Blade Runner Prop Replicas

[cayman shen]

<div class='quotetop'>(phase pistol @ Sep 1 2006, 10:38 PM) [snapback]1311531[/snapback]</div>

Keep in mind that the photographs I took are still copyrighted to me... I have posted them up for folks to see, and analyze, and discuss. But please don't make stuff out of my photos and sell them. At least without discussing it with me first. :unsure

Non-profit personal use is of course encouraged.

- k
[/b]

I would never DREAM of selling someone else's work. As far as I'm concerned, that's on the same level as copying a term paper or stealing someone's tape deck. I just wanted something to paste over my ugly work ID badge, and thought this would be funny. Does that fall within acceptable use?

 

[phase pistol]

By all means, Cayman. Paste away.

"Personal use" is why I posted 'em in the first place.

I just wanted to reinforce the idea that the photos were taken by me, and are not in the public domain, mostly because of that guy on ebay who is already selling replicas made out of my photos...

But for the most part, the folks on the board here have been super.

And if anyone else would like to use my photos in another context, or would like my help or opinions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Eventually I will have some additional photos (and even video.) of the blaster to share, but first I have some prior commitments to take care of.

- k




<div class='quotetop'>(cayman shen @ Sep 2 2006, 03:34 PM) [snapback]1311886[/snapback]</div>

I would never DREAM of selling someone else's work. As far as I'm concerned, that's on the same level as copying a term paper or stealing someone's tape deck. I just wanted something to paste over my ugly work ID badge, and thought this would be funny. Does that fall within acceptable use?
[/b]

 

[franz bolo]

I've got the I.D. done but I need a hi-res Deckard photo for it.

If anyone has a good one that I can use, please let me know.

I'm going to post a black and white version for the do it yourself people, and a completed one for the paste-up challenged.

FB

 

[Noeland]

I was under the impression retired police and FBI agents are given thier ID's with a RED X over them to show they are no longer valid.

I thought it was like an irony that a retired cop is retiring replicants kind of thing.

But that second ID having the redX also, maybe it is something else. Anyone know if Holden had an ID?

SO, 99S????

How damn interesting is that? How misconceptions become fact I will never friggin know.

From bladezone

I can see an S in there. :love

Njc------------------

 

[franz bolo]

Yeah, an "S"..

I love to hear stuff like this..

I hope spinner44 has some more stuff to post.

FB

 

[Noeland]

<div class='quotetop'></div>

I love to hear stuff like this.. [/b]

Me too, and Groucho Marx is now part of the blade runner universe.. How cool is that?

Njc-----------------

 

[phase pistol]

While the Groucho thing is interesting ("say the secret woid and win a trip to the Off-World colonies"), I still have trouble buying the "99S" instead of 995 thing.

I mean, the letter S is symmetrical... it would be drawn differently if it were an "S".

It still looks like a "five" to me.

- k

 

[franz bolo]

Well, very few fonts draw the number 5 with that serif on the top stroke. It is more consistant with an S.

Plus none of the other letters have serifs. Why would the 5 have one?

FB

 

[phase pistol]

Serif? It's a completely fanciful font, not part of any traditional family.

I see the top half of the character as "flat" on the left side, which to me connotes "five".

Nine-nine-ess would look more like this

 

[juno]

To me, this is 995:

 

[franz bolo]

I don't agree. The I, the E and the L all have different "ends" on the strokes.

None of the letters fit a symetrical pattern.

This is what I see as 995:

FB



Oooops.. you beat me to it.

Ha. You must have posted when I was still in photoshop..

FB

 

[juno]

It's like we're twins.

 

[franz bolo]

O.K, you can be the Danny Devito character..

FB

 

[Noeland]

hahahaha, I was just doing this same thing with the 5 in illustrator....



I tend to agree, but I also have seen some funky 5's in some funky fonts in my day. :lol

spinner 44, thanks for the information, and for posting this new stuff. This is very exciting stuff too. I have always wondered where the font originated from, and I LOVE reading the stories of the folks who worked on the film.

Very cool.

Njc--------------

 

[proplica]

Hmmm, a bit odd about the 99'S' you mentioned, I know when I talked with him about this in '98 he stated that 995 was the call number for police in the future, like 911 is now.

He was also aware 995 was the number used on all the spinners when we worked on the decals for the spinner restoration a couple years ago.
The 44 was the car's number. which btw in it's early stages was originally fitted with "41" decals, before Ridley asked for changes.

Not to add any discrepencies, but that is from the notes I have from him back then.
I think it makes more sense.

 

[spinner44.com]

<div class='quotetop'>(franz bolo @ Sep 7 2006, 03:53 AM) [snapback]1314525[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, an "S"..

I love to hear stuff like this..

I hope spinner44 has some more stuff to post.

FB
[/b]

Here's more from today. I guess he still has yet to receive the phone as speculated by the Illuminati. I added my questions for context sake.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Spinner44.com: I have to ask more about the whole 99S vs. 995 as we have understood it to be. Where does 99S come from? What were your interpretations?

