Blade Runner apartment key

[Kevin]

Hi Everyone,

I have been looking at the Blade Runner apartment key artwork people have been displaying recently. To my eyes none of it matches the glimpse we get onscreen. I have put together this little selection of grabs.

Several things to note;
The long number on it is ALMOST identical to the number that appears on Deckard's VidPhon card. The difference is that the two digit combination appears to read "65" instead of "66". Is this just an optical illusion? Could be.
The main pattern/image mostly hidden by Deckard's thumb. Well, it looks exactly like the top line of the tiles in the Ennis Brown House. Those same tiles appear in Deckard's place. It find of looks right and fits on the card.
Then there are the holes. I think that you can clearly see more than the two holes in the shots when the card is in the slot. The holes we know about, that let the light through in the shadow on the wall, appear as dark areas. there are more dark areas near Deckard's palm that seem to be in a regular pattern. Possibly three of them in a reverse "L" shape?
The red writing appears to be Japanese katana or katakana script. The best I can make out, the top line reads "Taikatsu". Of course, I have tried to make it read Tyrell, but katana doesn't do the letter L
Am I reading it wrong? Anybody suggest what it might really say?

Here's my work so far.

The artwork for these is credit card sized at 300dpi.

Has anybody here recorded the recent high definition broadcasts of Blade Runner in 1920*1080? If so, can you get a few grabs of this sequence for me? I have found a few grabs people have posted around the net but they're always of the spinner or street scenes.

 

[Apollo]

Nice work so far.

Looks like you might have to wait untill the Dvd is re-issued next year.

That or maybe somebody from the "Wallet" run will help you.

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(apollo @ Jul 12 2006, 01:01 PM) [snapback]1279204[/snapback]</div>

That or maybe somebody from the "Wallet" run will help you.
[/b]

I wouldn't want anybody to break their agreement with Phil.
If I could have afforded it I would have been a part of that project. :cry
I was already financially comitted to another item.

:love

I still intend to contact Phil soon to see how his stocks are on a number of other items.

Don't worry, I shall be at the head of the queue when the new box set comes out. Goodness knows, we've all waited long enough for a decent transfer.

 

[Darkknight0667]

It looks like you're off to a great start.

A couple of comments, though, since you're asking:

1) It appears to me that the red katakana lettering continues down the right hand side of the card (possibly the left, as well, though that can't be seen in the caps);

2) The holes appear to be larger in the caps than you've got drawn;

3) I agree that the second digit looks like a "5" (the first might even be one, too);

4) The radius of the corners looks to be a little large, compared to the caps;

5) I really like the use of the Ennis Brown pattern (though it looks like the white border in the cap is wider than what you've drawn).

Excellent job so far. I look forward to seeing how this comes out.

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(Darkknight0667 @ Jul 12 2006, 02:33 PM) [snapback]1279242[/snapback]</div>

1) It appears to me that the red katakana lettering continues down the right hand side of the card (possibly the left, as well, though that can't be seen in the caps);

2) The holes appear to be larger in the caps than you've got drawn;

3) I agree that the second digit looks like a "5" (the first might even be one, too);

4) The radius of the corners looks to be a little large, compared to the caps;

5) I really like the use of the Ennis Brown pattern (though it looks like the white border in the cap is wider than what you've drawn).

[/b]

1) I agree completely. I suspect that there's at least one line of text partially obscured by Deckard's thumb. I am wracking my brain for anything in BR lore that might fit. Anybody here speak/read Japanese katana that might be able to translate something from English for me to use in this space?

2) I think you're right. i am more concerned about positioning them correctly and trying to guess ho many there are. I'll sort out the size later.

3) The artwork for the vid-phon card was published in a magazine when the film came out. That's what I have based my reconstruction on. I needed to start again to lose the dot pattern the printing process introduced. The number is very clear on that artwork. I'm trying to figure out what the likelyhood is of it being different by one digit on the apartment key. Is it different or is it an optical illusion.

4) Good call on the corners. I have the vid-phon corners about right and used the same radius. It should be much tighter.

5) Next pass I'll thicken the bright lines.

Cheers. All suggestions gratefully received (although not as gratefully received as some high definition screen grabs. - Anybody?)

 

[SethB6025]

Very nice. I'm dying for the new DVD. Hopefully it can shed some new light on some of the harder to discern details.

 

[Mike J.]

Best I can get from the DVD:

-Mike

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(Sith Sheriff Brody @ Jul 12 2006, 04:24 PM) [snapback]1279323[/snapback]</div>

Best I can get from the DVD:

-Mike
[/b]

Excellent. Thanks.

 

[eltee]

Perhaps under Deckard's thumb is a mini biometric reader (thumbprint scan), so that the room key only activates when the authorized user's thumb is centered on it. When you use the card keys at a hotel, etc. I notice people tend to hold it by the back edge while inserting the leading edge whereas here Deckard has his thumb squarely in the center of the grid. We can visualize that in 2019 many cards are smart cards (even the current US military ID cards are smart cards with a prominent, visible chip) with biometric authentication functions.

Of course, all that high tech security didn't prevent a stranger (Rachel) from getting into his apt.

On the Asian fonts, is it Chinese or Japanese (or a combo) used in the movie? The characters used on the police ID is Chinese for Police whereas on this thread the apartment card lettering is referred to as Japanese.

Yes...a high quality transfer may make some riddle solving screen caps next year.

 

[Kevin]

Hey Mike, I have taken the liberty of grabbing your screengrab and blowing it up a little. I also reduced the film grain and sharpened it a little.

