AVATAR dog tag analysis/reference thread

[tim]

Per the suggestion of Sith Sheriff Brody in the Official Avatar replica thread (post #61), I'm starting a separate discussion on the dog/ID tags that make brief appearances throughout the film.

First we have SurferGeek's reference photo.

Found a picture of one of the "i-Tags", not sure of the accuracy or if it's not just a promo item.

The metallic bit looks like the contact pads from a SIM card or chip-and-PIN bank card.

I re-watched the film today and added some other observations.

Saw the movie again today (in 3-D...yay!) and paid closer attention for the dog tags. I saw at least two different colors. Quaritch wears a white one; you can see the top 1/3rd of it peeking out of his tank top when he "recruits" Sully to be his inside man with the Na'vi. There are a couple of good shots of orange ones on Norm and Sully in at least two scenes of the characters interacting in the mobile shack (like when Norm is teaching Sully the Na'vi language).

We never get a close-up, but I didn't notice any obvious differences from the one pictured.

What else have people found out? I think this would be a cool (and cheap) prop replica if we can hammer out the details.

 

[Mike J.]

I suspect that photo is of a real, hero-grade prop. I'm not sure if it was made for production or not, though, due to the image engraved in the plexi. It's just the Weta logo and a barcode.

Please see my attached pictures for reference.


-Mike

 

[Mike J.]

Now, this dog-tag matches relatively closely in style, shape and color to the licensed ones from the UK.

 

[Mike J.]

The licensed ones are identified on the seller's website as being orange = science, green = military, and I think footage from the film confirms that.

Please see the attached screen caps:

 

[Mike J.]

Also, from the above caps, we can tell they are worn on standard beaded chains and some kind of soft, clear ribbon.

 

[tim]

Now, this dog-tag matches relatively closely in style, shape and color to the licensed ones from the UK.

One difference I notice (apart from the bar code, WETA logo, and gold contacts) is that the putative hero prop looks like it has a metal inner layer sandwiched between the (painted?) orange layers. Also, the putative hero has a raised logo.

 

[Mike J.]

Now, the "AVTR" photo shows faint vertical striations in the orange part of the tag. If that's an actual physical characteristic of the tag, it suggests that a master tag was CNC milled for molding. What the AVTR picture also suggests to me is that that particular tag is made of black resin (or hard rubber?) cast around a CNC milled clear plastic center. Look carefully at the edges and the slot - notice the 'sandwich' appearance and the apparent behavior of light.

Regardless of the above theory, I believe that tag to have been cast in black material, then masked & painted.

I'm guessing the little fake microchip would have been added to a milled-out 'seat' in the clear plastic center.

Now, in the screencaps (from the HD trailers), the tags look to me like they may show 'mugshots' in the clear plastic windows. Maybe that's the case for hero tags, or maybe that was added in post.

Quaritch's tag looks like it may have a lighter-colored 'silencer' around it.

My last comment (until new information arises): I have "The Art of Avatar" on the way, and have already the 'scrapbook' and the 'report'. The scrapbook is almost entirely worthless. The 'report' has some medium-size pics of weapons & vehicles. We'll see what the "Art" has.


-Mike J.

 

[SurferGeek]

Am I the only one that saw (or thought so) a green LED on the tag in one of the scenes? Maybe it was just a reflection. I don't recall the exact scene as I've only seen it one time but I seem to remember it being in the lab, with the science geeks.

 

[tim]

Am I the only one that saw (or thought so) a green LED on the tag in one of the scenes? Maybe it was just a reflection. I don't recall the exact scene as I've only seen it one time but I seem to remember it being in the lab, with the science geeks.

I don't recall seeing any LEDs on the dog tags. Where did you see it? The clear part of the tag or elsewhere?

 

[SurferGeek]

It was very brief, at an angle and not super close. Doesn't help with the general blue lighting of most of the lab scenes either. Although, with the blue lighting the fact that I thought I saw green says something... probably that my eyesight is crapping out on me!

 

[Ttaskmaster]

some kind of soft, clear ribbon.

My other half has a bra with straps just like that.
It's a clear, vaguely rubbery sort of thing, but also like a ribbon. A touch wider than in the photos above.

 

[Rook 3]

From one of the BHTScenes mini-docs...

The window does appear to hold an image of the wearer.

Russ

 

[Mike J.]

Agreed. Looks like they went with a one-color RDA logo on the science tags, too.

 

[Akiriano]

Just found out that Play.com here in the UK are selling replica dog tags
http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/-/394/494/-/12509308/James-Cameron-Avatar-RDA-Military-Dog-Tag/Product.html?searchtype=genre

And

http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/12509539/James-Cameron-Avatar-RDA-Science-Dog-Tag/Product.html

 

[tim]

^ Those look to be the tags referenced in Post #3. They are a great deal, but not entirely SA.

 

[SciFirepower]

Got my replica yesterday. It's molded out of soft rubber, with RDA stamped on it and has is a clear plastic window. The chain is a black dogtag-style bead chain.

Based on the pics, I am going to try some drybrushing to bring out the detail and add a photo of myself. I am going to try printing out a B&W photo on transparent plastic, that's what it looks like in the pics.