T.S.: LIKE I SAID, IT WAS MY TAKE ON A FUTURE 911 (POLICE EMERGENCY NUMBER).

I NEVER WAS SURE IF IT SAID 99S OR 995 AND IF YOU WERE PUZZELED THAT'S OK. RIDLEY LIKED IT WHEN THE AUDIENCE HAD TO MAKE SOME GUESSES ON THEIR OWN. I BELIEVE HE KEPT IT A SECRET ABOUT DECKARD BEING A REPLICANT (OR NOT) BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL ENTITLED TO THEIR INTERPRETATION (EITHER WAY). BUT LET'S FACE IT THERE WERE A DOZEN OR MORE CLUES.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE BEST ABOUT BR. YOUR INTERPRITATION IS VALID. 99S , 995 I DREW THE FONT BY HAND AND HAD TO MAKE UP LETTERS THAT WERE NOT ON THE GROUCHO ALBUM SO IT COULD BE EITHER. HAVE YOU EVER DRAWN A FONT WITHOUT A COMPUTER?

Spinner44.com: I found the album cover with the Police 99S font you mentioned. In that setting I see more of an Art Deco overtone while in Blade Runner the font fits in with the whole computer look. It actually serves the purpose of being both which completely fits into the Blade Runner design theme.

T.S.: YES THAT'S THE COVER THAT INSPIRED ME TO DO THE POLICE 99S THE WAY I DID... MOSTLY BECAUSE IT WAS COMPLEX. BUT STILL NOT COMPLEX ENOUGH. RIDLEY SCOTT ASKED TO ADD A BOLD OUTLINE WHICH TURNED INTO AN INLINE ON THE SPINNER DOOR.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

That's all for now. When I have moretime I'll gather what I have and be posting it on my site. And yes I did mention in writing my intentions to Mr. Southwell. It's really great that he's sharing these insights.

Thanks.



BTW, I see a 5 and not an S.

 

[eltee]

<div class='quotetop'>(Noeland @ Sep 6 2006, 08:51 PM) [snapback]1314522[/snapback]</div>

I was under the impression retired police and FBI agents are given thier ID's with a RED X over them to show they are no longer valid.

I thought it was like an irony that a retired cop is retiring replicants kind of thing.

Njc------------------
[/b]

No agency I know of does a red X. Where I work, the retirees just have "RETIRED" added to the rank line of a regular issue ID card and a panel stating Retired is added to our badge. This is pretty common practice throughout law enforcement. FBI agents have their credentials actually punched full of holes that spell RETIRED and their creds are mounted on a plaque. They receive a different one piece ID card to designate their retired status. A federal law, generally referred to as HR218, allows honorably retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed weapon 24/7 anywhere in the US. Yes, there are rules and regulations but nothing too stringent. My department regularly hires back retirees on a per diem basis, something not uncommon with many other departments. Although my department does not have a Bladerunner Unit that uses retired detectives to chase wayward replicants, who knows what it will be like in 2019?

 

[darcjedi]

regarding the whole red x thing, and the 8 on the id supposedly meaning deckard was a nexus 8, it's possible that the deckard id was made with those intentions in mind, and then to make the rest of the ids, they just used the same artwork, changing the name and photo.

i've seen examples in other movies where the hero's id was used for a bunch of other characters in the movie, and all they changed was the name and persons photo, leaving everything else exactly the same, down to the height, weight, and apartment address of the main character.

and in regards to the font... maybe i missed something, but what is this album cover that Mr. Southwell based the "995" font off of?

 

[temponaut]

eltee:

Thanks for sharing so much information about practices in your department as well as in other law enforcement agencies.

I find these details fascinating in and of themselves, as well as for the context in which they help us imagine the BR badges and IDs. :thumbsup

spinner44.com, thanks for your enlightening posts, too. Seems as if T.S. himself ultimately stands on the line between 995 and 99S.

To me, it looks like 995.



<div class='quotetop'>(proplica @ Sep 7 2006, 02:48 PM) [snapback]1314606[/snapback]</div>

Hmmm, a bit odd about the 99'S' you mentioned, I know when I talked with him about this in '98 he stated that 995 was the call number for police in the future, like 911 is now.[/b]

Fascinating detail, and the first I've heard that makes "sense" out of the numbers. Thanks for sharing this with us. :thumbsup

 

[Kevin]

<div class='quotetop'>(eltee @ Sep 7 2006, 07:28 AM) [snapback]1314615[/snapback]</div>

No agency I know of does a red X. Where I work, the retirees just have "RETIRED" added to the rank line of a regular issue ID card and a panel stating Retired is added to our badge. This is pretty common practice throughout law enforcement. FBI agents have their credentials actually punched full of holes that spell RETIRED and their creds are mounted on a plaque. They receive a different one piece ID card to designate their retired status.
[/b]

Not disagreeing (obviously.) but given BR's streetspeak culture with English, Chinese and Japanese (& the rest) in use, perhaps a graphical representation might work better. What better to indicate "non-valid" across cultures than a huge red cross?

Just an idea.