Anyone ever done Still Suits from Dune?

[loganallenwolf]

Hi, I'm Allen and new to the RPF. I'm really excited to finally be a member. I'm a novice costumer/prop-maker with my main interest being comic superheroes.

For my very first post: Has anyone ever done Still Suits from the movie "Dune?"

A friend of mine would like to make some of these for next year's DragonCon. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make one I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

(Attached are some pictures he found off the internet)

 

[CMANavy]

I would like to do one at some point my self.

If you ge the New DVD of dune it shows how them made them. Each one was custom made for the main characters.

First step was to make a body cast, then fit a lycra suit to it. The tubing was rubber/silcone tubing (I think) that was glued and straped to the suit and the main pockets were also a form of rubber stuffed with foam padding.

 

[TK1536]

Very interested in this.

 

[SethB6025]

Mike will kill me; but I'd love a Frank Herbert version. Still, this would be cool.

 

[GeneralMayhem]

I've always loved those suits.

 

[loganallenwolf]

<div class='quotetop'>(GeneralMayhem @ Nov 4 2006, 02:49 PM) [snapback]1350717[/snapback]</div>

I've always loved those suits.
[/b]

From GrendelBat at the League of Heroes:

This page is probably the best out there on the full stillsuit production...

www.duneinfo.com/arrakis/stillsuits.asp

It's an incredible piece of documentation...

 

[Lear60man]

I posted the same question a while ago On Dewback and got zero results. I actually saw one in West Holywood on Halloween in 94 if memory serves. A guy wearing one came up to me and asked if my Stormtrooper was a Marco. I asked him where he got his Stillsuit and he said he made it. It ooked good. Its still one costume I would like to make.

 

[Darth Mule]

This will be interesting to develop. I hated the movie as a fan of the books, but the production design was far better than that of the more true to the book, better written, semi-recent scifi mini-series. The stillsuits in the new one looked like painted spandex. No where near as interesting.

 

[St. Matticus]

Cool idea. I remember some music video back when I was in college and the guys were wearing the still suit jackets from the movie...that was early 90's...or late 80's?? Geeze, I went to college that long ago.??.?.

 

[Treadwell]

<div class='quotetop'>(SethB6025 @ Nov 4 2006, 01:05 PM) [snapback]1350653[/snapback]</div>

I'd love a Frank Herbert version.
[/b]

It's been 20+ years since I read Dune. In what ways did the movie suit contradict Herbert's description? I know there was a facemask; anything else?

 

[Apollo]

I'm still kicking my self for not buying a Screen-used one when I had the chance.

Good luck in your quest loganallenwolf.

 

[lingarn]

<div class='quotetop'>(Treadwell @ Nov 5 2006, 03:39 PM) [snapback]1351169[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(SethB6025 @ Nov 4 2006, 01:05 PM) [snapback]1350653[/snapback]

I'd love a Frank Herbert version.
[/b]

It's been 20+ years since I read Dune. In what ways did the movie suit contradict Herbert's description? I know there was a facemask; anything else?
[/b][/quote]

Looking at the above pictures, and assuming my memory is accurate, I can say that the book stillsuits would have had hoods and gloves, in addition to the facemask.

The general concept was to expose as little skin as possible, so that sweat could be reclaimed and evaporation would be minimized. A functioning stillsuit should only lose a few thimblefuls of water per day, or so my recollection goes.

Nice first post, incidentally.

Lingarn

 

[division 6]

The suits where heavy lycra with foam built up than covered with 2 types of latex.

For the back gound suits that may be easier to do.
<div class='quotetop'></div>

"We also did about 90 background suits for the other actors who would be around the main actors, and that was a problem because we knew we couldn't take as much time making them as the main suits. I thought these should be molded, but Teresa Burkett thought we could do them with sewn panels, and she was right. She was extremely helpful in these, and made them by quilting the pattern onto the foam and building several panels together. They looked virtually indistinguishable from the foreground suits.[/b]

One of the members here had one made a year or so back.
Dropship Bob perhaps (?)

D6

 

[saxe coburg]

To be honest, I've had a little still suit project on the back burner for acouple of years now. We also had plans to show up at D*C with 6-8 still suits, but the project never really got off the ground and keeps getting pushed back. I'd be very interested to see how yours turn out. Good luck bro.

 

[Darth Mule]

Your memory is accurate. They had pretty much every inch of their body covered but their eyes. Again referring to the two different movies, the SciFi Mini-series and the original David Lynch version, the Lynch suits had a better look as far as believability in the function of collecting and recyling body fluid, but the crappy lycra ones in the SciFi version had the hood and mask. I've so far been unable to find a decent image of those.



<div class='quotetop'>(Lingarn @ Nov 5 2006, 02:38 PM) [snapback]1351312[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(Treadwell @ Nov 5 2006, 03:39 PM) [snapback]1351169[/snapback]

<div class='quotetop'>(SethB6025 @ Nov 4 2006, 01:05 PM) [snapback]1350653[/snapback]

I'd love a Frank Herbert version.
[/b]

It's been 20+ years since I read Dune. In what ways did the movie suit contradict Herbert's description? I know there was a facemask; anything else?
[/b][/quote]

Looking at the above pictures, and assuming my memory is accurate, I can say that the book stillsuits would have had hoods and gloves, in addition to the facemask.

The general concept was to expose as little skin as possible, so that sweat could be reclaimed and evaporation would be minimized. A functioning stillsuit should only lose a few thimblefuls of water per day, or so my recollection goes.

Nice first post, incidentally.

Lingarn
[/b][/quote]

 

[dropshipbob]

Yep, I had one created with the help of a local seamstress about 3 or 4 years ago. I looked over the movie and screengrabs and drew the front back and both sides with all the quilting detail. I then took that to a seamstress and together we picked out material that she could work with and that would closely replicate what was seen on screen.

My first thought was to go with pleather or vinyl, but she said it would be too hot to wear at a convention. I can't tell you the specific material used (don't know if it has a proper name), but it was a heavy cloth. She then made an undersuit out of scrap material, attached automotive headliner material, and then added the final material over that. She then went about quilting the detail, and for something done by hand with a machine, she got the detail pretty correct. Now mind you it's not 100% accurate, but many people won't be able to tell the difference. And for something made by hand, I can't complain too much. The final color was a bit bright, so I took an airbrush and sprayed it with black acrylic paint. I also added "dirt" in some places to make it look like it had been worn in the desert. I added real buckles and a nose tube topped off with a resin krysknife made by Greyzon.

I have pictures somewhere.

Also, another RPF member named "Jayne" had first hand experience handling a screen used suit.