China.
Hot Toys production? China.

There are certainly challenges when working with an overseas manufacturer, but it is pretty much the only way to cost-effectively create mass quantities of product at a price-point that is acceptable to the market.

Can you imagine what the price would have been if the trooper armor was pulled here in the US? Instead of $350 it would have been $3,500....

Amen!

Americans can't afford American made. Look at cars! Most things made in America, most common things, are one time use non-complicated consumables.

We would need a grand experiment to lower costs and pay employees more.

kuddos to Anovos for finally driving up the quantity to lower prices! I wish the list above would start that. I hate limited, I just want the product.

 

[Saberbay]

For those of you attending SDCC, we plan on having the Trooper there. Also, note the trooper on the website is the actual prototype.

I really hope you guys do an early bird pre-order pricing for the First Order Trooper as well...

I would pick up two of those also if under 500$