I have adjusted the radius of the corners and thickened the white highlight on the tile pattern. I think I need to bring the whole image on the card down a little way. The arrow tips are too close to the leading edge.

Moving everything down should help me position the holes a little better, too. I am making the assumption that the holes are contained within the pattern area.

I like the idea of the thumb-print reader. However, that technology is not used anywhere else in BR. Even retina scans aren't used, unless you count the VK machine. I'm reluctant to add it because I think it doesn't fit with the designers' universe.

BTW, I don't have a copy of the original cut of the movie with the VO. Can anybody remember what combination of languages makes up the street-speak Gaff?

Also, anyone know what the basis for the ID card was? We all seem to be sure that it's a tapered thickness. It might have had the number 8 printed on it. It might have had a white square (or two) on the thicker edge.

 

[burningman]

I think city speak was a "mish mash of french, german, spanish, what have you"

The key card is looks great so far..will be watching this thread carefully

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(burningman @ Jul 12 2006, 08:03 PM) [snapback]1279508[/snapback]</div>

The key card is looks great so far..will be watching this thread carefully
[/b]

Thanks for the kind words.

Any leads on the battery cover will be gratefully received.

 

[Mike J.]

Looks good to me.

I'd swear some of those holes are different sizes...


-Mike

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(Sith Sheriff Brody @ Jul 12 2006, 08:31 PM) [snapback]1279531[/snapback]</div>

Looks good to me.

I'd swear some of those holes are different sizes...


-Mike
[/b]

I'm not sure. The two holes we see clearly appear to be the same size (perspective makes one appear veryslightly smaller). There are two others we can deduce; one because of the light shining through it leaving a gap in the shadow, the other because we can see through the dark part of the card to a lighter background. I think that both of these are partially obscured by Deckard's fingers making them seem smaller.

 

[Kevin]

Here's what I mean.

Hole 1 is casting shadow 1s.
Hole 2 is in the shadows so no light shines through it.
So is hole 3. We know it's there because we can see light through it. As the sequence progresses we can see the thickness of Deckard's finger obscure the hole completely.
Hole 4 we can deduce from its partial appearance in the shadow on the wall. It must be hidden behind Deckard's thumb. I think that, like hole 3, it is partially blocked by Deckard's fingers restricting the amount of light falling through it.

I know this looks a bit like an Oliver Stone reconstruction, but I hope you can see my thinking. :lol

 

[Mike J.]

Here's what I think I'm seeing:

-Mike

 

[turok96]

<div class='quotetop'>(Kevin @ Jul 12 2006, 08:44 PM) [snapback]1279587[/snapback]</div>

Here's what I mean.

Hole 1 is casting shadow 1s.
Hole 2 is in the shadows so no light shines through it.
So is hole 3. We know it's there because we can see light through it. As the sequence progresses we can see the thickness of Deckard's finger obscure the hole completely.
Hole 4 we can deduce from its partial appearance in the shadow on the wall. It must be hidden behind Deckard's thumb. I think that, like hole 3, it is partially blocked by Deckard's fingers restricting the amount of light falling through it.

I know this looks a bit like an Oliver Stone reconstruction, but I hope you can see my thinking. :lol
[/b]

Is there any chance that the small hole could be on the other side of deckard's thumb? They both have a distance between them (projected on the door)to be just next to each other (the card holes). Then again, it could be how the light hits the angled card then to the camera view.

 

[Mike J.]

-Mike

 

[eltee]

<div class='quotetop'>(Sith Sheriff Brody @ Jul 12 2006, 02:41 PM) [snapback]1279637[/snapback]</div>

-Mike
[/b]

The image makes the lower 1/2 of the card appear to have square corners whereas the upper (insertion end) 1/2 of the card appears to have radiused corners. Does anyone else see and agree?

Also, although it may be an optical illusion due to parallex, etc. it seems that the upper 1/2 may have two different radiused cuts on the corners. Perhaps to index correct insertion of the card...similar to how the Smart Media cards have 1 corner cut to permit only proper insertion into a smart media reader.

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(Sith Sheriff Brody @ Jul 12 2006, 10:41 PM) [snapback]1279637[/snapback]</div>

-Mike
[/b]

Well I wrote a long and rambling reply to this last night and I must have pressed the wrong key because it isn't here. :rolleyes

Anyway, I agree completely with the placement of the holes you've highlighted, Mike. That shot proves for me that the holes are all the same size and that Deckard's index finger is partly blocking the hole at bottom right (I had previously labelled it "3").

I hadn't noticed it before, but I agree with Eltee that the radius of the lower corners is tighter.

I have been trying to identify a reasonable rationale for the holes. My first thought was braille. However, braille fits on a 2 wide by 3 tall grid (per letter). I'm pretty sure that the holes visible in the card fit a regular 5 x 5 or possibly a 6 x 6 grid. Even if it is 6 x 6 and you could theoretically fit 3 letters across in 2 rows, you would need a gap between letters to be able to read it.
Next I thought about the old computer punch cards. Anybody here ever program a computer with punch cards? I did.

If this is supposed to serve the purpose of a mechanical key (in the event of a power failure?) or perhaps to unlock his mailbox in the lobby, then the holes might reasonably be on a grid.

(old on the left, new on the right)

I have lowered the image on the card, adjusted the radius of the lower corners and added the holes I think we can deduce from the footage.
I am trying to avoid adding too much speculative design here.

A biometric reader makes sense, but I think it makes sense to us in 2006. I'm not sure that the designers 25 years ago would have thought the technology might fit into a credit card. Also there's no evidence of retina or finger print scans being used anywhere else in the film.